Director Claims Robert Downey Jr. Nearly Ruined Film with ‘Bulls**t’ Joke

“Natural Born Killers,” known for its satirical and wild portrayal of a murderous couple, almost became even more outrageous, thanks to an improvised stunt by Robert Downey Jr. The actor’s antics irked director Oliver Stone during the film’s production, but ultimately found their way into the final cut.

In an interview with Esquire, celebrating the crime film’s 30th anniversary, Stone recounted how Downey’s off-the-cuff performance nearly crossed the line. One particular instance involved Downey dipping the front tails of his white shirt in fake blood, then pulling them through his pants zipper, mimicking a bloody penis.

Stone was initially disapproving of Downey’s improvisation, reportedly telling him, “Oh come on — that’s too much! You’re going too far, Robert.” The action, which appeared to reference the infamous 1993 Lorena Bobbitt case, had Stone fuming, “You’re ruining my movie! Forget the dumb dick idea. This isn’t … this isn’t some slapstick bullshit.”

However, after some consideration, Stone changed his mind. “Wait, wait — wait a second. Let me see the dick thing again,” Stone instructed Downey, eventually asking him to adjust the shirt a half-inch. This minor modification satisfied Stone, and the gag was included in the film.

Written by Quentin Tarantino, the 1994 film centers around Juliette Lewis and Woody Harrelson as a couple who embark on a violent crime spree, becoming media sensations. Downey portrays Wayne Gale, a shady Australian TV journalist who turns the pair into tabloid stars.

During the Esquire interview, Downey candidly spoke about his struggles with addiction during the movie’s production, admitting, “the only time I was awake was between Action and Cut.” The set of “Natural Born Killers” was a chaotic environment with many actors engaging in drug use.

Stone described the atmosphere as a “zoo” where “actors were all on different kind of trips.” He stated that among the cast, Woody Harrelson was the most level-headed.

Harrelson humorously backed up Stone’s claim, quipping that he was the “Mother Teresa” of the crew. “Oliver reassured me of this: I don’t want to say I was the moral center on this movie, but I was the one doing the least amount of drugs!” Harrelson said. “It’s never happened in my career or my life. And no one’s ever done more drugs than me, but I was Mother Teresa on this one.”