Oliver Stone: Robert Downey Jr. Nearly Ruined ‘Natural Born Killers’ With Slapstick

Oliver Stone recently shared insights about the challenges of filming Natural Born Killers, highlighting how Robert Downey Jr.’s antics added to the complexity of the production.

Looking back almost thirty years after the release of the 1994 crime romance in an oral history for Esquire, Stone recalled an improvisational moment from Downey. In one particular scene, Downey’s character dipped the front tails of his white shirt in fake blood and pulled it through his pants zipper, simulating a bloody penis.

Stone initially reacted with frustration, telling Downey, “Oh come on—that’s too much! You’re going too far, Robert. You’re ruining my movie! Forget the dumb dick idea. … This isn’t some slapstick bullshit.”

However, the director soon reconsidered. Stone asked to see the improv again before giving specific feedback, “Wait, wait—wait a second. Let me see the dick thing again.” Downey obliged, and Stone then adjusted, “Pull it back a half inch. All right. Let’s go.”

Natural Born Killers weaves the tale of Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis’ characters, lovers and psychopathic serial killers, who become media sensations while on a cross-country killing spree. Downey played the role of a trashy TV journalist named Wayne Gale.

The filming period also intersected with Downey’s battle with addiction. He confessed, “The only time I was awake… was between Action and Cut,” a stark acknowledgment from the Iron Man star about his struggles during that phase.

Stone remarked on the chaotic atmosphere of the production, describing it as a “zoo” with actors on various mental and emotional trips. According to him, Woody Harrelson was the most stable among the key players.

Harrelson echoed Stone’s observations, “I will say this, and 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! Which is—it’s never happened in my career or my life.” Harrelson humorously added, “And no one’s ever done more drugs than me, but I was Mother Teresa on this one.”

Despite the on-set madness, Downey commended Stone, likening the experience to a “precision-executed three-ring circus ballet.” He praised Stone’s creative vision, saying, “With this movie, Oliver Stone has got something that still bears reexamination.”

Downey further elaborated on Stone’s cinematic impact, stating, “Oliver Stone is a director who, barring [Christopher] Nolan and maybe a few others, is the highest embodiment of social commentary via cinema. Oliver Stone has never made a movie that wasn’t saying something. Never.”

While the filming of Natural Born Killers might have been tumultuous, it undeniably resulted in a film that continues to provoke thought and discussion, a testament to Stone’s distinctive and powerful approach to filmmaking.

Source: Esquire