- Title: USA: The star-studded cast of "Iron Man 2" talk about the film
- Date: 26th April 2010
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 24, 2010) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR ROBERT DOWNEY JR., SAYING: "Well, to tell you the truth, I felt a little bit less comfortable at times in 'Iron Man 2' because the first time I had one job, and that was to make myself sellable in this role, and I remember doing things a little more simply and being a little more butch, and a little more stoic, and then having a lot of fun when it was time to have fun, and kind of looking back, as we were shooting 'Iron Man 2,' I realize I had kind of done a pretty good job last time, and I had to get my chops back up." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS GWENYTH PALTROW, SAYING: "The thing with Robert is, he's had such an unbelievable breadth of life experience, crazy ups and downs that I certainly can't fathom, and when you have that much wisdom, you can bring such an incredible, he can draw from so many things, especially when Tony is such a complicated character, he's heavy into drinking, and he's wrestling with his own demons and I think Robert has obviously passed through that, but has the personal experience to play something like that, and he also has the charm and the wit, and the intelligence, and the emotional honesty." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROBERT DOWNEY JR., SAYING: "I guess what I really appreciate is the guy has such power, and he has such ability, and he has such a great mind, and he kind of just wants to get along and get by and do right by himself in society. Of course he's highly imperfect and he's got a lot of hubris, and he's a bit of a narcissist, but he'll admit it, he directly admits it this time in the film, and I think it's a bit of a revelation for him as well, so there's something very wise about him, and yet there's still a childish element that I think makes him really accessible."
- Embargoed: 11th May 2010 13:00
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- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA9SN388IJMXEAA1FE28FCEWW21
- Story Text: The star power behind the immensely successful "Iron Man" films have re-teamed for the sequel, with new additions to the cast that are sure to make it another hit for the franchise, which already has close to $600 million dollars (USD) to its name already.
Cast members Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, and director Jon Favreau were all on hand in Los Angeles Saturday (April 24) to talk about the film and why the story of Marvel comics hero Tony Stark and his alter ego Iron Man are still a hit after almost half a century since they first appeared in pop culture.
"I guess what I really appreciate is the guy has such power," says Robert Downey Jr. of his character, Tony Stark. "He has such a great mind, and he kind of just wants to get along and get by and do right by himself in society."
"Of course he's highly imperfect and he's got a lot of hubris, and he's a bit of a narcissist, but he'll admit it, he directly admits it this time in the film, and I think it's a bit of a revelation for him as well, so there's something very wise about him, and yet there's still a childish element that I think makes him really accessible," Downey Jr. adds.
Downey Jr. has enjoyed a popular resurgence since the 2008 release of the first "Iron Man" film, back on top after years of drug and alcohol abuse, which had negative effects on his career as an actor. Since the first Iron Man film, he has starred as the title character of Sherlock Holmes in the smash hit 2009 film, received an Oscar nomination for his role in "Tropic Thunder," and garnered critical acclaim in the drama "The Soloist."
Co-star Gwenyth Paltrow, who reprises her role as straight laced secretary Pepper Potts, believes it is Downey Jr.'s past that endears audiences to his portrayal of the multi-layered Stark.
"The thing with Robert is, he's had such an unbelievable breadth of life experience, crazy ups and downs that I certainly can't fathom," says Paltrow. "And when you have that much wisdom, you can bring such an incredible, he can draw from so many things, especially when Tony is such a complicated character, he's heavy into drinking, and he's wrestling with his own demons and I think Robert has obviously passed through that."
"Iron Man 2" picks up where the first film leaves off, with Stark, a fun-loving playboy who has inherited his father's genius along with his corporate empire, announcing to the world that he is Iron Man, a champion and protector of world peace defined by a high tech metal suit that Stark has invented. With its unique weapons capabilities, the suit has come under the attention of the United States government, which tries to acquire it for military purposes, which Stark does not allow. Meanwhile, the embittered son of a Russian scientist wronged by Stark's father Howard has plans of his own, and uses stolen Stark Industry blueprints to create a series of weapons that will bring Iron Man down.
Mickey Rourke plays the villain, Ivan Vanko, in "Iron Man 2," but the Oscar nominated actor went to great lengths to ensure that his character wasn't one-dimensional and had justifiable motivations for his actions.
"My concern was, I've got no problem playing bad guys or villains, as long as they have layers," says Rourke. "There has to be some, he's got to be a little bit more complicated than that and he has to be a little more sympathetic, he's got to have a sense of humor and he's got to have this that, and the other, be a real person."
Scarlett Johansson plays the mysterious Natalia Romanova, who is an undercover operative monitoring Stark's failing health while he is searching for a new element that can sustain his body after the damage that the suit has done to it. Romanova is multilingual, and is an experienced fighter and martial artist, which meant months of preparation for Johansson before shooting began.
"I was training so much for this because the character is a master of this hand-to-hand combat, and she's incredibly athletic, and the last thing that I wanted was the audience to totally buy into this character and then spend the entire fight sequence staring at the back of her head," says Johansson.
"Iron Man 2" is the fifth film directed by Jon Favreau, who was well known as an actor before taking up the craft. Favreau credits his acting background with having helped immensely in his work on the set, and gave him the chance to learn from other directors.
"I pull together great people, and I stay out of their way most of the time, and when I need to coordinate and make things work out and give guidance, I do that as well," says Favreau. "I do what I would have liked when I was acting, which is lay back, let me make some choices, and if I'm doing wrong, guide me, but don't come in there and micromanage me."
"Iron Man 2" opens on May 7. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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