Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Robert Downey Jr. Ditches Prying Interview For Being Too 'Diane Sawyer'
Robert Downey, Jr. abruptly left an interview for Avengers: Age of Ultron when asked about his past.
In an interview with Britan's Channel 4 journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Downey Jr. got pretty uncomfortable when the interviewer began asking him about things from his past, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Downey Jr. was set to do an eight-minute interview about the upcoming film, in which he plays Tony Stark/Iron Man, but cut his interview short when Guru-Murthy wouldn't turn his line of questioning back to the movie.
His first dip into Downey Jr.'s past was simply asking if he was into comic books as a child. However, by 03:30, Downey Jr. starts to get uncomfortable when Guru-Murthy compares character Tony Stark's "becoming a better man" to Downey Jr.'s own life. He then says he wants to talk to the actor about a quote he gave to the New York Times in 2008 in which Downey Jr. indicated that his time spent in prison on drug charges may have made him less politically liberal. Clearly agitated, the actor notes that the quote was from seven ago and attempts to direct the interview back to the film, but then Guru-Murthy tries to ask the actor if he feels free from his "dark" past. Downey Jr. then says, "I'm sorry, what are we doing?" and cuts the interview short. As he leaves, he says, "It's just getting a little Diane Sawyer in here."
Guru-Murthy tweeted out the interview, but didn't seem to get a lot of support.
@krishgm this is just you being a dick. Pretty simple.
— Nate Gilbert (@NateGilbert) April 22, 2015
Sponsored message
This wouldn't be the first time that Guru-Murthy has had a celebrity get irritated with his tangential questioning. He once asked filmmaker Quentin Tarantino several times about violence in movies, and an irked Tarantino told him he wasn't interested in discussing that, and to make no mistake that the interview was anything other than a commercial for Django Unchained.
Avenger: Age of Ultron will be released in the U.S. on May 1, though it will be released in the U.K. tomorrow.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
