As Tropic Thunder marks 15 years since its premiere, FEMAIL exposes the many scandals that have plagued its success – from Blackface outrage to anti-Semitic anger

Tropic Thunder has been plagued with controversy since it first hit our screens in 2008.

The action comedy followed a group of hapless actors who had to fend for themselves after getting lost while filming a war movie on location in the Vietnamese jungle.

But many were quick to label the blockbuster as racially offensive because of Robert Downey Jr’s portrayal of Kirk Lazarus – an Australian actor who surgically darkens the pigment of his skin to play an African-American soldier.

In addition, the release drew criticism from the disability advocacy community of the character Simple Jack, played by Ben Stiller.

Since then, a slew of other controversial issues have also been spotted, including the film’s Asian portrayal and anti-Semitic comments.

As a result, Tropic Thunder has been targeted again in recent months, forcing the actors involved to rush to defend it.

Now, as it prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary, FEMAIL has exposed the worst of the controversies plaguing the film to this day.

The biggest criticism of Tropic Thunder is the use of blackface

Tropic Thunder billed itself as a multi-faceted satire of the film industry, but many argued that it went too far.

Downey Jr adopted blackface for his role as Kirk Lazarus – an Australian method actor who sparked controversy by undergoing a ‘pigmentation change’ procedure while preparing to play a black character.

Lazarus was created in an effort to evoke actors who will go to great lengths – and often offensive – in pursuit of critical acclaim.

But despite their best intentions, the risk seemingly backfired and Downey Jr himself faced a barrage of criticism.

However, in 2020, Downey Jr reflected on his blackface role during an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience.

He insisted he has no regrets for the role – for which he was nominated in the Supporting Actor category at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Speaking of his reservations, he said, “I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll do that after Iron Man.’ And then I started thinking, “This is a terrible idea.”

“I thought, ‘Wait a minute, dude. Get real here. Where’s your heart?’ My heart is a) I may be black in mind for a summer, so there’s something in it for me.

“The other thing is that I get to put the insane, self-righteous hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do from time to time to nature.”

More than 20 disability advocacy groups objected to Tropic Thunder’s use of offensive remarks

After its release, Tropic Thunder also received criticism from the disability advocacy community for its portrayal of ‘Simple Jack’.

The film features Stiller’s character Tugg Speedman trying to revive his career after starring in a movie about a mentally challenged farm boy.

A coalition of more than 20 disability advocates objected to the film’s repeated use of the word “ret***” as groups stole the film’s screenings.

Peter Wheeler, spokesman for Special Olympics – one of the charities involved in the appeal, said at the time: “We are asking people not to go to the movies and hope to raise awareness about the use of derogatory words about this population.”

Stiller defended the film, saying: “We’ve shown the film so many times and this came out very late…

“In the context of the movie, I think it’s very clear, they were making fun of the actors and actors trying to use serious subjects to win awards.”

Co-writer Etan Cohen also stated, “Some people have taken this as making fun of the disabled, but we’re really trying to make fun of the actors who use this material as fodder for acclaim.”

The blockbuster was also criticized for casually anti-Semitism and Asian representation

Despite blackface and able-bodiedism being the film’s two main criticisms, these were not the only points of contention.

Tropic Thunder came under further fire for its casual, anti-Semitic undertones.

Critics have publicly criticized the blockbuster for comments about the ‘Jewface’ of antagonist Les Grossman – played by Tom Cruise.

And if that wasn’t enough, there have been other reports attacking his other racial representations.

For example in a round-up for outlet Mary Sueone writer criticized the film for “painting the South Asian cast as flat caricatures.”

It added that they had objected to “the construction of adversaries like these equally ruthless and inept brown people who live in the jungle.”