The movie Paul McCartney stopped Robert Downey Jr from watching
Robert Downey Jr might be one of the biggest Hollywood stars, but he still gets starstruck by his own idols, such as The Beatles' Paul McCartney.
(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Film » Cutting Room Floor
Fri 24 January 2025 3:30, UK
The glamour sold to us by Hollywood through prestigious award ceremonies and lavish after-parties can often make actors appear unreachable and untouchable. It sometimes feels like they’re far removed from normal life, instead earning millions – maybe billions – and living in multiple mansions across the globe. Yet, sometimes, you hear a story that brings these idolised figures back down to earth.
Robert Downey Jr has asserted himself as one of Hollywood’s most well-known and popular figures over the past few decades, earning a large fanbase through his appearances as Iron Man while also earning critical acclaim for roles in movies like Chaplin, Zodiac, and Oppenheimer. Balancing mainstream movies guaranteed to smash the box office alongside some more challenging parts, he has risen to become an incredibly successful and high-grossing actor.
It’s safe to say that Downey Jr is one of the biggest names currently operating in Hollywood – he even won a ‘Best Supporting Actor’ Oscar last year for Oppenheimer. Paired with the slew of other accolades he has been awarded over the years and his foray into production and music, the multi-talented star has established himself as a rather accomplished famous figure.
Yet, he’s not immune to getting starstruck himself, even though he comes into contact with countless famous people on a regular basis. When Downey Jr sat down to watch one of his most recent films, Oppenheimer, he found himself in the presence of music royalty, and he quickly realised that he wasn’t going to be able to focus on anything else for the next few hours.
After the actor’s strike prevented Downey Jr from attending the premiere of the Oscar-winning Christopher Nolan film, he decided to put on a private screening for friends and famous figures in the area, which led him to invite the iconic Beatle Paul McCartney. Unsure if he’d actually turn up, Downey Jr was delighted to discover that the legendary ‘Hey Jude’ singer had actually made it.
“I invited everyone who was in the Hamptons, and for the first time in my whole career, strangely, everyone RSVP’d,” he told Jimmy Kimmel. “And then I sit down, and the movie starts, and I realize I’m sitting next to Paul McCartney. And I was like, dude, Paul McCartney RSVP’d, and he’s sitting next to me.”
Downey Jr admitted, “And then I was just like, smelling his cologne, and I started like, breathing in the same rhythm as him,” before adding, “I didn’t even watch the movie.” It seems as though this kind of behaviour is not out of the ordinary for the actor, even if he has performed alongside some Hollywood legends throughout his career. “I still find myself getting starstruck and fanboying out all the time.”
Since the screening, it seems as though Downey Jr and McCartney have become better friends, with the pair being photographed backstage at a New York performance of the play McNeal later in the year, which starred the actor. It’s reassuring to know that even some of the biggest stars in Hollywood get starstruck over their idols, and at the end of the day, who can blame Downey Jr for fanboying over one of the greatest songwriters of all time?
Related Topics
OppenheimerPaul McCartneyThe Beatles