15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Tropic Thunder

In Tropic Thunder, Ben Stiller poked fun at the giant egos of Hollywood stars and how ill-suited they are for anything but a very pampered life.

How much do you know about Tropic Thunder? Take a look and find out.

(Images: Allstar; Rex)

1

Because he is a method actor, just Kirk Lazarus, Robert Downey Jr. stayed in character all through filming.

2

Tom Cruise was approached to play Tugg Speedman's agent, but he instead suggested the idea of a studio head. The character's look and dance sequence were all Cruise's idea.

3

After Cruise decided against the role, the part of Speedman's agent was earmarked for Owen Wilson. After Wilson suffered some public personal issues that made him unavailable Ben Stiller called in Matthew McConaughey.

4

Stiller first had the idea for the movie while filming Empire of the Sun. Friends of his who were appearing in military-themed movies would tell him about boot camps they'd had to go through which meant them feel like real soldier. Stiller found their suggestion that pretending to be a soldier was anything like being a real soldier completely hilarious.

5

Robert Downey Jr. said he based Kirk Lazarus on a combination of Russell Crowe, Daniel Day Lewis and Colin Farrell.

6

The initial script concerned a group of actors going to military boot camp and coming with post traumatic stress disorder.

7

Stiller based Tugg Speedman on a young Sylvester Stallone.

8

Brandon T. Jackson auditioned 13 times before being cast as Alpa Chino.

9

According to Brandon T. Jackson, when his mum visited the set she thought Robert Downey Jr. was Don Cheadle.

10

The cow used in the film was actually pregnant, which the cast and crew only realised when they arrived on set one day and she was nursing a calf.

11

Jack Black's character, Jeff Portnoy, was partially based on Chris Farley.

12

Very early on, Ben Stiller considered playing Rick Peck (eventually played by Matthew McConaughey) and wanted Keanu Reeves for Tugg Speedman.

13

Kirk Lazarus was written as Irish but Downey Jr. asked to change the accent because he'd learned an Australian accent for Natural Born Killers.

14

Reels of the film were sent to theatres with the code name Capricorn.

15

Mos Def turned down the role of Alpa Chino.