Jon Favreau was given his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday and his long-time collaborator and friend Robert Downey Jr. was there to celebrate. Favreau, the actor-turned-filmmaker, has had his hand in several iconic projects throughout his career starting with his holiday classic Elf and ranging to the Star Wars franchise with his hit show The Mandalorian. He has been instrumental in developing the Marvel Cinematic Universe, setting up Phase 1 with Iron Man and Iron Man 2, the films that shot both Favreau and Downey Jr. into the spotlight.
Favreau was awarded the star after 30 years in film and many industry friends were present to celebrate the achievement. He was joined at his ceremony by Downey Jr., Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, Chef co-star Roy Choi, the former of whom also asked to give a speech honoring Favreau and his work in Hollywood.
Entertainment Tonight shared Downey Jr.’s touching speech to his friend, as he showered Favreau with compliments, praising his humor and his “greatest gift” of his humanity. Check out what Downey Jr. said in the video above and quotes below:
“His greatest gift is his humanity and then there’s the funny, just for the funny alone, this man deserves this star. You will never meet a more searingly sophisticated wit. Why? Because he gets the joke and the joke is often painful. He deeply understands that life is fleeting and if we’re not laughing, we’re dying.”
Jon Favreau and RDJ’s History
Both Favreau and Downey Jr. got their start in Hollywood in the 1980s, and while the latter was seeing small success in film, Favreau enjoyed several short-lived stints on television. The actors were stuck in their careers, as Downey Jr. dealt with his substance abuse and Favreau struggled to find solid footing in Hollywood. It was Favreau’s move to directing that pushed him forward with his debut film Made in 2001, before he followed it up with the Christmas hit, Elf. This shift from acting to directing is a common path for young stars but for Favreau and Downey Jr., this was the move that set them up for success.
While they’ve come a long way, it all came together with Marvel’s first mega-hit Iron Man. After getting the chance to direct the superhero film, Favreau was certain that Downey Jr. was who he wanted as his playboy billionaire Tony Stark. The only issue was that the higher-ups at Marvel did not want to gamble on Downey Jr., who was at the time viewed as a liability due to his past substance issues. Despite this, Favreau saw something in him and pushed for him to get the role, and it paid off big time.
The pair have gone from relatively unknown actors to household names in film and TV. Although their work partnership ended after the MCU, they have continued their close friendship, making regular appearances together and supporting each other. Their friendship has not only pushed their careers forward but started the MCU on the path it’s on today. The duo has now turned to new projects with Jon Favreau working as a frequent collaborator with the Star Wars franchise and Downey Jr. taking on roles in Dolittle and the upcoming Oppenheimer.
Source: ET