Robert Downey Jr: Playing serious roles is funnier

The Hollywood star plays Peter Highman in the new movie, which also stars Zach Galifianakis as Ethan Tremblay. Peter ends up getting a ride from Ethan, a wannabe actor, in order to make it home in time for the birth of his child, but nothing goes to plan.

Zach has a lot of the movie’s funniest lines, but Robert doesn’t want people to think that’s because he’s more of a natural comedian. “The truth be told I realise now that the straight man has to be smarter and funnier than the people he’s trying to raise past the level of just, you know, gorilla mask and slipping on banana peels humour,” he said on UK show Daybreak. “Like being horrified of tigers...”

Zach immediately began giggling at Robert’s last comment, which was a reference to the large animal which featured in Zach’s 2009 film The Hangover.

The interview was then cut short, as Ricky Gervais bounded into the room and started taking control. He explained he is “in charge of comedy and entertainment in Great Britain”, so had turned up to ensure no difficult questions were being asked.

After much hilarity, Zach finally admitted why Ricky had crashed the interview. “To be honest Ricky emailed me, he knew I was going to be in town, and he said, ‘Look, I really need to get on television again. This is my last ditch effort to get back on top. And this is it, his last ditch attempt,’” he laughed.