In August 2008, Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder ignited the field workplace… and stoked severe controversy.

The showbiz send-up follows a ragtag group of narcissistic, usually drug-addled actors (Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel) as they enterprise into the jungles of Vietnam to shoot an epic battleground image directed by a Brit (Steve Coogan).

The result’s a meta-war farce with a satirical lens, tackling such culturally loaded territory as race, id, worldwide politics, and Hollywood itself. All of us keep in mind Downey’s Oscar-nominated efficiency, through which his self-important technique actor character, Kirk Lazarus, undergoes “pigmentation substitute surgical procedure” to completely perceive and embody the “genuine expertise” of a Black soldier.

Years later, Tropic Thunder maintains its fame as a fearlessly politically incorrect comedy and eviscerating send-up of Hollywood. With all that in thoughts, right here's a have a look at the Tropic Thunder solid, then and now.

01 of 09

Ben Stiller (Tugg Speedman)

Along with directing Tropic Thunder, Stiller stars as Tugg Speedman, an actor who's determined for a comeback. A Tom Cruise-esque motion star again in his prime, he's since struggled after a “severe” dramatic pivot within the vital bomb Easy Jack.

Speedman tries to get his mojo again because the lead in a struggle epic, and will get far more than he bargained for. Stiller, in the meantime, obtained precisely the controversy he bargained for.

“I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder,” he posted on Twitter (now X) in 2023. “It’s at all times been a controversial film since after we opened. Pleased with it and the work everybody did on it.”

The kid of comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Stiller was enmeshed within the leisure trade even earlier than turning professional. He broke out together with his sketch collection, The Ben Stiller Present (1990–1993), earlier than directing the Gen-X touchstone Reality Bites (1994) and the cult basic The Cable Guy (1996).

With There’s Something About Mary (1998), Stiller cemented his standing as a number one man. He starred in Meet the Parents (2000), Zoolander (2001), Alongside Got here Polly (2004), and Dodgeball (2004) earlier than launching a household franchise with Night at the Museum (2006).

Over time, the veteran comedian has earned acclaim in additional dramatic work, together with The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and his many collaborations with Noah Baumbach: Greenberg (2010), Whereas We’re Younger (2015), and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017).

His directing profession has continued to broaden, from Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora (2018) to the wildly acclaimed Severance (2022–current).

Stiller married actress Christine Taylor in 2000. They share a son and a daughter. Although the couple separated in 2017, they introduced in 2020 that they reconciled whereas co-parenting throughout the pandemic and have remained collectively since.

02 of 09

Robert Downey Jr. (Kirk Lazarus)

The movie’s most acclaimed position was additionally its largest lightning rod. Kirk Lazarus is a prestigious, pretentious actor who decides to go full technique — to place it mildly — in portraying a Black soldier.

Downey informed EW in 2008 that though he was wanting to work with Stiller and the crew, he frightened that not getting the satire precisely proper may destroy his lately rehabilitated profession.

“My means into the film is I've obtained to be tarred and feathered for 3 months and possibly have my fame destroyed," he mentioned. "Then we began doing make-up assessments, and it was like Mr. Potato Face: ‘Can we take that wig off and put these enamel in? Now put this on. Now put that on.’ However by the point we had been lastly in rehearsals, I knew I had it.”

Like Stiller, Downey was born into an leisure trade household. The son of cult director Robert Downey Sr., RDJ broke out taking part in a drug-addled teen in Much less Than Zero (1987). Inside 5 years, he was an Oscar nominee for the lead position in Chaplin (1992), together with acclaimed roles in Quick Cuts (1993), Coronary heart and Souls (1993), and Pure Born Killers (1994). However the rising star’s profession was sidelined for many of the ’90s by dependancy and authorized points.

Along with his newfound sobriety got here a comeback for the ages. First, it was performances in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2006), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Zodiac (2007). Then he turned a field workplace sensation with Iron Man (2008). Downey turned the MCU’s frontman, showing in 9 additional entries.

The actor additionally squeezed in a pair of Sherlock Holmes films and the buddy comedy Due Date (2010). After snapping his means out of the MCU (or so we thought), he scored an Oscar-winning position as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023).

He’ll quickly return to the MCU, this time as Physician Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, set for 2026.

In 2005, Downey married producer Susan Levin. The couple shares two youngsters: son Exton, born in 2012; and daughter Avri, born in 2014. The actor additionally has a son together with his ex-wife, Deborah Falconer.

03 of 09

Jack Black (Jeff Portnoy)

Tropic Thunder's Jeff Portnoy made a profession of hit comedies. Off-camera, the character has a drug downside, which isn’t helped by combating for his life within the Southeast Asian jungle. Bringing that position to life was Jack Black, who admitted the movie’s depiction of diva actors has a hoop of reality.

“There may be an infantilization that occurs to actors,” Black informed EW in 2008. “I needed to catch myself a few occasions whereas we had been making this film from falling into the lure of being the character. I obtained a extremely dangerous sunburn on the very first day of rehearsals, and I used to be so mad and I actually needed accountable somebody apart from myself for not placing sunblock on.”

After years of bit elements, the actor-musician broke out in his scene-stealing position in High Fidelity (2000). He subsequently starred in a number of mainstream comedies, together with his signature position in Richard Linklater’s School of Rock (2003). After stretching his wings additional in Peter Jackson’s King Kong (2005), Black landed a romantic lead in The Vacation (2006) whereas persevering with to churn out comedy hits like Nacho Libre (2006).

Along with the Kung Fu Panda films, the SoCal native led the oddball true-crime dramedy Bernie (2013) and secured one other franchise hit with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Most lately, he headlined A Minecraft Film (2025).

He has maintained a three-decade musical profession as one half of Tenacious D, alongside Kyle Gass. The duo has earned vital plaudits from critics and even starred in their very own 2006 characteristic movie.

Black married Tanya Haden in 2006. They share two sons.

04 of 09

Tom Cruise (Les Grossman)

Worldwide famous person Tom Cruise took a profession detour to play foul-mouthed, balding studio exec Les Grossman.

Rumors have lengthy persevered a few Grossman spinoff. Although it’s but to materialize, Cruise’s longtime collaborator and four-time Mission: Unimaginable director Christopher McQuarrie lately provided an replace. “The conversations we’ve had about Les Grossman are so f—ing humorous,” McQuarrie mentioned on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “[Cruise and I are] speaking about it, we’re having very severe conversations about it, and the way greatest to do it.”

Cruise rode his 1983 Risky Business breakout to historic success, from Prime Gun (1986) to Rain Man (1988) and A Few Good Males (1992). He quickly landed three Oscar nominations — for Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996), and Magnolia (1999) — whereas he banged out hits like The Agency (1993) and Interview With the Vampire (1994).

In 1996, he launched the big-screen Mission: Unimaginable franchise, a three-decade success that culminated with The Remaining Reckoning (2025). Past that signature collection, he’s headlined a string of hit actioners, from Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) and Battle of the Worlds (2005) to Fringe of Tomorrow (2014) and, after all, the record-setting sequel Prime Gun: Maverick (2022).

Les Grossman is way from his solely “against-type” position: He has Eyes Broad Shut (1999), Collateral (2004), and Rock of Ages (2012) beneath his belt, too.

Cruise has been married 3 times — to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman (with whom he has a son and daughter), and Katie Holmes, with whom he shares a daughter, Suri.

05 of 09

Brandon T. Jackson (Alpa Chino)

Brandon T. Jackson rose to prominence with Roll Bounce (2005) and his personal TV collection, The Brandon T. Jackson Present (2006). Nevertheless it was his position as closeted homosexual rapper-turned-actor Alpa Chino that endures to today.

Jackson has usually been requested his opinion on Downey’s controversial position within the movie. He's clarified on a number of events that he understood what the movie — and the actor’s portrayal — was going for.

“He was superb. He was killing it,” Jackson mentioned in an interview. “I wasn’t getting mad at first… as a result of Barack [Obama] was in workplace on the time… It didn’t really feel racist at the moment. I wasn’t mad, I used to be laughing.”

He went on to star as a satyr within the two big-screen Percy Jackson movies and appeared reverse Roll Bounce costar Bow Wow in Lottery Ticket (2010). He went on to star alongside Martin Lawrence in Large Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, the franchise’s third installment.

After taking a while away from Hollywood for a number of years, the Detroit native lately starred within the movie I’m Starting to See the Mild (2025) and the crime collection The Household Enterprise: New Orleans (2025–current).

06 of 09

Jay Baruchel (Kevin Sandusky)

Each comedy ensemble wants a straight-man position, and for Tropic Thunder, that was the youthful actor Kevin, performed by Jay Baruchel.

“As a fan of all of [the actors], it made that job a lot simpler,” Baruchel informed Collider. “Some tough elements had been ruining hours of usable movie as a result of I used to be laughing at what they had been saying. I mainly needed to be the viewers primarily and the voice of purpose. I simply tried my greatest to not step on them and possibly, if there was a second, attempt to be a bit humorous myself.”

The Canadian actor first garnered consideration in Almost Famous (2000) earlier than main Judd Apatow’s one-season marvel Undeclared (2001–2002). He went on to scene-stealing roles in Million Greenback Child (2005) and Apatow’s Knocked Up (2007). The actor later starred in She’s Out of My League (2010) and landed the lead voice position of Hiccup within the Practice Your Dragon franchise.

Baruchel later performed a farcical model of himself within the raucous apocalypse comedy This Is the End (2012) and, extra lately, received a Canadian Display Award for taking part in real-life BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis in BlackBerry (2023).

He married Rebecca‑Jo Dunham in Portugal in 2019.

07 of 09

Steve Coogan (Damien Cockburn)

British comedy icon Steve Coogan performs the film-within-a-film’s director, largely based mostly on cult filmmaker Richard Stanley.

“Lots of the issues that Ben’s thrown into his character are issues that he acknowledges in himself,” Coogan informed Total Film about Stiller. “On set, he’s fairly a selected taskmaster and can be sure that he retains doing it repeatedly till he will get it precisely the best way he desires. There’s a scene the place I leap up and down with a monitor — I feel I jumped up and down 5 days straight. It nearly turned a joke. ‘What are you doing in the present day?’ ‘Leaping up and down for Ben Stiller, like I did yesterday and the day earlier than.’”

Coogan is maybe greatest recognized for the character Alan Partridge, a self-obsessed TV and radio character whom the comic has embodied in innumerable sketches, TV exhibits, films, and books. However his profession exterior the Partridge-verse is substantial, from main 24 Hour Social gathering Individuals (2002) to stealing scenes in The Different Guys (2010) and Our Fool Brother (2011).

The English actor earned a pair of Academy Award nominations for writing and producing the drama Philomena (2011), through which he starred alongside Judi Dench. He additionally has a signature buddy franchise with fellow comedian Rob Brydon, with 4 The Journey installments, through which he performs a persnickety, flippantly fictionalized model of himself.

Coogan’s foray into severe territory contains roles as Stan Laurel in Stan & Ollie (2018) and disgraced media character Jimmy Savile within the miniseries Reckoning (2023).

Coogan was married to Caroline Hickman from 2002 till 2005. He has one baby from a earlier relationship.

08 of 09

Danny McBride (Cody)

Danny McBride was simply rising to prominence when he starred as Tropic Thunder’s pyrotechnic knowledgeable. He likened his expertise on set to “movie-star camp.”

“There’s 1,000,000 actors I had seen and watched and by no means met. So it was simply form of like making an attempt to remain alive and really feel like I may maintain my very own with all of those tremendous proficient, profitable folks,” he told Complex in 2024. “That was most likely probably the most insane time I’ve had on something. To go from ready tables a yr earlier after which the following yr I’m in Kauai with Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black and all these guys, it was mind-blowing.”

McBride’s movie debut was in David Gordon Inexperienced’s All the Real Girls (2003), however he labored as a lodge supervisor and waiter till his huge break in Inexperienced’s stoner action-comedy Pineapple Specific (2008).

That blockbuster — and Tropic Thunder — shot McBride to stardom. He went on to create and star in a number of HBO comedies: Eastbound and Down (2009–2013), Vice Principals (2016–2017), and The Righteous Gems (2019–2025). With Inexperienced and common collaborator Jody Hill, McBride based Tough Home Footage. He and Inexperienced conceived and co-wrote the latest, retconned Halloween sequel trilogy.

The Southern actor has additionally landed main supporting roles in Up within the Air (2009), Alien: Covenant (2017), and This Is the Finish (2013) reverse Baruchel.

In 2010, McBride married Gia Ruiz. The couple shares two youngsters.

09 of 09

Nick Nolte (4 Leaf Tayback)

You want a grizzled, hard-drinking, haunted Vietnam vet named 4 Leaf, you name Nick Nolte.

The adorned actor admitted the position afforded him sure uncommon alternatives. “I [had] an opportunity to bully some film stars," he mentioned in an interview. "I don’t get that chance fairly often, , to inform them that they’re pansies. Which they’re… I grew up the place it was arduous work, Robert Mitchum, all these guys. They didn’t even have trailers. Mitchum simply had a chair. He’d simply sit out all night time, wait till the following day to shoot.”

The Omaha native broke out with the miniseries Wealthy Man, Poor Man (1976). That Golden Globe-nominated efficiency led to big-screen stardom in The Deep (1977), North Dallas Forty (1979), and 48 Hours (1982).

All through the ’80s and ’90s, he landed acclaimed roles in Cape Concern (1991), Lorenzo’s Oil (1993), and The Skinny Pink Line (1998), plus Oscar-nominated performances in The Prince of Tides (1991) and Affliction (1999).

The Midwestern actor has remained in demand since then, incomes one other Oscar nod for Warrior (2011) along with elements in Gangster Squad (2013) and The Mandalorian (2019).

Nolte wed Clytie Lane in 2016. He shares one baby every with exes Sheila Web page and Rebecca Linger.

Shut