Who is this red-haired actor starring in the HBO miniseries, The Sympathizer? It turns out a set photo for the series reveals Robert Downey Jr. as an unrecognizable actor. In fact, if you weren’t told the miniseries features the MCU star, you would have no clue that it is. Read on to find out more about the upcoming miniseries and the role Downey Jr. plays in The Sympathizer.
Robert Downey Jr. in unrecognizable new role
As people know, the hair and makeup department often performs magic, turning major stars into different people. However, in the case of Robert Downey Jr. and his role in The Sympathizer, the transformation is truly stunning. While he wears makeup and a red hairpiece, it is hard to believe the character is played by the MCU actor.
Meanwhile, The Sympathizer is a new miniseries coming to HBO, starring the Oscar-nominated actor, best known for his character, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. However, since leaving the franchise, Downey Jr. hasn’t had much luck with roles.
For instance, the Dolittle reboot of 2020 was a failure. However, since then, the actor has starred in Sr., a heartfelt documentary about his late father that received critical acclaim. Now, apparently, the roles keep on coming.
Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer
The HBO miniseries The Sympathizer is currently filming in Los Angeles. This gave the New York Post and other media outlets a first look at Robert Downey Jr. in his new role. In the set images below, it is hard to believe this is the former MCU star. In fact, he is clad in a curly red hairpiece and receding hairline. It also looks like the actor has some facial prosthetics to age him for the series.
Robert Downey Jr. spotted looking unrecognizable as balding redhead https://t.co/0jOiE7eD3y pic.twitter.com/b4b7HgfTkx
— New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2023
Meanwhile, the HBO adaptation of The Sympathizer is based on Viet Tanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title. Moreover, it is described as an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire.
The miniseries features half-French, half-Vietnamese man, who served as a spy for Communist forces during the last days of the Vietnam War. After the war, he is exiled to Los Angeles where he embeds himself in a Vietnamese refugee community.
Meanwhile, the cast of The Sympathizer is mostly Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American actors. In fact, we can expect several names on the cast list, including Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan, Hoa Xuande, Toan Le, Alan Trong and Vy Le.
Reportedly, Robert Downey Jr. is earning at least $2 million per episode, which definitely justifies shaving his head and wearing an ugly wig. So far, no news is available of the release date of The Sympathizer on HBO. However, as soon as we know, we will let you know.
