10 Things We Learned From Robert Downey Jr On Joe Rogan's Podcast
3. Warren Beatty Taught Him An Important Life Lesson
When focussing on the idea of confidence midway through their conversation, Downey chose to divulge a brilliant anecdote involving Warren Beatty.
Downey was doing a film called The Pick-up Artist with Molly Ringwald and Beatty just so happened to be on-board as a producer (of sorts).
When the young star was knee deep in a scene, Beatty asked him what his 'action' was. Thinking he knew what he was talking about Downey answered, 'I'm picking up girls'. Beatty asked again, 'what's your action in the scene?' Downey, flat-footed by the question, couldn't reply and so Beatty explained that 'your action is you're trying to go to work, but you're getting distracted by this addiction you have to trying to get laid.' Beatty then clarified that his action was 'trying to get to work.'
Beatty claimed that as long as he knew what his action was, no matter how confident (or not) he was on the day, at least he'd no what he was doing.
Downey applied this ideal to more than just his acting career and still tries to know exactly what he's trying to achieve in whatever situation he finds himself in.