The Bizarre Way Robert Downey Jr. Almost Died Making This Forgotten World War II Miniseries

Few, if any, actors have experienced similar career arcs as turbulent as Robert Downey Jr. From his rise as a wunderkind and the collapse of his personal life due to substance abuse and legal issues to his extraordinary revival as the face of Hollywood blockbusters as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey’s career is one of legends. Even when he’s climbed to the mountain top, Downey finds new ways to undergo a comeback tour, as his Oscar-winning turn in Oppenheimer reminded the world that he was not just a celebrity icon or a man in a superhero costume, but a preternaturally gifted actor as well. Despite his troubled past with drugs and the law, the closest Downey ever came to facing death was on the set of a forgotten television miniseries, Mussolini: The Untold Story, where an intensely committed RDJ was in close contact with a propeller blade.

Robert Downey Jr. Starred Alongside George C. Scott in ‘Mussolini: The Untold Story’

The son of iconoclastic underground filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., Downey Jr. was infectiously charming and an unmistakable movie star from the get-go in comedies like Weird Science, Back to School, and The Pick-Up Artist. In one of his earliest roles, before transforming into Charlie Chaplin in the eponymous 1992 biopic, he played the son of a notorious political leader portrayed by a 20th-century screen legend. In this 1985 miniseries, George C. Scott plays Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator who inspired a fascist movement during the nation’s alliance with the Axis powers in World War II, and Downey is his son, Bruno Mussolini. The Untold Story, also starring Lee Grant, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Virginia Madsen (you can tell it’s the ’80s by the number of Americans playing Italians), focuses on the National Fascist Party leader’s political career and personal life.

Unlike just about everything in Downey’s filmography, Mussolini has left little to no impact on culture, and most would be stunned to learn that a Downey-George C. Scott collaboration even exists. While elegantly crafted and staged as a historical drama, the series was criticized for its sympathetic depiction of the nefarious dictator in his personal life. With heavy makeup and prosthetics, the series carries an uncanny visual quality. Regardless, the chance to work with an actor of Scott’s stature was memorable, if not always pleasant, as Downey recalled in an interview in 1989. On set, the Patton star proved to be an exceptional chess player, with Downey remembering that he “kicked everybody’s ass,” no matter the competition.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Brilliant Career Almost Didn’t Happen Because of a Near-Fatal Incident

While Scott may have had fun playing chess, shooting Mussolini: The Untold Story was a “horrible” experience, according to Downey in 1989. With production in Yugoslavia, he claimed the entire cast was unhappy and that the conditions got to the better of Scott, an actor notorious for prickly and temperamental behavior. “I’m not saying that he really even liked me, but he didn’t dislike me,” he said of their awkward relationship. Shooting the series had all the makings of a nightmare, as Downey recalled that the director, William A. Graham, who he does not name, was preoccupied with reading a fishing magazine rather than directing.

During one day of shooting, Downey was tragically close to never experiencing the various highs and lows of his career. In one scene, a shot called for Downey to run toward the vicinity of a plane’s spinning propeller simultaneously with the filming of George C. Scott’s close-up. At least, we think that’s what Downey was supposed to do, as he never explains why he did so in the interview. “I almost ran right into this f–king propeller,” the actor recalled. He credits his co-star, Gabriel Byrne, for pushing him out of the propeller’s reach and saving his life in the process. After escaping death, Downey thought, “It made sense to me to run through that. It seemed like my mark was on the other side of it.” Scott, annoyed that his close-up was ruined, barked at Downey, “You stupid prick! Always look where you’re going!”

You can criticize Robert Downey Jr. for many things, but there is no questioning his commitment to the craft. His undying drive is certainly responsible for his ability to adapt to the times and evolve in his career, from his primal days as Hollywood’s boy wonder to Iron Man. With his devil-may-care approach to life and acting, Downey pushed it to the limit, even when he was just trying to hit his marks in a forgotten TV miniseries.

Mussolini: The Untold Story is available to purchase on Amazon.

Purchase on Amazon