Robert Downey Jr. almost got a spot in the Nancy Meyers holiday classic The Holiday, but things didn’t exactly go his way. The Marvel legend spilled the beans on The Howard Stern Show, revealing that he auditioned to play the British single dad opposite Cameron Diaz. Yeah, Jude Law eventually took that role, but RDJ came so close—and let’s say his British accent didn’t help his case.
Downey, alongside Jimmy Fallon, explained that they were brought in as “seat-fillers,” filling in while The Holiday crew figured out who they wanted. They thought it was all going down for them, but then the inevitable happened: “Jude Law’s getting my part,” Downey said, adding that Jack Black had already snagged Fallon’s. They were just there to read with the stars.
But then, here comes Kate Winslet, who roasted RDJ’s accent. “I gotta have a better British accent than Jude Law,” Downey thought, but Winslet didn’t hold back. “That is the worst British accent I have ever heard,” she shot back, and honestly, who could blame her? That’s cold-blooded.
And the rejection didn’t stop there. Director Nancy Meyers had to tell them that the film “just wasn’t a perfect fit.” RDJ’s reaction? “I’ll check out now, but I’m taking the gummy bears from the minibar,” he said. That’s a mic drop right there.
But Fallon wasn’t without his audition drama. He was also in that hotel room reading for the part and joked, “If Jack Black says no to this movie, I’m so in. I’ll do it for half his price.” That was a classic Fallon move.
But hey, The Holiday ended up being a massive hit without them. Jude Law played the charming love interest, and Jack Black brought a new side to his acting skills. As for Downey and Fallon, they didn’t land this one, but their careers are doing just fine.
Now, about that sequel? Forget it. Meyers shut down those rumors in 2022 after some bogus reports about a Holiday follow-up. She took it to Instagram, saying, “Sorry, but it’s not true.” So, no holiday reunion for us.
As for RDJ, his star just kept rising, and he went on to own the role of Tony Stark in Iron Man. Winslet, meanwhile, continues to crush roles with her signature mix of charm and bold honesty—The Holiday will always be remembered for that one savage audition moment.
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