Robert Downey Jr. Describes His On-Screen Kiss With Val Kilmer | Late Night with Conan O’Brien

Thanks for being here. Thank you, Conan. No, thank you. And on such short notice, too, and congratulations on your recent birth and all that. Thank you very much. Yeah, it's an amazing thing. Big change in my life. And big changes for you, too. You turned 40 this year, and I know that that's a... That's what you want to talk about? Well, yeah, a little bit. I'm just curious because it's such a big event. You know, one day I will turn 40, and I'm just curious. No, I'm 42. I'm just curious. And I didn't... I kind of plowed through it. I didn't think about it that much. But for some people, it's kind of a life-altering occasion, is it? Was it? Well, first of all, and I should preface this by saying I stopped smoking. Oh, well, that'll... Well, good for you. Good that you did that. I would say I stayed stopped because I'd like to indicate what happened. Okay. At one point, I look over and I say, why is there a damn singing gorillagram here for me? And they go, come on, it's your birthday. And I go, I don't want to... And my friend Warren couldn't make it. Right. And so there's this guy in a gorilla suit that smells probably like some, you know, bar mitzvah kid just gacked on it. And he says, Warren has a special message for you. And I was like, H... on a stick. Is this my life? Right, right. This is awful. Now, I mean, back in the day... Right. Or soon thereafter, I'd have had, you know, a Greek coffee and a couple of Camelot filters. I'd probably jump on his neck and, you know, like skull banked him or something. You know. These are... These are such colorful terms you're using. But I would find a gorillagram upsetting in any occasion. I don't like that kind of fun. I don't enjoy any... There's no... There would be no time when I would enjoy a guy in a gorilla suit singing to me in front of people. I thought I was past all manner of trauma, but this... Don't try it. Right. Now, happy news. You were married? Yeah. In August. Is that right? August 27th. August. And I met your wife that day. How was the wedding? Did you have a good time? It was a great day and fun. And then by about 1 a.m., it turned into a tribal dance healing. That was amazing. A tribal dance healing. So it was just a... You know, people were describing... Well, that's what I think of when I think of tribal dance. I think of this kind of dancing. That's what I would do. If you said everyone tribal dance and I was there, you'd see a lot of that. Is that kind of like throwing things over your back? No, no. This is me just becoming very in touch with my spirituality. Okay. And having some kind of fit. Yeah. At the same time. Kind of a chakra cleansing type thing. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. There was two songs. It was Peter Gabriel's Red Rain on an extended play, like a long version. And then U2's song, Bad. You know, that's like, dislocate. And those are the songs you think that bring that out? Because not all music gets you to that tribal healing place. At that point in the evening. Yeah. I mean, let me put it this way. It was... We pulled out the stops. Right. Yeah. Now, music is very important to you. You take music seriously. You actually were planning... You were going to open for Duran Duran with a band once. Is that right? Yeah, I had that offer. And then I went and did a part in George Clooney's movie, Good Night and Good Luck. But I could have opened for Duran Duran. Am I supposed to be pissed off at George about this? No. I think it's good. I think you got to be in a big movie other than that, so it all works out. Yeah, but I could have opened for Duran Duran. Yeah. You know, I mean, I think it's cool. I think it's cool to open for Duran Duran. Should I let go of that? Does it seem like I'm harboring that resentment? It seems like you're hanging on to it and it's not fair. I think you need some tribal healing. Hit it, Max. Okay. Good. Yeah. Wow. It just happens that quick. Max didn't get you to tribal healing that fast. Wow. No extended play, Peter Gabriel. Let's talk about Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. You have very good chemistry with Val Kilmer in this. In fact, at one point in the movie, you need to kiss Val Kilmer. Yeah. What's it like as an actor? You're obviously a very talented actor. Was that a hard scene to do? Was it hard for you to kiss Val Kilmer? Well, it might have been a bit easier if he hadn't just like gone over to the craft service table, had a hoagie with a slab of mustard on it or something. You think he did that intentionally, is what you're saying. He went and ate the most disgusting thing he could possibly eat. No, I think he was just by the craft store. He didn't think. Right, right. I mean, it's not like I was brushing my teeth before or anything, but... Right, right. So he took the bite of the hoagie, swallowed it, and then went right at you. Getting all turned on for some reason. He's actually had experience. He kissed Colin Farrell in the movie Alexander, so he had actually been to that place before. Yeah. Had you. Had I kissed Colin Farrell? No, had you kissed a man before? Oh, probably. I mean, if I did, it's probably a hoagie. Probably. I don't know. Who knows? Yeah. Why? You want to get out right here or something? What are you getting at? I'm into experimenting now. This whole thing got me into a whole new place. I'm a happily married man. He just had a kid and... That'll do things to you, man. Yeah. It's sleep deprivation. Yeah, it is sleep deprivation. Now, do you like... We've had him here a number of times. I really enjoy talking with Val Kilmer, but you never know where it's going to go. Oh, he's fantastic. His mind is just going in different directions. Did you find it was difficult to work with him? Well, being a practitioner of Kung Fu for some time now, I'd have to say that his style is Drunken Monkey. Right. Which is... Yeah. Whereas mine is... That's more side to side. Hell yeah. Whereas mine is kind of like Stewing Grandma. Right. A little known Kung Fu style. You don't win many fights as Stewing Grandma. Get off my lawn!