Learn English with Robert Downey Jr. _ How He Got his Role for Iron Man

Aww yeah! Today we're learning English with Avenger star Robert Downey Jr. But quickly before we get started if this is your first time here I want to invite you to hit that subscribe button and the bell down below because every single week we're going to help you to understand fast speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without Just like our fan Elsa who says that our videos are helping her to remember new vocabulary and to improve her speaking. So when you join our community we're going to help you a ton to reach all of your English learning goals too. Let's get into it! Being humble I know you are but what did you say you really single-handedly made the Iron Man movies of course. Would you be upset if they ever replaced you as Tony Stark and Iron Man or do you have an exit strategy in any of this? I believe I do. Let me back track and just say that if you'd asked me in 2008, 9, 10 how I felt about it I would say that I was the atlas of the Marvel Universe. I was holding it up. Well you were! They should erect a shrine in my honor blah blah blah whatever. I really just got I got to be the the front man in a band that was going to be in the hall of fame no matter what. I think everybody winds up for the most part getting the jobs they're supposed to get and the rest of it is sour grapes and why isn't this happening for me and oh you know I only get the stuff he turns down. It's really kind of more of worldview and right before Iron Man and the screen test for that there was part of me that was saying my worldview has to change if I want to really have a shot you know if I'm not on my side for this going my way why should anybody else be? Being humble I know you are but what did you say you really single-handedly made the Iron Man movies of course. We say someone did something single-handedly when they did most of the job or at least the most significant part of it. Yes I have single-handedly vanquished the beast. Howard says this because at this point you can't think of anyone else playing Iron Man. Robert is just too iconic. Would you be upset if they ever replaced you as Tony Stark and Iron Man or do you have an exit strategy in any of this? An exit is a door or space through which you can leave a public room, building, etc. We also say this in a non-literal way. Okay good because I'm staring at one right now and it's about to be blown to kingdom come. That's my exit. When you talk about an exit strategy you mean a plan to stop being involved in something in a way that causes no damage or problems. I know man I know it's getting thick real quick and we may need a way out we got to come up with some kind of exit strategy. Exit strategy huh? Yeah. I like the way that sounds. What you got in mind? I don't know man but we need two more cars. Do you have an exit strategy in any of this? I believe I do. Let me backtrack and just say that if you'd asked me in 2008, 9, 10 how I felt about it I would say that I was the atlas of the Marvel universe. I was holding it up. Well you were. Here by backtrack Robert simply means to go back. He's bringing up events from the past and creating a narration with them that will set the context for the question he was asked. In a more conventional sense if you backtrack on something you change an opinion or a promise you made. We also say backpedal on something. I already told Dean that I could live with him being running mate. How do I backtrack? Just watch the news tomorrow. Then Robert says he thought of himself as being the atlas holding up the marvel universe. Although the main definition of atlas is a book containing maps especially to the whole world he makes a reference to greek mythology where the god atlas is seen holding the world on his shoulders. If you'd asked me in 2008, 9, 10 how I felt about it I would say that I was the atlas of the marvel universe. I was holding it up. By the way we have a fantastic example of connected speech here. First off the question word how connects to the pronoun I. How I. Next the a in about is usually weak. We say about not about. Furthermore it will often link to the preceding word. Let's see a couple examples. The time article said your apple stock was worth 441 million dollars and I wanted to ask you how you felt about that. Well I feel like apple stock has been dramatically undervalued. The point is I've never felt about anyone the way Ross felt about you. And the same happened in what Robert said. The a from about connected to the t from felt so it almost sounds like one word felt about. Finally this t becomes an American t and links to the function word it. So all together how I felt about it. Practice your speech listen again and repeat after Robert. If you'd asked me in 2008, 9, 10 how I felt about it and how I felt about it. Hey I have a question. Do you want to learn and remember thousands of the words that we natives really use in our everyday speech? Well I have a fantastic way for you to do it with our three-part master class and in addition to this we'll also help you to improve your pronunciation and to learn all about the culture so that you can understand natives no matter how fast we speak. So it's absolutely free you can learn more and sign up by linking up here or down description below. thought he was so important to marvel that they should treat him as a saint or a god in a band the front man is usually the lead singer of the group it's the person who we identify most with the band like Bono from U2 or Axl from Guns and Roses in a different context like in a business it is the person who represents an organization and works to make its image more appealing to the public he did what he was told i hear was the perfect front man the hall of fame is an institution honoring the achievements of individuals in a particular activity or field so he's saying that the movie was going to be successful even if he didn't get involved in it that's what he means by no matter what so no matter what i promise you if you need us if you need me i'll be there we'll now take a look and break down how he says this as you may know oftentimes to facilitate fluent speech we say going to as gonna in the same way we connect other words like hall of fame as hall of fame here's an example of this common case of words that end in double l linking with the following of as in all of your projects have just been approved and funded finally if you try that was going to be in the hall of fame no matter what that was going to be in the hall of fame no matter what look i think everybody winds up for the most part getting the jobs they're supposed to get and the rest of it is sour grapes and why isn't this happening for me and oh you know i only get the stuff he turns down what other common phrasal verb do we use what are sour grapes this is a grape sour is a sharp acidic taste like the taste of a lemon or a fruit that is not ripe however this is often used to refer to people so sour grapes is a person who has a negative attitude because someone else has something they cannot have themselves or because they're angry for having lost a contest or competition that's george iii you may remember him he was king during that little temper tantrum you call the revolutionary war sounds like sour grapes to me said after all we did kick your ass and oh you know i only get the stuff he turns down this means to refuse an offer or request example how could you turn down such a fantastic job it's really kind of more of a world view this is well welcome lunesta we bid you good battle prepare to have your world rocked let's do this and right before iron man and the screen test for that there was part of me that was saying my world view has to change if i want to really have a shot you know if i'm not on my side for this going my way why should anybody else be we use the phrase there was or there is a part of me when we're describing how we felt or feel in a certain situation also as you'll see in this example you can use this to describe two opposing feelings that you have so after saying there's a part of me you will say there's another part of me there's a part of me that wants me to tell you just turn around run away from all this and then there's another part of me that knows what we're about to fight what's at stake and i'm glad you're here if i want to really have a shot you know if i'm not on my side for this going my way why should anybody else be what does he mean by this an opportunity a disappointment a success great a shot is another way to say an opportunity we say this as get a shot at something or have a shot at something have steady hands if you are on someone's side you support them example he's on the side that if something goes your way it happens in a way that benefits you example it didn't go our way tonight we lost the game so by this robert means that if he doesn't support himself in being successful why should anyone else support him you have a new one on the way i know we just keep cranking them out good for you good for you well they're cute ones i don't i don't blame you that helps yeah yeah so you have a it's going to be a little girl that little girl susan is pregnant yeah it's wild i think uh i've heard that for dads you like you you grow a new heart valve when you have a daughter and there's all sorts of new experiences and feelings and stuff yeah oh i'm sure well you're such a great dad anyway and i saw the pictures in vanity fair with exton and he's precious he's a sweetie what was happening that you're laughing so hard in that car uh well i was just so i was so excited that he actually finally was in frame and smiling that i was like yay this is not gonna be a nightmare day you know what it's like trying to take pictures with kids you understand yeah thank you it's a good one yeah that's a keeper yeah done or maybe more uh the missus says we're done well she would i guess that means you have a new one on the way i know we just keep cranking them out a child is on the way one is expecting then robert makes a joke by saying they keep cranking them out to crank something out means to reduce a lot of something very quickly example he cranked out three movies last year good for you good for you well they're cute ones i don't i don't blame you that helps yeah yeah we say good for you when we want to congratulate someone or to say that they're oh no it is but i decided instead of complaining about it i'm just gonna go in every day and give it my all good for you thanks then ellen says i don't blame you this is something we say when we think that someone's actions are understandable because there's a good reason for them you must be feeling very hurt the fact is i might as well be honest i am angry at the way i have been treated i don't blame you susan is pregnant with a little girl it's gotta be exciting let's learn some connected speech with this utterance she said got to be as gotta be the t here becomes an american t like we saw before the same thing happens with the t and exciting so it's exciting not exciting i saw the pictures in vanity fair with exton and he's precious he's a sweetie yeah precious is a the same definition applies to sweetie sweetie yeah we're late what what was happening that y'all were laughing so hard in that car uh well i was just so i was so excited that he actually finally was in frame and smiling that i was like yay this is not gonna be a nightmare day when you're filming or taking a picture if a person or thing is in frame it means that you can take a picture of them or film them because they're correctly positioned for it you know what it's like trying to take pictures with kids you understand yeah thank you it's a good one yeah that's a keeper yeah natives use this term all the time a keeper is something worth keeping or that has enough value for you to want to preserve it that's a keeper you know if you like that series you should really check out some of the swedish authors for some reason they do meatballs and crime novels better than anyone else done or maybe more uh the missus says we're done well she would i guess that means she's in control of it i think robert here is saying that they're done to mean that they won't have any more children more generally we say this to mean simply we're finished with something that's it i'm done i'm sick and tired of the greed and the selfishness and all the taking also did you see how he referred to his wife the missus says we're done this is an endearing way a man might refer to his wife to other people so instead of saying my wife you could say the missus hey are you a robert downey jr fan then you cannot miss this other lesson that we made with the movie iron man it's really fun you're going to laugh a lot be sure to check that out after you finish this video by clicking up here or down the description below being humble i know you are but what did you say you really single-handedly made the iron man movies of course would you be upset if they ever replaced you as tony stark and iron man or do you have an exit strategy in any of this i i believe i do uh let me backtrack and just say that if you'd asked me in 2008 9 10 how i felt about it i would say that i was the atlas of the marvel universe i was holding it up well you were they should erect a shrine in my honor blah blah blah whatever i really just got i got to be the the front man in a band that was going to be in the hall of fame no matter what i think everybody winds up for the most part getting the jobs they're supposed to get and the rest of it is sour grapes and why isn't this happening for me and oh you know i only get the stuff he turns down it's really kind of more of a world view and right before iron man and the screen test for that there was part of me that was saying my world view has to change if i want to really have a shot you know if i'm not on my side for this going my way why should anybody else be you have a new one on the way i know we just keep cranking them out good for you good for you well they're cute ones i don't i don't blame you that helps yeah yeah so you have a it's going to be a little girl that little girl susan is pregnant with a little girl yeah it's wild i think uh i've heard that for dads you like you you grow a new heart valve when you have a daughter and there's all sorts of new experiences and feelings and stuff yeah oh i'm sure well you're such a great dad anyway and i saw the pictures in vanity fair with exton and he's precious he's a sweetie yeah what was happening that you're laughing so hard in that car uh well i was just so i was so excited that he actually finally was in frame and smiling that i was like yay this is not going to be a nightmare day you know what it's like trying to take pictures with kids you understand yeah thank you it's a good one yeah that's a keeper yeah done or maybe more uh the mrs says we're done well she would i guess that means you've all received the official statement of what occurred at stark industries last night there have been unconfirmed reports that a robotic prototype malfunctioned and caused damage to the arc reactor fortunately a member of tony stark's personal iron man that's kind of catchy it's got a nice ring to it i mean it's not technically accurate this suits a gold titanium alloy but it's kind of evocative the imagery anyway here's your alibi okay you were on your yacht yeah we have four papers to put you in abalon all night and sworn statements from 50 of your guests see i was thinking maybe we should say it was just uh just peppering me alone on the island