Robert Downey, JR. relished working alongside wacky comic actor Zach Galifianakis in their new movie DUE DATE - because he rarely gets to play the "straight man".
The pair shares the screen in the outlandish new comedy, which tells the story of an expectant father teamed with an unlikely travelling companion as he races to be by his wife's side for the birth.
Galifianakis plays for laughs in a series of oddball set-ups, and rather than feeling jealous of his co-star's scene-stealing performance, Downey, Jr. insists he enjoyed keeping his role understated.
He tells Britain's GQ magazine, "It's kind of embarrassing to say this, as I always thought of myself as being that type of actor, but Zach is probably one of the freest artists I have ever experienced.
"The funny thing for me was having the confidence to play the straight man for once, and it gave me a whole new set of insights into the people whose responsibility it is to hold the mooring lines while the other great talents have chewed up the scenery - and I've been that guy."