Robert Downey Jr reveals what his ‘SNL’ stint taught him

Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr is well aware of his limits and how far he can stretch himself as an actor. He also expressed his gratitude to the comedy sketch series saying how it added to his repertoire as a performer, reported ‘People’ magazine.

The ‘Iron Man’ star is featured in the new four-part docuseries ‘SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night’, which delves into the history and legacy of the iconic late-night sketch show ‘Saturday Night Live’.

As per ‘People’, he was a cast member on season 11 of the show, which ran from 1985 to 1986. The actor, who was just 20 years old at the time, said he was appreciative of his brief stint on ‘SNL’ because it helped him better understand his lane as a performer.

“I learned so much in that year about what I wasn’t. But there’s not a more exciting 90 minutes you could have, whether you are any good or not,” he said.

The ‘Oppenheimer’ star also shared that he got the gig on the iconic sketch series because of Anthony Michael Hall, who was also cast in the 1985-1986 season.

“Michael Hall said to me, ‘I’m going to do SNL. I’m going to get you an audition and I bet you’re going to get yourself on the show too’,” Downey recalled.

Season 11 featured a number of other now-well-known performers, including Joan Cusack, Damon Wayans, Randy Quaid, Jon Lovitz and Al Franken. However, the season is widely considered one of the show’s weakest by SNL fans and critics and many of the cast members were replaced by season 12.