Thorne spoke to The Direct about her fateful meeting with the Iron Man actor, who connected with her before she wrapped shooting on the upcoming “Ironheart” TV series:
“He and I didn’t really have much chance to connect prior to, but maybe that worked out pretty well, because the first thing he said in our conversation, or toward the end of the conversation, was that he didn’t have any advice for me. And he felt like I was actually pretty okay, and that I’d be all right.”
Downey Jr. seemed concerned with making sure that Riri remained “her own person,” especially given her connection to a hero that has already come and gone in the MCU. He and Thorne also spoke about “all of the things that I can obviously attribute to her existence, and what it means, and what it represents, and what it can offer… Really just in the vein of being authentic to that, and true to that, and nurturing that.”
The “second half” of Thorne’s conversation with Downey Jr. is one that the actress is keen to keep “near and dear” to her heart. “He definitely gave me a piece … some words of encouragement … as I continue to navigate all that this life could be, which I appreciate.” Given that Iron Man was essentially the hero that started it all, there’s no doubt that Downey Jr. has some great nuggets of wisdom for the young actors following in his footsteps. It’s great to know that, even if he couldn’t coach Thorne through her first big headliner, that she didn’t really need too much help in that department.