Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway debut has not gone as well as the actor may have hoped.
The Oscar winner, took on the title role in McNeal, which is playing at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York City.
Reviews for the play by Ayad Akhtar have not been great, and insiders say the negative press has taken its toll on the 59-year-old Iron Man actor.
Downey stars as an acclaimed novelist whose alcoholism and mental illness have come to a tipping point in his career.
One insider told Closer Weekly the Oppenheimer star is struggling to cope with the poor reception.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway debut has not gone as well as the actor may have hoped (Pictured in Los Angeles in April)
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Matt Damon, Paul Rudd, and Justin Theroux goof around at Broadway opening of McNeal in NYC
'Robert took a bold leap from dominating the silver screen to trying his luck on stage,' the source told the publication.
'But the brutal reviews have shattered him. He poured his heart into this project, only for it to bomb — it's been a blow to his ego!'
Another insider alleged that once McNeal's run is over, Downey 'won't be stepping foot on a theater stage again!'
Some of the reported unhappiness could be because of the actor's enthusiasm for the project.
In announcing the show on social media, the Doolittle star told his fans 'I knew I wanted to do Ayad's new play before I was done reading it.'
The majority of the poor press is focused on the tone and pace of the work and not the actor's performance.
McNeal 'is a dull and garbled play that says very little about ethics and artificial intelligence and instead hoists up a pompous and exhausting man who has only ever cared about himself and his legacy' wrote Variety's Aramide Tinubu.
Jesse Green of The New York Times, credited Downey for attempting to tackle the unlikable and dark title character, but said, 'The play needs him to be outrageous enough to support its outré plot points, which are otherwise inexplicable even for a man who bolts down quarts of bourbon when facing a diagnosis of advanced liver disease. Still, you feel Downey straining to justify McNeal without softening him, an impossible job in an impossible part.'
Downey stars as an acclaimed novelist whose alcoholism and mental illness have come to a tipping point in his career. A source told Closer Weekly, 'the brutal reviews have shattered him' (Pictured in New York City on September 30)
Some of the reported unhappiness could be because of the actor's enthusiasm for the project. 'In announcing the show on social media, the Doolittle star told his fans 'I knew I wanted to do Ayad's town car service new york city reviews play before I was done reading it'
The disappointment on Broadway isn't hurting Downey's movie career. The hitmaker and his wife Susan are in talks to produce The Hider, based on Julianna Baggott's short story, with Downey taking the lead role (Pictured in New York City on September 30)
The actor has several other projects waiting to be completed including his return to the Marvel universe as Dr. Doom in two upcoming Avengers franchise films (Pictured in San Diego, CA in July)
Downey's fans have reacted in a more positive fashion. 'I saw it on Friday night and you were phenomenal, 'wrote one. 'Definitely more than a few scenes I can't stop thinking about. The whole cast was great.'
McNeal was scheduled to run through November 24.
The disappointment on Broadway isn't hurting Downey's movie career. The hitmaker and his wife Susan are in talks to produce The Hider, based on Julianna Baggott's short story, with Downey taking the lead role.
Several other projects in the works are Sherlock Holmes 3, and of course Downey's return to the Marvel universe as Dr. Doom in two upcoming Avengers franchise films.
OppenheimerRobert Downey Jr
The Oscar winner, took on the title role in McNeal, which is playing at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York City.
Reviews for the play by Ayad Akhtar have not been great, and insiders say the negative press has taken its toll on the 59-year-old Iron Man actor.
Downey stars as an acclaimed novelist whose alcoholism and mental illness have come to a tipping point in his career.
One insider told Closer Weekly the Oppenheimer star is struggling to cope with the poor reception.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway debut has not gone as well as the actor may have hoped (Pictured in Los Angeles in April)
Read More
Matt Damon, Paul Rudd, and Justin Theroux goof around at Broadway opening of McNeal in NYC
'Robert took a bold leap from dominating the silver screen to trying his luck on stage,' the source told the publication.
'But the brutal reviews have shattered him. He poured his heart into this project, only for it to bomb — it's been a blow to his ego!'
Another insider alleged that once McNeal's run is over, Downey 'won't be stepping foot on a theater stage again!'
Some of the reported unhappiness could be because of the actor's enthusiasm for the project.
In announcing the show on social media, the Doolittle star told his fans 'I knew I wanted to do Ayad's new play before I was done reading it.'
The majority of the poor press is focused on the tone and pace of the work and not the actor's performance.
McNeal 'is a dull and garbled play that says very little about ethics and artificial intelligence and instead hoists up a pompous and exhausting man who has only ever cared about himself and his legacy' wrote Variety's Aramide Tinubu.
Jesse Green of The New York Times, credited Downey for attempting to tackle the unlikable and dark title character, but said, 'The play needs him to be outrageous enough to support its outré plot points, which are otherwise inexplicable even for a man who bolts down quarts of bourbon when facing a diagnosis of advanced liver disease. Still, you feel Downey straining to justify McNeal without softening him, an impossible job in an impossible part.'
Downey stars as an acclaimed novelist whose alcoholism and mental illness have come to a tipping point in his career. A source told Closer Weekly, 'the brutal reviews have shattered him' (Pictured in New York City on September 30)
Some of the reported unhappiness could be because of the actor's enthusiasm for the project. 'In announcing the show on social media, the Doolittle star told his fans 'I knew I wanted to do Ayad's town car service new york city reviews play before I was done reading it'
The disappointment on Broadway isn't hurting Downey's movie career. The hitmaker and his wife Susan are in talks to produce The Hider, based on Julianna Baggott's short story, with Downey taking the lead role (Pictured in New York City on September 30)
The actor has several other projects waiting to be completed including his return to the Marvel universe as Dr. Doom in two upcoming Avengers franchise films (Pictured in San Diego, CA in July)
Downey's fans have reacted in a more positive fashion. 'I saw it on Friday night and you were phenomenal, 'wrote one. 'Definitely more than a few scenes I can't stop thinking about. The whole cast was great.'
McNeal was scheduled to run through November 24.
The disappointment on Broadway isn't hurting Downey's movie career. The hitmaker and his wife Susan are in talks to produce The Hider, based on Julianna Baggott's short story, with Downey taking the lead role.
Several other projects in the works are Sherlock Holmes 3, and of course Downey's return to the Marvel universe as Dr. Doom in two upcoming Avengers franchise films.
OppenheimerRobert Downey Jr