I GET TO SHARE SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL WITH YOU TONIGHT --

A CONVERSATION WITH HOLLYWOOD ICON, ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

YOU MAY KNOW HIM AS IRON MAN.

YOU MAY KNOW HIM AS SHERLOCK HOLMES.

YOU MAY KNOW HIM AS CHAPLIN.

YOU MAY KNOW HIM AS SUPPORTING CHARACTER DEREK LUTZ FROM THE

1986 FILM "BACK TO SCHOOL."

AND IF THAT IS WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM, CHECK OUT HIS OTHER

STUFF.

I THINK YOU'LL BE SURPRISED BY HIS RANGE.

HERE'S THE THING, WHEN R.D.J.R.

JOINED ME FOR MY "A LATE SHOW: SUPER BOWL SPECIAL" BACK IN

FEBRUARY, I HAD SUCH AN AMAZING TIME TALKING WITH HIM ABOUT

EVERYTHING FROM HIS SUSTAINABLE "FOOTPRINT COALITION" VENTURE

FUND TO THE YEARS THAT HE DISAPPEARED INTO-- AS HE PUT

IT-- HIS OWN "SIX-HOLE," THAT WE ONLY HAD TIME TO AIR HALF OF IT.

AND EVER SINCE-- MUCH LIKE THE SNYDER CUT-- FANS ONLINE HAVE

BEEN DEMANDING TO SEE ALL THE AMAZING STUFF LEFT OUT OF THE

INITIAL RELEASE.

I HAVE THAT RIGHT, RIGHT.

>> Stephen: THEY HAVE DEMANDED, RIGHT?

>> EVERY DAY.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

SO, HERE YOU ARE, MY EXCITING NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN INTERVIEW WITH

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. THE "REST OF IT" CUT.

ARE YOU AN ADVENTUROUS PERSON?

BECAUSE YOU SEEM LIKE A CREATIVELY ADVENTUROUS PERSON.

YOU ARE INCANDESCENT WITH YOUR ENERGY BUT DO YOU DO ADVENTUROUS

THINGS?

DO YOU MOUNTAIN CLIMB OR JUMP OUT OF PLANES OR HANG GLIDE?

DO YOU DO DANGEROUS ADVENTUROUS STUFF?

>> I HAVE DONE STUFF.

I'M MIDDLE-AGED NOW, SO IT'S ALL ABOUT PROTECTING THE ASSET,

LITERALLY.

>> Stephen: MM-HMM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I WENT SKY DIVING AND ADVANCE FREE FALL

FROM 12,000 FEET.

I HAD TWIST IN MY LINE.

IT WAS NOT FUN.

IT WAS A REAL BUZZ WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO

HIT THE GROUND AT TERMINAL VELOCITY AND MY CHUTE OPENED.

>> Stephen: THAT'S A HIGH.

YEAH.

>> Stephen: ONE DOES NOT -- THAT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME YOU

JUMPED, WAS IT?

>> YES.

>> Stephen: NO WAY!

WAS IT THE LAST TIME YOU JUMPED?

>> YOU'RE ( BLEEP ) RIGHT.

>> Stephen: YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMPED?

>> NO!

I WOULD DO THAT.

>> Stephen: I HAVE DONE THAT, AND I WOULD NOT DO THAT.

>> DID YOU TOUCH THE WATER EVEN THOUGH THEY TOLD YOU YOU

WOULDN'T?

>> Stephen: NO, I DID NOT TOUCH THE WATER.

I DID NOT TOUCH THE WATER.

>> OKAY.

>> Stephen: I DETEST HEIGHTS, BUT THERE WAS A CAMERA POINTED

AT ME.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

NOT JUMP?

>> THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH CAMERAS.

I BET YOU AND I WOULD DO DAMN NEAR ANYTHING IF WE WERE DOING

A, YOU KNOW, THREE-PART MINISERIES.

>> Stephen: I THINK IT LOBOTOMIZES YOU.

>> YES.

THERE'S THAT PHRASE, TOO, IF YOU SEE FEAR, HEAD FOR IT.

BUT FOR ME, I'M 55, BROTHER.

>> Stephen: WHEW!

I'M LOOKING AT THE BACK NINE.

I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO MY KIDS WHY I'M IN TRACTION

OR WHY MAY FACE LOOKS DIFFERENT OR WHY I'M NOT AVAILABLE FOR

MONTHS AT A TIME BECAUSE I'M REHABBING SOMETHING I DID

BECAUSE I'M STUPID.

>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE HEADLINE I'VE EVER READ ABOUT

YOURSELF POST-EMERGING FROM YOUR OWN SIX-HOLE, WHAT'S THE

HEADLINE YOU'VE READ ABOUT YOURSELF YOU'RE, LIKE, I DON'T

KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THAT HEADLINE TO MY OLD ME.

I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

I ONCE GOT INTO A BOATLE ACCIDENT WHERE I BASICALLY HIT A

DOCK IN A STORM AND SPLIT MY FACE OPEN RIGHT HERE AND HAD

STITCHES IN MY FACE.

I WENT ON AND DID THE SHOW AND DIDN'T EXPLAIN TO THE AUDIENCE

WHY THERE WERE STIMPS IN MY FACE, JUST DIDN'T MENTION IT AT

ALL.

A HEADLINE ON CNN THE NEXT MORNING SAID WHAT MAPPED TO

STEPHEN COLBERT'S FACE?

AND I WANT TO SEND THAT HEADLINE TO MYSELF BACK IN TIME JUST TO

SCARE THE ( BLEEP ) OUT OF ME THE PAST.

IS THERE A HEADLINE THAT YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY EXPLAIN TO

YOUR OLD SELF?

>> MY GOSH...

UM...

YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD SOME PRETTY GOOD HEADLINES IN THE LAST TEN

YEARS, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU A COUNTERPOINT.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

I ONCE HAD A REVIEW FROM THE LOST YEARS WHERE IT CLEARLY

STATED THAT I LOOKED LIKE PEE-WEE HERMAN JUST COMING OUGHT

OF A COMA.

( LAUGHTER ) AND WHEN I READ IT, I SAID, YOU

KNOW WHAT?

THAT IS APT REPORTING.

>> Stephen: THAT IS I CANNOT -- I'LL FACT CHECK THAT

AND I WILL VERIFY IT.

>> THE FACT THAT YOU CIRCLE BACK TO SIX-HOLE JUST MADE MY DAY.

NOW, LET ME BREAK THAT DOWN.

HERE'S WHERE THAT COMES FROM.

IN GREAT SABATINI, SABATINI WHAT YOUR SIX, THAT MEANS DOWN, WE'RE

BEHIND.

SO THAT'S WHERE IT IS ON THE CLOCK SO THAT'S WHY WE CALL THAT

THE SIX-HOLE.

>> Stephen: THE SIX-HOLE.

OKAY.

IS THAT ALSO LIKE A HOCKEY TERM?

ISN'T THERE A FIVE-HOLE IN HOCKEY?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW EITHER.

>> I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SPORTS.

>> Stephen: DO YOU NOT FOLLOW THE SPORTING THAT MUCH?

>> I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH.

I'M A BIG U.F.C. GUY, AND I KNOW THAT I LOVE THE PITTSBURGH

STEELERS.

>> Stephen: U.F.C. IS OKAY.

A LOT OF IT JUST BREAKS DOWN INTO SORT OF AWKWARD CUDDLING

AFTER A WHILE.

THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE SPOONING AFTER A WHILE BECAUSE THEY

CLUTCH AND FALL DOWN AND THAT'S IT.

I LIKE THE SWEET SCIENCE.

I LIKE THE GOOD OLD FASHIONED BOXING.

>> OKAY.

HERE'S WHAT I GOT.

YOU AND ME, NEITHER OF US LIKE HEIGHTS, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO UP

TO ONE OF THOSE PLACES WHERE FOLKS BASE JUMP, AND THEN WE'RE

GOING TO DO A LITTLE SPARRING, AND REMEMBER, IT'S ALL GOING TO

BE A JOKE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO FALL, LIKE, 80 YARDS INTO A HUGE

NET, YOU KNOW, LIKE AT THE END OF THAT MOVIE "THE GAME."

>> Stephen: YEAH, SURE!

SO LET ME GET THIS RIGHT -- YOU AND I ARE GOING TO GO UP TO THE

TOP OF HALF DOME, WE'RE GOING TO BARE KNUCKLE BOX, AND THEN FALL

OFF OF IT 80 FEET!

HAVE YOU EVER FALLEN 80 FEET ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.?

>> I KIND OF HAVE.

I WAS ON A WIRE, BUT I DIDN'T REHEARSE RIGHT AND, SO, IT WAS

KIND OF LIKE FALLING.

BUT HEARST THE OTHER THING -- BUT HERE'S THE OTHER THING, BACK

TO THE M.M.A., YOU'RE SELLING IT SHORT.

IT IS IN MANY WAYS THE MOST EVOLVED SPORT BUT YOU'RE CORRECT

OFTEN IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE KISSING EACH OTHERS COXIC BONES.

IMAGINE DOING THAT IN A FREE FALL, WE'LL SHOW THEM HOW IT'S

DONE.

>> Stephen: I HAVE JUMPED OFF BRIDGES IN THE PAST FOR FUN AND

I AM HERE TO TELL YOU WITH NO WIRE, NO MARVEL SPECIAL EFFECTS

WIRE ON, YOU JUST JUMP OFF A BRIDGE.

WHY?

BECAUSE YOU'RE YOUNG AND DUMBER THAN ( BLEEP ) AND EVERYBODY

ELSE IN YOUR GANG DID IT AND YOU'RE HIGH AS A KITE.

( LAUGHTER ) >> MY COUSIN DILAN, MAJISTER

DILAN, A LATIN TEACHER IN CONNECTICUT --

>> Stephen: STEPHEN SPEAKING LATIN ).

>> YEAH, YEAH.

THEY WENT TO A FAMOUS PLACE WHERE PEOPLE JUMP OFF A BRIDGE,

AND HIM AND HIS MISSUS AND ONE OF THE KIDS DID IT, I LOOKED AT

IT, MANAGEABLE JUMP, MOVING WATER, I THINK, I THOUGHT THAT

WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA.

>> IT IS A TERRIBLE IDEA!

ONE OF MY FRIENDS, AND WE'LL BLEEP HIS NAME BECAUSE I DON'T

WANT TO GET HIM IN TROUBLE OR BE EMBARRASSED, ( BLEEP ), HE HIT

THE WATER NOT QUITE RIGHT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GO IN

NEEDLE, TOES POINT, YOU KNOW.

>> FISTS DOWN.

>> Stephen: AND TIGHT, TIGHT IN BY YOUR SIDE.

HE WENT IN AT A LITTLE BIT OF AN ANGLE.

THEY HAD TO TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE THE CREEK WATER

REMOVED FROM HIS ASS.

HE HAD A SCHOOL OF CARP IN HIS LOWER INTESTINE WHEN THEY PULLED

THEM OUT.

HE WAS LIKE A FISH MONGER.

YOU REALIZED THEY STOPPED ROLLING THE CAMERA, LIKE, TEN

MINUTES AGO, RIGHT.

NONE OF THIS IS USABLE.

>> NO, THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE THIS IS OUR SIZZLE REAL FOR THE

SERIES WE'RE GOING TO DO.

WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT.

>> Stephen: SURE.

YOU AND ME, FIGHTING CRIME.

>> YEP.

IF I JUST SIT ON MY HANDS, I'M FIGHTING CRIME.

( LAUGHTER ) BUT WE KNOW WHAT THEY WANT.

THEY WANT TO SEE US OUT THERE, TWO HIGHBROW SO AND SOS.

>> Stephen: SPEAKING EASE ESPIRANTO.

>> WATCHING BILL SHATNER IN, INCUBUS.

>> Stephen: PARAMOUNT PLUS, IT'S GREEN LIT RIGHT NOW, YOU

AND ME.

>> FLASHING GREEN.

>> Stephen: THE PROFFERS!

( LAUGHTER ) CLASS IS IN!

I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAPPIER TO SPEND TIME TALKING TO YOU.

I HOPE WE CAN DO THIS IN PERSON SOME TIME.

>> I'D LOVE TO.

>> Stephen: THANKS AGAIN, ROBERT DOWNEY, JR.

AND I'LL SEE YOU ON THE P +.

WHEN WE COME BACK, WALTER ISAACSON TELLS US WHETHER WE'RE

HEADED TOWARD A GENETIC UTOPIA OR DYSTOPIA.

STICK AROUND.