Ben Stiller refuses to apologise for his most controversial movie and says he's 'proud of it'

More than 15 years on, Ben Stiller's most controversial film is still stirring drama online.

Despite this, the Madagascar star has remained unapologetic for making the film and has replied to claims that he had apologised previously.

Playing lead character Tugg Speedman in the 2008 satirical action comedy, Stiller starred alongside Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., and Matthew McConaughey in addition to many other Hollywood stars.

Scoring 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomato meter and 7.1/10 on IMDb, the film was enjoyed by critics and viewers alike.

This was even due to the fact that Downey Jr. played a character in blackface - a satirical dig at actors who take method acting that bit too seriously and something the actor doesn't regret

But the line between humour and offensiveness is a thin one that the film seems to tread on.

Social media users have been quick to point out how offensive the film is, with another user saying that Stiller had previously apologised for it.

An X post from Stiller in 2018 read: "Actually Tropic Thunder was boycotted 10 years ago when it came out, and I apologized then. It was always meant to make fun of actors trying to do anything to win awards."

However, the actor replied to the claims that he apologised on X last year, saying: "I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder. Don’t know who told you that. It’s always been a controversial movie since when we opened.

"Proud of it and the work everyone did on it.'

Even though Stiller has explicitly called the film a satire of Hollywood and the acting industry, it hasn't stopped people from continuing to criticise the actors and writers involved.

Though Tropic Thunder fans have been quick to defend the Zoolander actor, with one saying: "Never apologize for comedy."

Another user posted: "Good for you, it's a f**king gemm" and one fan showed their love by saying: "Legend. We love you bro. You made a masterpiece."

I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder. Don’t know who told you that. It’s always been a controversial movie since when we opened. Proud of it and the work everyone did on it. 🙏✊😊

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) February 21, 2023

Robert Downey Jr. spoke about the film in an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020: "[Ben] knew exactly what the vision for this was, he executed it, it was impossible to not have it be an offensive nightmare of a movie."

Speaking about his character in blackface, the Iron Man star quipped: "And 90 percent of my Black friends were like, ‘Dude, that was great'.

"I can’t disagree with [the other 10 percent], but I know where my heart lies."

Hate it or love it, all of those involved in making the film are proud of the results.