Ben Stiller refused to apologise for his most controversial movie he admits he’s ‘proud of’

It's been 16 years since the release of Tropic Thunder, but the controversial movie is still splitting opinion online.

Ben Stiller, known for his roles in Zoolander and Madagascar, seems unapologetic about making the film, after some social media users claimed that he was made to apologise for it.

The American actor, who turns 59 on Saturday (November 30), played lead character Tugg Speedman in the 2008 satirical action comedy, which focused on how far actors would go to be nominated for an Oscar.

It starred the likes of Stiller alongside Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., and Matthew McConaughey in addition to many other Hollywood stars.

The film performed well, boasting a score of 82 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes while being rated highly by viewers and critics.

This is despite the fact that Downey Jr. played a character in blackface, which he has said he doesn't regret, and Stiller played a character with special needs for parts of the film called 'Simple Jack'.

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

Online 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.'

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

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."

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."

Whether you love it or hate it, everyone involved in the film seems unconcerned about what the public thinks.