Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role in the Sherlock Holmes franchise (directed by Guy Richie). In Los Angeles to promote the movie, he talks about his career, becoming a dad again, and working with his wife Susan, who is also producer (and therefore his boss) of the movie.

Q: How much like Sherlock are you?

I’m not particularly like Sherlock. I think what the great thing is that Jude (Law) and I both found a lot of… escapism and aspects of ourselves in Holmes and Watson. I think really when we’re not working we’re just kind of trying to keep our heads above water with family and interpersonal relationships and all that stuff.

Q: What did you enjoy most about filming this one? The fight scenes? The chess game? The misadventures with Watson?

I think it was a combination of things. Mostly it was the fresh meat from having Noomi (Rapace) join us. And Holmes and Watson have this kind of third… collaborator thing, albeit, a little bit reticent at the beginning. I just thought it was really interesting that we went in a direction where they’re essentially following someone who’s posing as a gypsy fortune teller who brings them into this intrigue. We knew that the Moriarty theme was going to be a huge thing to tackle. And honestly, just by the time we had cast Jared (Harris), he came in with all of the right ideas and insistences. And we kind of allowed him to be the authority on that. And I think that’s kind of basically why the movie works.

Q: And your wife Susan is pregnant. Are you excited about being a new dad?

Yes. Can’t wait. Very excited.

Q: How is it working with your wife? How is it for everyone else?

Our movies are our kids. And we spend all this time together and the relationships that are going on during the course of a shoot, the result of that that’s tangible is, aside from the fact that we’re pregnant, and people get pregnant and have kids and stuff like that… .or they break up…… is these artifacts of the movies. And so sometimes a period in time is most easily demonstrated by the movie that came out. That you get to harken back on those times. I mean, this is actually a very trying circumstance for all of us, particularly for some of the new folks. I know that Jared and Noomi went through a heck of a lot trying to step into this very unorthodox way of filmmaking that the studio supports us in doing. It’s verging on the criminally insane. And yet they… they trust us. But it’s a really stressful thing.

Q: What’s it like to have your wife as your boss? And who is the boss at home?

Ok, well first of all, I am definitely the boss at home. And I am the boss on the set. So that doesn’t leave a lot of room for discussion, does it? (jokes). I mean it’s really as simple as this. I don’t like it when somebody knows me so well that they go, “Yeah, that’s not going to cut it, we have to bring the scene to another level.” And I go, “I’m very happy with the way it is. I like that… I wrote that little piece of dialogue there.” And she’s like, “No, we’re not going to shoot that. It’s not happening.” (laughs). But the Mrs and I… we’re buddies. And we’d rather work together than not work together. And I also think that particularly when you’re married to someone who’s central in a production, you have to make sure that anyone who’s visiting that experience or deeply part of that experience doesn’t wish that the two of you would stop working together immediately. It puts a lot of responsibility on making the relationship healthy. Which is good.

Q: How did you enjoy the costumes?

Yeah… I just always want to do more. The bar was pretty high on the action in the first one which just bothered me because I was like, well if we don’t beat this or do something new, or different, or five times better, I’m going to be miserable. And maybe I put too much stock in this stuff. Because I take it really personally if we're not doing as well as we could. We only had a little more money but we still wanted to make everything bigger.

Q: How is it playing the same character in a franchise?

The best part about being able to play the same character repeatedly is if you get it right enough the first time, that you get to do it again. I like the way that there’s enough understanding and enough knowledge about the character and there’s enough research out there.

Q: Are you and Jude doing Some Like It Hot with Guy directing?

That’s called act two of Sherlock 2: A Game of Shadows. No, the Mrs, Susan, referenced that a while ago. That’s what it reminded her of when I was wearing a dress. I thought I looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dwarf brother. That’s what I thought I looked like, as well as the lead singer from The Cure, Robert Smith.

Q: Were there a lot more physical challenges? Did you have to train a lot more?

As far as me being in shape, I think you and I should probably talk about that for a half an hour as it is my favorite topic.

Q: Have you ever had a guy friendship or bromance like Holmes and Watson?

Yeah, well, Jude and I are pretty close but Guy (Richie) and I are practically brothers which makes things really interesting. There have been times when I’ve wanted to lop off his head with a machete, but it’s because I love him so much

Q: Having done two of these, do you feel a sense of ownership towards Sherlock? Do you have any interest in the other portrayals of him?

Yeah. Whenever I watch someone doing something, even if it doesn’t turn out so great, I at least admire their intentions. I know that there’s some kind of quintessential performances that have happened out there. I’ve heard more about the series than I’ve seen but I’m intrigued by it. I think it’s important that we’re all part of the same collective of honoring this great writer and his stories.

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