"The Soloist" a new film by Joe Wright

A family friend recently had a job as an extra in the upcoming film "The Soloist" from Joe Wright, the director of the multi-award-winning films "Atonement" and "Pride and Prejudice."

"The Soloist" is about a homeless schizo musician, played by Robert Downey, Jr., with a dream of playing in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Catherine Keener, Stephen Root, and Jamie Foxx round out the cast.

We've all enjoy R.D., Jr.'s work, right? I mean, he's a genuinely fine actor.

[Blame IMDb for this next bit.]
I've seen "Up the Academy" but I don't remember anything about it off the top of my head. "Weird Science" is a kind of a classic, I can't say I really remember him on Saturday Night Live, but that's because I wasn't watching it much during that time, "Back to School" is at least a cubic zirconia in the history of filmdom, and then a flurry of films which I've missed because I was more interested in raising a kid than watching movies [The Pick-Up Artist, Less Than Zero, Johnny Be Good, Air America, Chaplin, Short Cuts, Natural Born Killers, Only You, etc.], but "U.S. Marshalls" dragged me back because Tommy Lee Jones had been so good in "The Fugitive", and then I saw "Bowfinger" (a fave), "Wonder Boys" (another fave), and I watched a lot of Ally McBeal but I don't remember R.D.,Jr. in it. Another short lapse follows until "A Scanner Darkly" (yet another fave), the upcoming "Iron Man" (sure to be a fave, I mean, could casting be any more authentic?), "Tropic Thunder" (sure to be a riot), and then squire D-Day [from the old homefront that we rocked so well] calls my brother and says, "I'm gonna be an extra in 'The Soloist' with Robert Downey, Jr." Then, a few days later, "We're on a break from shooting and I'm having a smoke six feet away from Robert Downey, Jr." Too sweet.

I'm happy for him, D-Day that is (BTW, he was known as D-Day before "Animal House" came out). He signed up for 'extras' jobs on a whim and got called in for a good one. He was always the best looking guy in our clan. He was the guy that never had to pick up girls because there was a line of them waiting for a chance. I'm fairly confident he'll keep his looks as he grows older. If he's got the acting chops he could land himself a good gig on a series or as a character actor, provided he wishes to pursue such a course. Look for him. He'll be one of the guys in the background wearing a tux.