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Screening Series: Robert Downey Jr. on ‘Judge’: ‘I can’t believe I’m not the title character’

Actors Robert Duvall and Robert Downey Jr. discuss hesitations they had taking on the roles they play in “The Judge” in this highlight from the Envelope Screening Series presentation of the film.

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Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t sure he wanted to play another attorney. And Robert Duvall had his doubts about whether he should play an old-timer battling memory loss.

And yet, they both came on board “The Judge,” the first movie from Team Downey, the production company Downey formed with his wife, producer Susan Downey.

“I just thought -- I’ve got to throw my wife a bone here sooner or later. ... This is probably the single best script I’ve read in God knows how long,” Downey said at a recent Envelope Screening Series presentation of the film.

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Speaking of the script development process, Downey elaborated: “Usually .... you talk and talk and talk and talk and finally a writer goes away and you want to put it through a paper shredder and you want to light his house on fire. And this was something else entirely, particularly knowing that this was a story where if we found the right pairing ... if and when we could find the right guy to cast as the judge, this would just be something real special.”

Looking at Duvall, Downey added, smiling: “I can’t believe I’m not the title character. But you deserve it, Bobby. They stand up when you come in.”

Watch the clip to learn why Duvall decided to “jump in” and hear director David Dobkin’s appreciation for the “old-school actor.” Also, we just really like the way Duvall says “OLD school.” We think you will too.

For more clips from “The Judge” screening -- in which the group discusses various approaches to rehearsing and the challenges involved in whittling the movie’s layered story down to size -- visit here.

Twitter: @glennwhipp

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