Downey Had His 'Heart Set on' Scenes in Drag

By

While most of us are all geared up to watch Robert Downey Jr. solve crimes and kick butt in an all-new round of adventures for this month's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, we can't deny there's also quite a bit of interest in the exploration of Holmes', ehem, feminine side.

MORE: Robert Downey Jr. Pulls No Punches in 'Sherlock Holmes' Sequel

"I looked as if my sister was taking steroids," said Downey with a twinge of shame to his turn as "Shirley" (Sherlock Holmes in head-to-toe women's wear). Whatever regret he may harbor towards his soon-to-be-legendary moment in the series, director Guy Ritchie alleges that Robert has only himself to blame for his many on set days in rouge and corset.

"He had his heart set on it," confided Ritchie of the costume. "There was a lot of complaints from Robert at the beginning that there wasn't enough disguises in the film, but there was lots of disguises, and then when pushed, we found out what he really wanted… [to be] disguised as a woman, so we remedied that."

MORE: 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' Trailer

Catch Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows when it comes to theaters, December 16.

The Sherlock Holmes sequel finds Holmes and Watson facing their toughest adversary, Professor Moriarty, played by Jared Harris. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace also joins the sleuthing pair for all the action as a mysterious femme fatale.