‘The Sympathizer’: Robert Downey Jr. gears up for his appearance in HBO adaptation

Robert Downey Jr. will be making a comeback on the small screen as an actor and executive producer after 20 years, in The Sympathizer, an HBO adaptation.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the Avenger star will be featured in an adaptation from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, named The Sympathizer.

Robert will essay different supporting roles, as multiple antagonists such as the up-and-coming Orange County Congressman, a CIA agent and a Hollywood film director and others.

In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Downey said, “I expect this show to be a creative producing adventure for me, my wife and our company.”

He added, “A24 and HBO are the perfect combination of partners and co-parents...It's exactly the type of challenge I've been craving, and I believe we will deliver an exceptional viewing experience to our audience.”

However, the storyline of the original novel was based on a Vietcong spy who was exiled to the US after the Vietnam War broke out.

The book was published in 2015, and was loved by several of its readers. A sequel of the book The Committed was published in 2021.