Managing to keep the A-list star of your big-budget movie in a conscious state? It's elementary, my dear Ritchie.
Robert Downey Jr.'s rep tells E! News the actor is back in fighting form despite a report in Britain's Sun tabloid claiming the star was knocked out during filming on Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes.
"He's fine," his publicist said.
A rep for Warner Bros., which is producing the film, confirmed that Downey "was hit during a scene," but denied the tab's report that he was "out cold," saying the actor "never lost consciousness, that rumor is false."
Instead, the studio rep insisted, Downey "got a few stitches and went back to work."
It was a much milder account of events than the ever-reliable Sun would have had its readers believe, claiming the 43-year-old Iron Man went down like a feather Saturday while shooting a fight scene with his 7-foot former wrestler costar Robert Maillet.
One of Maillet's fists accidentally connected with Downey's chin, rendering him "out cold" and "drooling blood," per the tab, citing an unnamed on-set source.
Regardless, Watson might want to watch his back.
(Originally published on Dec. 1, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. PT)