The making of the film coincided with the peak of "One Night Stand" actor Robert Downey Jr.'s drug addictions. Mike Figgis recalled Downey Jr. showed up to an introductory meeting "barefoot, high and brandishing a handgun." When principal photography was still occurring, Downey was arrested for cocaine/heroin possession and breaking into a neighbor's house. It has been reported that just days after this, Downey startled the crew by showing up to the film's set, and delivered what Figgis described as a "completely mind-blowing" performance. He stated "He was on time and did amazing work. He was quite incredible, not only on the basis of considering that he was going through these problems, just on a very pure level." Critics noted "creepy" similarities between the pale and underweight AIDS afflicted character Charlie and Downey's real life state. At one point Downey's performance in the film was being considered for an Oscar nomination, despite the fact that Downey would have been in prison again when the awards were to take place in early 1998.