Robert Downey Jr.

Biography:

Robert Downey Jr. was born on April 4, 1965, in Manhattan, New York City, as the younger of two siblings. His father, Robert Downey Sr., was a filmmaker, and his mother, Elsie Ann (née Ford), was an actress who frequently appeared in Downey Sr.’s films. Downey’s father was of mixed ancestry, including Lithuanian Jewish, Hungarian Jewish, and Irish descent, while his mother had Scottish, German, and Swiss roots. Due to his father’s film projects, Downey moved frequently during his childhood, residing in various places such as Woodstock, New York, London, New Mexico, California, Connecticut, and Greenwich Village. The family’s financial situation fluctuated depending on the success of Downey Sr.’s films.

Growing up, Downey was exposed to drug use within his family environment. His father struggled with drug addiction, and his mother battled alcoholism. Downey’s father introduced him to drugs at a young age, allowing him to use substances like marijuana and cocaine as a child. Reflecting on his upbringing, Downey described drug use as a bonding experience with his father, who saw it as a way to express love.

Downey began acting at an early age, making minor appearances in his father’s films. His debut came at the age of five in the movie “Pound” (1970), followed by a role in “Greaser’s Palace” (1972) at age seven. He attended the Stagedoor Manor acting camp during his preteen years. His parents’ divorce in 1977 led him to live with his mother in New York City, while his sister resided with their father in California. After a few years, Downey moved to California to live with his father and attended Santa Monica High School, though he eventually dropped out in 1982 to pursue acting full-time.

To support himself while auditioning for roles, Downey took on various jobs, including working in a restaurant, a shoe store, and performing at a nightclub. He also landed some roles in local theater and off-Broadway productions. Downey’s first film role came in 1983 in “Baby It’s You,” although his scenes were ultimately cut from the final film.

Downey expanded his acting career by venturing into theater, making his stage debut at the Geva Theatre Center in 1983 in the production “Alms for the Middle Class,” which ran for three weeks. He also appeared in the short-lived off-Broadway musical “American Passion” at the Joyce Theater in 1983, which was produced by Norman Lear. In 1984, Downey landed a role in the film “Firstborn,” where he met Sarah Jessica Parker, sparking a romantic relationship between them. The following year, he joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” as part of a new, younger lineup. However, due to poor ratings and criticism of the new cast’s comedic abilities, Downey and most of the new crew were replaced after a year. Rolling Stone magazine dubbed Downey the worst SNL cast member in the show’s history.

During this period, Downey achieved a breakthrough in dramatic acting, playing significant roles in films like “Tuff Turf” and “Weird Science.” He missed out on the role of Duckie in “Pretty in Pink” (1986), which went to Jon Cryer, despite Molly Ringwald’s preference for him. Downey starred alongside Ringwald in his first leading role in “The Pick-up Artist” (1987). These performances, along with his involvement in other coming-of-age films during the 1980s, led to him being associated with the Brat Pack. Downey relocated to Hollywood, where he shared a residence with fellow actors Billy Zane, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kiefer Sutherland.

In 1987, Downey delivered a compelling portrayal of Julian Wells, a drug-addicted affluent youth, in the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel “Less than Zero.” His performance received widespread acclaim, with Janet Maslin of The New York Times describing it as “desperately moving.” However, Downey admitted that the role mirrored his own struggles with substance abuse, leading him to seek rehabilitation shortly after completing the film. Despite his personal challenges, “Less than Zero” propelled Downey into projects with larger budgets and renowned co-stars, including “Chances Are” (1989), “Air America” (1990), and “Soapdish” (1991).

In 1992, Downey undertook the challenging role of portraying Charlie Chaplin in the biopic “Chaplin.” He dedicated extensive time to prepare for the role, learning to play the violin and tennis left-handed and receiving coaching to mimic Chaplin’s mannerisms. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Over the following years, Downey appeared in a diverse range of films, including “Heart and Souls” (1993), “Short Cuts” (1993), “Only You” (1994), “Natural Born Killers” (1994), “Restoration” (1995), “Richard III” (1995), “Home for the Holidays” (1995), “Two Girls and a Guy” (1997), “U.S. Marshals” (1998), and “Black and White” (1999).

Between 1996 and 2001, Downey faced multiple arrests related to drug offenses involving substances like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. These encounters with the law led to stints in drug treatment programs, county jail, and prison. In 1999, Downey vividly described his addiction struggles to a judge, likening his situation to having a metaphorical gun in his mouth. He attributed his early exposure to drugs to his father, claiming he had been introduced to drugs at the age of eight.

In early 1996, concerned friends Sean Penn and Dennis Quaid intervened and attempted to get Downey into rehab, but he left shortly after admission. Later that year, he was arrested for drug possession and gun charges. In subsequent incidents, he was found under the influence and even entered a neighbor’s home while intoxicated. Despite court-ordered rehabilitation programs, Downey continued to struggle with addiction, leading to further arrests and legal issues.

After a period of relative stability during the shooting of “Wonder Boys,” Downey experienced a relapse, compounded by financial difficulties. Despite legal representation from high-profile lawyers, including Robert Shapiro, Downey was sentenced to a three-year prison term. However, he was released early due to time served. Following his release, Downey joined the cast of “Ally McBeal,” earning critical acclaim and awards for his performance. Despite his success on the show, Downey’s personal struggles persisted, leading to further arrests and his eventual dismissal from the series.

In 2001, Downey faced another arrest for drug-related offenses. Although he avoided jail time, he was ordered into drug rehabilitation and placed on probation. Despite attempts to address his addiction issues, Downey faced challenges in his personal and professional life, including difficulty securing insurance for film projects due to his troubled history. Reports emerged suggesting he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but Downey disputed these claims, emphasizing the influence of substance abuse on any psychiatric evaluations.

Despite his previous critical acclaim, Downey had not starred in any major box office hits. However, in 2008, his career took a significant turn when he appeared in two highly successful films, “Iron Man” and “Tropic Thunder.” Ben Stiller, in an article for The Time 100, celebrated Downey’s breakthrough summer at the box office, highlighting his versatility and talent as an actor.

In “Iron Man,” Downey portrayed the titular character, Tony Stark, after director Jon Favreau recognized his ability to embody the role’s complexities. The film was a massive success, grossing over $585 million worldwide and earning praise for Downey’s performance. Subsequently, Downey agreed to star in two “Iron Man” sequels and “The Avengers.”

In “Tropic Thunder,” Downey played Kirk Lazarus, an Australian method actor who undergoes a controversial transformation to portray an African-American character. Both Stiller and Downey were concerned about potential controversy, but the film was well-received, and Downey earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal.

Following these successes, Downey starred in “Sherlock Holmes,” which set box office records and earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. His remarkable career resurgence demonstrated his enduring talent and versatility as an actor.

Downey revisited his role as Tony Stark in the first of two planned sequels to Iron Man, titled Iron Man 2, which premiered in May 2010. The film earned over $623 million worldwide, ranking as the 7th highest-grossing movie of 2010. Another commercial success for Downey in 2010 was the comedy road film, Due Date, alongside Zach Galifianakis, released in November, which grossed over $211 million globally, securing its place as the 36th highest-grossing film of the year. Downey’s only film credit in 2011 was Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, hitting theaters worldwide on December 16.

In 2012, Downey reprised his role as Tony Stark in The Avengers, a film that received positive reviews and became the third highest-grossing film of all time both domestically and globally. Downey also starred in The Judge, directed by David Dobkin and co-produced by his production company, Team Downey, which premiered as the opening film at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. Downey continued portraying Tony Stark in subsequent Marvel films such as Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also hosted The Age of A.I., a YouTube documentary series released in 2019.

In 2020, Downey starred in Dolittle, portraying the titular character as a 19th-century Welsh veterinarian with the ability to communicate with animals. Despite being the second film from Team Downey, Dolittle disappointed at the box office and faced criticism from reviewers who deemed it “too long [and] lifeless.”

In 2023, Downey took on the role of antagonistic bureaucrat Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, agreeing to a reduced salary of $4 million compared to his usual $10–20 million upfront fee. Downey regarded Oppenheimer as his best film to date, earning critical acclaim for both the biopic and his performance. He received several prestigious awards for his portrayal, including a Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Downey’s next project is co-starring in the television adaptation of novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel, The Sympathizer.

Downey has contributed vocals to several film soundtracks, including Chaplin, Too Much Sun, Two Girls and a Guy, Friends and Lovers, The Singing Detective, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. In 2001, he appeared in Elton John’s music video for “I Want Love”. Additionally, he released an album titled The Futurist in 2004. During the promotion of Tropic Thunder, Downey, along with co-stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black, served as backup singers to Gladys Knight’s rendition of “Midnight Train to Georgia”, humorously dubbed “The Pips”.

One of Downey’s notable musical ventures was his rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River”, featured on the Ally McBeal tie-in album Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas, released in 2000. Downey’s character Larry Paul performed the song in the Ally McBeal episode “Tis the Season”.

In June 2010, Downey and his wife Susan established their production company, Team Downey, debuting with the film The Judge. Additionally, in 2024, Downey launched a coffee company called Happy with Craig Dubitsky.

In January 2020, during the promotion of his film Dolittle, Downey announced his adoption of a vegan diet as a response to environmental concerns, aiming to reduce his carbon footprint. He founded the Footprint Coalition, an organization dedicated to leveraging advanced technology to mitigate carbon footprints globally. The Footprint Coalition endorses environmentally friendly technologies, including French insect-farming startup Ynsect, bio-based plastic alternative manufacturer RWDC, and bamboo toilet paper producer Cloud Paper.

However, in January 2024, Downey disclosed that he had transitioned to a pescetarian diet due to deficiencies in vitamin B12, calcium, and iron. He co-authored Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time, advocating for a low-carbon plant-based diet to address environmental concerns.