Robert Downey, Jr. (born April 4, 1965, New York City, New York, U.S.) American actor considered one of Hollywood’s most gifted and versatile performers. Robert Downey was raised in an artistic household in New York City’s Greenwich Village; his father was a noted underground filmmaker who gave the five-year-old Downey his first part. After dropping out of high school in California, Downey returned to New York City to pursue an acting career.
Robert Downey Info
Robert Downey Early life and family
Downey was born in Manhattan, New York City, the younger of two children. His father, Robert Downey Sr., was an actor and filmmaker, while his mother, Elsie Ann (née Ford), was an actress who appeared in Downey Sr.’s films. Downey’s father was of half Lithuanian Jewish, one-quarter Hungarian Jewish, and one-quarter Irish descent, while Downey’s mother had Scottish, German, and Swiss ancestry. Robert’s original family name was Elias which was changed by his father to enlist in the Army. Downey and his older sister Allyson grew up in Greenwich Village.
During his childhood, Downey had minor roles in his father’s films. He made his acting debut at the age of five, playing a sick puppy in the absurdist comedy Pound (1970), and then at seven appeared in the surrealist Western Greaser’s Palace (1972). At the age of 10, he was living in England and studied classical ballet as part of a larger curriculum. He attended the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York as a teenager. When his parents divorced in 1978, Downey moved to California with his father, but in 1982, he dropped out of Santa Monica High School, and moved back to New York to pursue an acting career full-time.
Downey and Kiefer Sutherland, who shared the screen in the 1988 drama 1969, were roommates for three years when he first moved to Hollywood to pursue his career in acting.
Robert Downey Career
Downey began building upon theater roles, including in the short-lived off-Broadway musical American Passion at the Joyce Theater in 1983, produced by Norman Lear. In 1985, he was part of the new, younger cast hired for Saturday Night Live, but following a year of poor ratings and criticism of the new cast’s comedic talents, he and most of the new crew were dropped and replaced. Rolling Stone magazine named Downey the worst SNL cast member in its entire run, stating that the “Downey Fail sums up everything that makes SNL great.” That same year, Downey had a dramatic acting breakthrough when he played James Spader’s character’s sidekick in Tuff Turf and then a bully in John Hughes’s Weird Science. He was considered for the role of Duckie in John Hughes’s film Pretty in Pink (1986), but his first lead role was with Molly Ringwald in The Pick-up Artist (1987). Because of these and other coming-of-age films Downey did during the 1980s, he is sometimes named as a member of the Brat Pack.
In 1987, Downey played Julian Wells, a rich boy whose life rapidly spirals out of his control, in the film version of the Bret Easton Ellis novel Less than Zero. His performance, described by Janet Maslin in The New York Times as “desperately moving”, was widely praised, though Downey has said that for him “the role was like the ghost of Christmas Future”. Zero drove Downey into films with bigger budgets and names, such as Chances Are (1989) with Cybill Shepherd and Ryan O’Neal, Air America (1990) with Mel Gibson, and Soapdish (1991) with Sally Field, Kevin Kline, and Whoopi Goldberg.
In 1992, he starred as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, a role for which he prepared extensively, learning how to play the violin as well as tennis left-handed. He had a personal coach in order to help him imitate Chaplin’s posture, and a way of carrying himself. The role garnered Downey an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards 65th ceremony, losing to Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman.
In 1993, he appeared in the films Heart and Souls with Alfre Woodard and Kyra Sedgwick and Short Cuts with Matthew Modine and Julianne Moore, along with a documentary that he wrote about the 1992 presidential campaigns titled The Last Party (1993). He starred in the 1994 films, Only You with Marisa Tomei, and Natural Born Killers with Woody Harrelson. He then subsequently appeared in Restoration (1995), Richard III (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), Two Girls and a Guy (1997), as Special Agent John Royce in U.S. Marshals (1998), and in Black and White (1999).
Robert Downey Career Setbacks
In April 1996, Downey was arrested for possession of an unloaded .357 Magnum handgun while he was speeding down Sunset Boulevard. A month later, while on parole, he trespassed into a neighbor’s home and fell asleep in one of the beds. He received three years’ probation.
In 1999, he was arrested again. A week after his 2000 release, Downey joined the cast of the hit television series Ally McBeal, playing a new love interest. He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. He also appeared as a writer and singer on Vonda Shepard’s Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life album, and sang with Sting a duet of “Every Breath You Take” in an episode of the series. In January 2001, Downey was scheduled to play the role of Hamlet in a Los Angeles stage production directed by Mel Gibson.
Before the end of his first season on Ally McBeal, over the Thanksgiving 2000 holiday, Downey was arrested when his room at Merv Griffin’s Hotel and Givenchy Spa in Palm Springs, California, was searched by the police, who were responding to an anonymous 911 call. Despite the fact that, if convicted, he would have faced a prison sentence of up to four years and eight months, he signed on to appear in at least eight more Ally McBeal episodes.
In April 2001, while Downey was on parole, a Los Angeles police officer found him wandering barefooted in Culver City. He was arrested, but was released a few hours later. After this last arrest, Ally McBeal executives ordered last-minute rewrites and reshoots and fired Downey, despite the fact that Downey’s character had resuscitated Ally McBeal‘s ratings. The Culver City arrest also cost him a role in the high-profile film America’s Sweethearts, and the subsequent incarceration prompted Gibson to cancel his Hamlet production. In July 2001, Downey pleaded no contest to the Palm Springs charges, avoiding jail time.
In a December 18, 2000, article for People magazine entitled “Bad to Worse”, Downey’s stepmother Rosemary told author Alex Tresnlowski that Downey had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder “a few years ago” and added that this was “the reason he has a hard time staying sober. What hasn’t been tried is medication and intensive psychotherapy”. In the same article, Dr. Manijeh Nikakhtar, a Los Angeles psychiatrist and co-author of Addiction or Self-Medication: The Truth, claimed she received a letter from Downey in 1999, during his time at Corcoran II, asking for advice on his condition. She discovered that “no one had done a complete [psychiatric] evaluation [on him] … I asked him flat out if he thought he was bipolar, and he said, ‘Oh yeah. There are times I spend a lot of money and I’m hyperactive, and there are other times I’m down.'” In an article for the March 2007 issue of Esquire, Downey stated that he wanted to address “this whole thing about the bipolar” after receiving a phone call from “the Bipolar Association” asking him about being bipolar. When Downey denied he had ever said he was bipolar, the caller quoted the People article, to which Downey replied, “‘No! Dr. Malibusian said [I said I was bipolar] … ‘, and they go, ‘Well, it’s been written, so we’re going to quote it.'” Downey flatly denied being “depressed or manic” and that previous attempts to diagnose him with any kind of psychiatric or mood disorder have always been skewed.
Robert Downey, Jr.’s Net Worth
Robert Downey, Jr is an American actor, producer and singer. Robert Downey, Jr has a net worth of $300 million. Robert Downey, Jr. is probably most widely recognized today for his role as Iron Man in the Marvel franchise of the same name. The role made him one of the highest-paid actors in the history of Hollywood.
Robert Downey, Jr. has had some incredible ups and downs in both his personal and professional lives. Always recognized as a brilliant actor, he also had a penchant for partying too hard, and a nasty habit of drinking and/or drugging himself into a stupor. Unfortunately, his lifestyle caught up with him and derailed his career. After jail time, and multiple trips to rehab, he finally got himself straightened out. The last ten years have seen him shoot to the top of the A-list in Hollywood, appearing in such hit projects as the “Sherlock Holmes” franchise, the “Iron Man” franchise, “The Soloist”, “Tropic Thunder”, the surprise independent hit, “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints”, and “Kiss Kiss Bang,Bang”, among many others.
Robert Downey FAST FACTS
- Dropped out of high school to pursue an acting career
- Won the title role of Chaplin over Dustin Hoffman, Billy Crystal and Robin Williams
- Received “Man of the Year” honors from Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals in February 2004
- Released debut album, The Futurist, in 2004
- Its highlight: a duet with Yes lead singer Jon Anderson on the classic Yes track “Your Move
- ” Son Indio appears in the opening scene of Downey’s 2005 film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang as a younger version of Downey’s character
- Launched the production company Team Downey in 2010, along with his producer wife, Susan
Robert Downey AWARDS
- 2020People’s Choice Awards-Favorite Movie Actor: Nominated
- 2019People’s Choice Awards-Favorite Movie Actor: Winner
- 2014Critics’ Choice Movie Awards-Best Actor in an Action Movie: Nominated
- 2013Critics’ Choice Movie Awards-Best Actor in an Action Movie: Nominated
- 2013Critics’ Choice Movie Awards-Best Actor in an Action Movie: Nominated
- 2013Critics’ Choice Movie Awards-Best Actor in an Action Movie: Nominated
- 2010Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy: Winner
- 2009BAFTA Film Awards-Best Supporting Actor: Nominated
- 2009Critics’ Choice Awards-Best Supporting Actor: Nominated
- 2008Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Nominated
- 2008Southeastern Film Critics Association-Best Supporting Actor: Nominated
- 2008Chicago Film Critics Association-Best Supporting Actor: Nominated
- 2008Detroit Film Critics Society-Best Supporting Actor: Nominated
- 2008Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Nominated
- 2006Sundance Film Festival-Dramatic Special Jury Award: Best Ensemble Performance: Winner
- 2006Critics’ Choice Awards-Best Acting Ensemble: Nominated
- 2005Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: Nominated
- 2001Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: Winner
- 2001Emmy-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Nominated
- 2000Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: Nominated
- 1993Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama: Nominated
- 1993BAFTA Film Awards-Best Actor in a Leading Role: Winner
- 1992Oscar-Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Nominated
Robert Downey Relationship
- Avri Roel Downey — Daughter
- Sarah Jessica Parker — Ex-significant Other
- Deborah Falconer — Ex-wife
- Robert Downey Sr. — Father
- Elsie Downey — Mother
- Allyson Downey — Sister
- Exton Elias Downey — Son
- Indio Falconer Downey — Son
- Laura Downey — Stepmother
- Susan Downey — Wife
Robert Downey Relationships and family
Downey started dating actress Sarah Jessica Parker in 1984 after meeting her on the set of Firstborn. The couple later separated in 1991.
He married actress and singer Deborah Falconer on May 29, 1992, after a 42-day courtship. Their son, Indio Falconer Downey, was born in September 1993. The strain on their marriage from Downey’s repeated trips to rehab and jail finally reached a breaking point; in 2001, in the midst of Downey’s last arrest and sentencing to an extended stay in rehab, Falconer left Downey and took their son with her. Downey and Falconer finalized their divorce on April 26, 2004.
In 2003, Downey met producer Susan Downey (née Levin), an Executive Vice President of Production at Joel Silver’s film company, Silver Pictures on the set of Gothika. Though Susan twice turned down his amorous advances, she and Downey did quietly strike up a romance during production. Despite Susan’s worries that the romance would not last after the completion of shooting because “he’s an actor; I have a real job”, the couple’s relationship continued after production wrapped on Gothika, and Downey proposed to Susan on the night before her thirtieth birthday. In August 2005, the couple were married, in a Jewish ceremony, at Amagansett, New York. A tattoo on one of his biceps reads “Suzie Q” in tribute to her. The Downeys’ first child, a son named Exton Elias, was born in February 2012, and their second, a daughter named Avri Roel, was born in November 2014.
Downey has been a close friend of Mel Gibson since they starred in Air America. Downey defended Gibson during the controversy surrounding The Passion of the Christ, and said “nobody’s perfect” in reference to Gibson’s DUI. Gibson said of Downey: “He was one of the first people to call and offer the hand of friendship. He just said, ‘Hey, welcome to the club. Let’s go see what we can do to work on ourselves.'” In October 2011, Downey was being honored at the 25th American Cinematheque Awards; Downey chose Gibson to present him with his award for his life’s work and used his air time to say a few kind words about Gibson and explain why he chose him to present the award.
Robert Downey Iron Man and further Success
With all of the critical success Downey had experienced throughout his career, he had not appeared in a “blockbuster” film. That changed in 2008 when Downey starred in two critically and commercially successful films, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder. In the article Ben Stiller wrote for Downey’s entry in the 2008 edition of The Time 100, he offered an observation on Downey’s commercially successful summer at the box office:
“Yes, Downey is Iron Man, but he really is Actor Man … In the realm where box office is irrelevant and talent is king, the realm that actually means something, he has always ruled, and finally this summer he gets to have his cake and let us eat him up all the way to the multiplex, where his mastery is in full effect.”
In 2007, Downey was cast as the title character in the film Iron Man, with director Jon Favreau explaining the choice by stating: “Downey wasn’t the most obvious choice, but he understood what makes the character tick. He found a lot of his own life experience in ‘Tony Stark’.” Favreau insisted on having Downey as he repeatedly claimed that Downey would be to Iron Man what Johnny Depp is to the Pirates of the Caribbean series: a lead actor who could both elevate the quality of the film and increase the public’s interest in it. For the role, Downey had to gain more than 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of muscle in five months to look like he “had the power to forge iron”.
Iron Man was globally released between April 30 and May 3, 2008, grossing over $585 million worldwide and receiving rave reviews which cited Downey’s performance as a highlight of the film. By October 2008, Downey had agreed to appear as Iron Man in two Iron Man sequels, as part of the Iron Man franchise, as well as The Avengers, featuring the superhero team that Stark joins, based on Marvel’s comic book series The Avengers. He first reprised the role in a small appearance as Iron Man’s alter ego Tony Stark in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, as a part of Marvel Studios’ depicting the same Marvel Universe on film by providing continuity among the movies.
Robert Downey Upcoming projects
Downey will appear in the sports comedy drama film All-Star Weekend, directed by Jamie Foxx. He will reprise his role as Holmes in a third film, initially scheduled for release on December 22, 2021, but later put on hold indefinitely according to director Dexter Fletcher. On July 15, 2021, it was announced that Downey would co-star in the television adaptation of novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel, The Sympathizer. Later in 2021, it was revealed that Downey would play Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biographical film Oppenheimer. It was also announced he would star in the film Play Dirty, reuniting with Shane Black, the director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3.
| Robert Downey, Jr’s Total Earnings From Marvel | |
| Iron Man I | $500 thousand |
| Iron Man II | $10 million |
| Iron Man III | $75 million |
| The Avengers | $50 million ($10 million base + $40 million backend bonus) |
| Avengers: Age of Ultron | $40 million |
| Captain America: Civil War | $40 million |
| Spider-Man Homecoming | $15 million |
| Avengers: Infinity War | $40 million |
| Avengers: End Game | $75 million |
| Total | $345.5 million |
Robert Downey Movies
- Pound
- Up the Academy
- Baby It’s You
- Only You
- Richard III
- Home for the Holidays
- One Night Stand
- Friends & Lovers
- Black & White
- The Singing Detective
- . The Shaggy Dog
- Charlie Bartlett
- Iron Man
- The Incredible Hulk
- The Soloist
- Iron Man 2
- Due Date
- The Avengers
- Iron Man 3
- Chef
Robert Downey Jr Gets Standing Ovation As He Wins Golden Globe For Oppenheimer!
Golden Globes 2024: Hollywood superstar Robert Downey Jr on Sunday (Monday in India) won Best Supporting Actor award at the Golden Globes for Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed movie Oppenheimer. Downey Jr. played Lewis Strauss in Nolan’s biopic of the titular physicist (Cillian Murphy). Lewis Strauss played a significant role in the development of the atomic bomb and later became a political rival of J Robert Oppenheimer. Downey Jr received a standing ovation as he walked onto the stage to receive his award.
“Yeah, yeah, I took a beta blocker so this will be a breeze,” Downey Jr joked while accepting the Golden Globe. The actor said he was glad Universal “went all in” for Nolan and crew to “render a goddamn masterpiece.” He called it the “most improved” award and thanked his wife Susan, who “made an art out of extracting me from my comfort zone.”
Most recently, Robert Downey Jr likened his role in Oppenheimer to his stint as Iron Man. “There have been three times in my career when I became completely obsessed with the possibility of playing a role,” he told W Magazine. “First time was Chaplin. Second time was Tony Stark, in Iron Man.”
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