Biography of Robert Downey Jr.

Synopsis

American actor Robert Downey Jr. is best known for his portrayal of Tony Stark *Iron Man) in the Iron Man franchise. He is also known for other hit movies including ‘ The Avengers,’ ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ and ‘ Chaplin . Besides acting, he has sung soundtracks in movies like Chaplin, Two Girls and a Boy, Too Much Sunshine, Friends and Lovers, and The Singing Detective among others.

Downey Jr. won for his performances in movies and won many awards including BAFTA Awards for Best Actor, Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor, and People’s Choice Awards.

Robert Downey Jr. was married twice and has been linked to several women. He was first married to a singer and actress, Deborah Falconer from 1992-2004. After that, he married Susan Levin , an executive vice president.

Early life

Robert John Downey Jr. was born on April 4, 1965 in Manhattan, New York, New York, USA. He is the youngest child born to Robert Downey Sr. , an actor, filmmaker, and Elsie Ann (née Ford), a Actress who appeared in the films of Downey Sr.

Downey Jr. is American and belongs to a mixed ethnicity. His father is of half Lithuanian Jewish, one quarter Hungarian Jewish and one quarter Irish descent, while his mother was of Scottish, German and Swiss descent.

Robert Downey Jr. was raised with his older sister, Allyson in Greenwich Village. Downey’s father, a drug addict, allowed him to use marijuana when he was just six years old and he now lives in regret for that decision. Both father and son used to use drugs together, which Downey said in an interview felt like a way of bonding with his father. He then began spending every night abusing alcohol making thousands of calls looking for drugs.

Downey used to appear in minor roles in his father’s movies during his early days. He made his acting debut at the age of five appearing in the film, Libra (1970). In 1972, he worked on the American acid western, Palace of the Greaser , a film directed by his father.

In 1975 Downey studied classical ballet as part of the broader curriculum in England. Later, she attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York.

Downey’s parents divorced when he was 13 years old. He began living with his father in California after his parents divorced.

In 1982, Downey dropped out of his school, Santa Monica High School to begin his acting career. Downey and Kiefer Sutherland were roommates for three years when she moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. They starred in the 1988 drama film, 1969.

Race

Robert Downey Jr. began his professional acting career with a short-lived Off-Broadway play, American Passion in 1983 at the Joyce Theatre. He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 1985, but due to the show’s poor ratings, Downey and other new crew members were replaced. Even Rolling Stone magazine named him the worst cast member on SNL at the time.

The following year, Downey was cast in films like Tuff Turf and Weird Science, receiving critical acclaim for his work.

Downey landed his first lead role in the 1987 American romantic comedy film The Pickup Artist as Jack Jericho, alongside the cast Molly Ringwald, Dennis Hopper , Danny Aiello, and Harvey Keitel.

Robert Downey Jr. then starred in an American drama film, Less Than Zero in 1987. He played Julian Wells, a drug-addicted rich kid whose life quickly spirals out of control. The audience and critics highly appreciated his performance in the film.

Prior to this, Downey made uncredited appearances in films, including Greaser’s Palace (1972), Moment to Moment ( 1975), and Up from the Academy (1980) and It’s You Baby (1983).

In 1988, Downey worked on the films, ‘Johnny Be Good’, ‘ Lips for Rent’ and ‘ 1969 ‘. The following year he made movies like That’s Right, True Believer, and Chances Are .

Downey was cast in a 1992 British-American biographical comedy-drama film, ‘ Chaplin ‘ appearing opposite Yaykroyd , Geraldine Chaplin , Kevin Dunn, Anthony Hopkins, Milla Jovovich, Moira Kelly , and Kevin Kline , among others.

In 1993, Downey appeared in the American fantasy comedy-drama film, ‘ Heart and Souls’ starring Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgwick , and others. The same year she appeared in ‘The Last Party’ and ‘Short Cuts’.

In 1994, Downey worked on other films, ‘Hail Caesar’, ‘Born Killers’ and ‘ Only You . In 1995, he appeared in ‘ Home for the Holidays ,’ ‘Richard III, Sr.,’ ‘ Willowby Christmas Tree ,’ and ‘ Restauration .’

professional fights

Downey has been arrested multiple times on drug-related charges (cocaine, heroin, and marijuana use) from 1996 to 2001. He tried every possible way to avoid using drugs, but it got worse each time. In 1999, explaining to the judges, Downey said:

“It’s like I have a shotgun in my mouth, and my finger is on the trigger, and I like the taste of the gun.”

Downey also said that he had been drugged since he was 8 years old because of his father and that this time he had no idea of ​​its consequences. In 1996, Robert Downey Jr. was arrested while speeding on Sunset Boulevard for possession of cocaine, heroin and an unloaded .357 Magnum handgun.

Within a month of this incident, he broke into the house of one of his neighbors and found himself asleep in the bedroom under the influence of a controlled substance. He was charged with three years of probation and forced to submit to drug tests.

In 1997, Downey spent six months in the Los Angeles County jail for missing one of the court-ordered drug tests. In 1999, she missed a drug test for the second time, for which the judge declared a three-year sentence at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Center and State Prison in Corcoran, California. For this reason, his film adventures had ended and even closed for release, while he was allowed to complete filming on ‘ In Dreams .’

After his incarceration, his career fell apart as he was fired from several projects, including the NBC animated series, ‘God, the Devil, and Bob . In 2000, Downey was unexpectedly released on the condition that he post $5,000 bail, as the judge stated that his combined prison time (first arrest in 1996) had qualified for his early release.

After a week of his freedom, he was cast in the TV series ‘ Ally McBeal ‘ and his performance was appreciated by the public and critics.

Downey received the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Made for Television for ‘Ally McBeal . He also sang a duet, ‘Every Breath You Take ‘ with Sting in an episode of the series. However, he claimed that his performance was overrated,

“It was my lowest point in terms of addictions. At that stage, I didn’t give a damn if he ever got back into acting. ‘

Downey was to play the role of Hamlet in a Los Angeles production in 2001. Before the end of the final episode of Ally McBea Yo, he was again arrested for using drugs. Police responded to the anonymous 911 call and searched his rooms at the Merv Griffin’s Hotel and Givenchy Spa in Palm Springs, California, finding him under the influence of controlled substances with possession of cocaine and Valium.

In 2001, while on probation, he was again arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs in Los Angeles and found wandering barefoot in Culver City. However, he was released after a few hours despite the fact that he had cocaine in his blood.

The arrest led to his being fired from ‘ Ally McBeal,’ and he lost out on a role in the high-profile film Lovers of America . Mel Gibson also canceled the production of Hamlet due to Downey’s recent incarceration.

Robert Downey Jr. pleaded no contest to his charges and was sent to drug rehab and was placed on three years’ probation with the goal of helping non-violent offenders overcome their addictions instead of sending them to jail.

In a December 2000 People magazine article Bad to Worse, Downey’s stepmother Romero had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years ago, adding that her manic depression was

‘the reason you have a hard time staying sober. What has not been tried is medication and intensive psychotherapy’

In the same article, Dr. Manijeh Nikakhtar , revealed a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist in 1999, who received a letter from Downey during his time on Corcoran II, asking for advice on his condition.

However, in the March 2007 issue of Esquire, Robert Downey Jr. denied the fact that he is bipolar, even stating that he received several calls from ‘the Bipolar Association’ questioning him about his condition.

Professional success

Downey, overcoming many obstacles in his career, finally recovered from his drug dependency and returned to work as an actor. In August 2001, he landed his first post-rehab acting job in the Elton John video single, I Want Love .

With the help of his friend, Mel Gibson, Downey managed to return to the big screen, Gibson posting Downey’s insurance bond for ‘ The Singing Detective’ (2003). He returned to the mainstream with an exciting film, ‘Gothika’, however, the 40 percent salary from him was withheld until after the production closed as insurance against his addictive behavior.

Downey later appeared in several movies such as ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints’, ‘Good Night’, ‘Good Luck’, ‘ A Dark Scanner’ and ‘Zodiac . In 2004, she opened up about her addictive behavior on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In 2006, Downey made his return to the small screen with a guest role in one of the episodes of ‘ Guy Family . ‘She also signed on with Harper Collins to write a memoir that included her ups and downs. However, in 2008 she canceled the book without further comment.

Downey successfully re-established himself in the movie industry, but didn’t taste box office success until 2008 by appearing in ‘ Iron Man ‘ and ‘Tropic Thunder’. After the success, the national and international public recognized him as Iron Man.

Later, Downey was cast in ‘ The Avengers ‘ as Iron Man. He reprized his role again in ‘Iron Man 2’ (2010), ‘ Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015), ‘ Captain America: War Civil ‘ (2016), and Spider -Man: Homecoming’ (2017).

Downey appeared in the British-American neo-noir mystery period action film, ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ He won a Golden Globe for his performance. His other screen credit includes ‘ The Soloist’, ‘Due Date’, ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ and
among others.

Robert Downey Jr. also signed up for singing. He sang soundtracks for several movies like ‘ Chaplin, Too Much Sun,’ ‘Two Girls and a Boy,’ ‘Friends and Lovers,’ ‘The Singing Detective ,’ and ‘ Kiss Kiss Bang Bang .’

In 2004, Downey released his first music album, ‘ The Futurist ,’ while promoting his film, ‘ Tropical Thunder . The album received mixed reviews from the public and critics. His most successful singing venture to date was a remake of Joni Mitchell ‘s 1973 Christmas song ‘ Rio .’ The song was included on the album ‘ Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas’ in 2000.

Political Views

Downey stated in a 2008 interview that his political views changed after his time in prison,

‘I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loudly at the dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000 a night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal You can not. I don’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my leanings and politics ever since.”

In 2015, when asked about his earlier statement while promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron, he denied that it reflected longstanding beliefs on his part, correcting: “I wouldn’t say I’m a Republican, a liberal, or a liberal. Democrat.’

Robert Downey Jr. is also on the board of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. He, along with other celebrities, appeared in a commercial encouraging people to vote in the 2016 election.

Awards and nominations

Net worth

Robert Downey Jr. is one of the highest paid Hollywood actors. He earned more than $50 million per movie. In 2013-2014, Downey’s net worth was $75 million, and in 2014-15 he made $80 million, and by 2017 his net worth increased to $260 million.

In 2013, Downey was paid $100 million to reprise his role in Iron Man 3, which was the highest amount paid for any star in Hollywood history. He has appeared in many movies that were successful in terms of money. He has given many hits to his audience and some of the highest grossing movies of him are listed below;

According to some online sources, he would be paid $200 million for his upcoming Avengers movies.

In 2017, Downey brought in a windmill cottage home in Esat Hampton that cost him $10.5 million. Property set on four acres has a 3-car garage and 50-foot pool. He also owned a $3.8 million property in Malibu.

Downey is one of those actors who raised his co-stars’ voices. In 2013, when he was paid $50 million for Iron Man 3, his co-stars were only paid $200,000, so he felt unjustified and sided with them.

Robert Downey has a collection of cars from various makes including A di R8 ($164,150), Bentley Continental GT ($240,000), Mercedes-Benz G-Class ($120,000), Nissan GT-R ($100,000), Ferrari California T ( $231,606), Audi A8 L ($92,975), Cadillac Escalade ($84,090), Range Rover ($36,350) and many more. In the late 1990s, when Downey was arrested for drug addiction, he was charged a $5,000 fine.

Personal life

Robert Downey Jr. married his love, Susan Levin Downey in August 2005. The duo exchanged vows at a Jewish ceremony in Amagansett, New York. The popular musician Sting and Billy performed at their Idol wedding. Susan Downey is Executive Vice President of Silver Pictures.

The duo first met on the sets of Downey’s film Gothika, from which their love blossomed, though she turned down his romantic advances twice. At first, Susan Downey was not sure that their relationship would last after the completion of filming because she thought, Robert Downey is an actor and she has a real job.

However, the couple continued their love story after the production of Gothika ended. Robert Downey proposed to Susan the night before her 30th birthday. He tattooed Suzie Q on his bicep to honor his wife. The duo are the proud parents of two children, a son Exton Elias Downey (born February 2012) and a daughter Avri Roel Downey (born November 2014).

The duo founded their own production company, Team Downey on June 14, 2010. Their first project was a legal drama film, The Judge which was released in 2014.

Since July 2003, Downey has been drug free and credits his wife, Susan, with helping him overcome drug addiction along with his family, yoga, therapy, meditation, Wing Chun kung fu practice in the arts martial arts and twelve-step recovery programs. In December 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown granted him a full and unconditional pardon for his prior drug convictions.

Previously, Robert Downey was married to the actress/singer. Deborah Falconer on May 29, 1992, in an intimate ceremony. The couple tied the knot after only dating for 42 days. The couple is blessed with a son, Indio Falconer Downey , born in September 1993. His close friend, Anthony Michael Hall is godfather to his son.

The couple did everything they could to save their marriage, but Downey’s repeated trips to rehab and drug addiction began to affect their married life. In 2001, Falconer left him and took her son with her after Downey’s rehab stint was extended and he was again jailed for drug problems.

The couple separated in 2001, but their divorce was finalized on April 26, 2004. After the divorce, Downey maintained a healthy relationship with Falconer for the sake of their son.

Downey also dated actress Sarah, Jessica Parker. The duo first met on the sets of Primogenito and eventually fell in love. However, the couple broke up in 1991 due to Downey’s drug addiction. He was also linked to actresses like Marisa Tomei , Calista Flockhart, and Winona Ryder.

Downey used to be a big fan of Iron Man comics during its early days, and his favorite actor is Peter O’Toole . He shares a good bond with Anthony Michael Hall , Ramon Estevez , Mel Gibson, Mark Ruffalo, Jamie Foxx, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Johnny Depp.

Downey referred to Mel Gibson as one of his best friends who always represents him. He defended Gibson during the Passion of the Christ controversy, saying “nobody’s perfect.” Downey even chose Gibson to present him with at the 25th American Cinematheque Awards.

His Sherlock Holmes co-star Rachel McAdam called him a ‘superhero’ for his ‘committed’ work ethic during a panel discussion. At the same panel, Downey stated that he spends hours and weekends making his character, Holmes, look perfect for the movie.

Revealing some more facts about Robert Downey Jr.