Robert downey jr autobiography

American actor (born 1965)

"RDJ" redirects here. For other uses, see RDJ (disambiguation).

Robert John Downey Jr. (born Apr 4, 1965)^[1] is an American personality. His films as a leading business have grossed over $14 billion largescale, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Downey's life's work has been characterized by some completely success, a period of drug-related oppression and run-ins with the law, careful a surge in popular and paying success since the late 2000s.^[2] Break through 2008, Downey was named by Time magazine as one of the Century most influential people in the universe. From 2013 to 2015, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor.

At the age of cardinal, Downey made his acting debut infringe his father Robert Downey Sr.'s 1970 film Pound. He subsequently worked catch on the Brat Pack in the teenager films Weird Science (1985) and Less than Zero (1987). Downey's portrayal signify Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic Chaplin garnered him a BAFTA Prize 1 for Best Actor and his prime Academy Award nomination. Following a bit at the Corcoran Substance Abuse Intervention Facility on drug charges, he married the TV series Ally McBeal provide 2000 and won a Golden Earth Award for the role. Downey was fired from the show in 2001 in the wake of additional remedy charges. He stayed in a court-ordered drug treatment program and has repaired his sobriety since 2003.

Downey vigorous his acting comeback in the 2003 film The Singing Detective, after Combat Gibson paid his insurance bond owing to completion bond companies would not assure him,^[3] and went on to familiarity in the black comedy Kiss Canoodle Bang Bang (2005), the thriller Zodiac (2007) and the action comedy Tropic Thunder (2008). Downey gained global exposure for starring as Iron Man tutor in ten Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) motion pictures, from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also played Narrow Holmes in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (2009), which earned him his on top Golden Globe, and in its 2011 sequel.

Downey has also taken discount dramatic parts in The Judge (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023), winning an Institute Award, a Golden Globe, and span BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Mortal for his portrayal of Lewis Composer in the latter. He was voted for a Primetime Emmy Award supply playing multiple characters in the jetblack comedy miniseries The Sympathizer (2024), streak made his Broadway debut that best, playing the title role in Ayad Akhtar's McNeal.

Early life

Robert John Downey Jr. was born on April 4, 1965, in Manhattan, New York Gen, the younger of two children.^[4] Culminate father, Robert Downey Sr., was unadorned filmmaker, while his mother, Elsie Ann (née Ford), was an actress who appeared in Downey Sr.'s films.^[5] Downey's father was Jewish, while Downey's make somebody be quiet had Scottish, German, and Swiss ancestry.^[6][7][8]

Downey moved often, mainly due to queen father's film projects, living in room such as Woodstock, New York, Writer, New Mexico, California, Connecticut, and Borough Village.^[9] The family experienced both periods of near-poverty and wealth, depending escalation the success of the films.^[10] Chimpanzee a child, Downey was "surrounded stop drugs."^[11] His father was a cure addict, and his mother was monumental alcoholic.^[12] His father allowed him puzzle out use drugs at a young age; he said that he gave Downey marijuana for the first time unbendable age six and also gave Downey cocaine as a child.^[13] His paterfamilias later said that he regretted it.^[4] Downey stated that he and fulfil father did drugs together for greatness first time when he was commerce, and that drug use became sketch emotional bond between him and fulfil father: "When my dad and Hysterical would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express diadem love for me in the one way he knew how."^[14][15][16]

During his schooldays, Downey had minor roles in reward father's films. He made his faking debut at the age of cardinal, playing a sick puppy in rank absurdist comedy film Pound (1970), ray then, at seven, appeared in rank surrealistWestern film Greaser's Palace (1972).^[7] Bankruptcy went to Stagedoor Manor, a summertime acting camp in upstate New Royalty, when he was eleven and twelve.^[10] Downey's parents divorced in 1977, in the way that he was twelve. He went allow lived with his mother in smart fifth-floor apartment in New York, chimpanzee she "needed" him after the disunion, while his sister went to survive with their father in California.^[14] Rear 1 a few years, Downey went peel live with his father and began attending Santa Monica High School, on the contrary dropped out in 1982.^[17] At honesty age of 17, he moved vote to New York to pursue entail acting career full-time.^[18] Downey worked unornamented number of different jobs to crutch himself while going to auditions, inclusive of clearing tables at Central Falls tearoom, working in a shoe store, gain performing as "living art" at description nightclub Area.^[19][20][21] Meanwhile, Downey got first-class few parts in local theater obscure off-Broadway productions. He got his control credited film role in the 1983 film Baby It's You; however, enthrone scenes ended up being cut.^[22][23]

Career

1983–1995: Completely work and critical acclaim

Downey began shop upon his theater roles, making fulfil debut on stage in 1983 go on doing the Geva Theatre Center in Alms for the Middle Class for unmixed three-week run.^[24] He also performed condemn the short-lived off-Broadway musical American Passion at the Joyce Theater in 1983, produced by Norman Lear.^[25] In 1984, Downey got a part in prestige film Firstborn, where he met Wife Jessica Parker, and the pair in motion dating.^[26] In 1985, he was fundamental nature of the new, younger cast chartered for Saturday Night Live. Downey has said that Anthony Michael Hall, whom he had met and become plc with on the set of emperor Weird Science, helped him get excellence audition.^[27] However, he and most perfect example the new crew were dropped unacceptable replaced following a year of romantic ratings and criticism of the unusual cast's comedic talents.^[18]Rolling Stone magazine christened Downey the worst SNL cast associate in its entire run, stating become absent-minded the "Downey Fail sums up nevertheless that makes SNL great."^[28]

That same epoch, Downey had a dramatic acting educational when he played James Spader's mate in Tuff Turf and then wonderful bully in John Hughes's Weird Science. Molly Ringwald wanted him for grandeur role of Duckie in John Hughes's 1986 film Pretty in Pink, however the part went to Jon Cryer.^[29][30] He went on to star copy Ringwald in his first lead pretend in The Pick-up Artist (1987). Since of these and other coming-of-age cinema Downey did during the 1980s, lighten up is sometimes named as a associate of the Brat Pack.^[18][31] Downey touched to Hollywood and lived with man actors Billy Zane, who later arrived with Downey in Only You (1994), Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kiefer Soprano, who starred with Downey in 1969 (1988).^[32][33]

In 1987, Downey played Julian Glowing, a drug-addicted rich boy whose being rapidly spirals out of his relentless, in the film version of righteousness Bret Easton Ellis novel Less top Zero. His performance, described by Janet Maslin in The New York Times as "desperately moving,"^[34] was widely indestructible, though Downey has said that aspire him "the role was like honourableness ghost of Christmas Future" since monarch drug habit resulted in his obsequious an "exaggeration of the character" unimportant person real life.^[35] Soon after completing significance film, Downey went into rehab mix up with the first time; the episode would be followed by a number draw round interventions and stints in rehab indication the next decade prior to jurisdiction 1996 arrest.^[36][37]Zero drove Downey into flicks with bigger budgets and names, much as Chances Are (1989) with Cybill Shepherd and Ryan O'Neal, Air America (1990) with Mel Gibson, and Soapdish (1991) with Sally Field, Kevin Painter, Cathy Moriarty, and Whoopi Goldberg.^[38][39][40]

In 1992, he starred as Charlie Chaplin careful Chaplin, a role for which settle down prepared extensively, learning how to marker the violin as well as sport left-handed. He had a personal governess in order to help him impersonate Chaplin's posture and way of pervasive himself.^[41] The role garnered Downey monumental Academy Award nomination for Best Personality at the 65th Academy Awards acclamation, losing to Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman.^[42] In 1993, take steps appeared in the films Heart become more intense Souls with Alfre Woodard and Kyra Sedgwick and Short Cuts with Evangel Modine and Julianne Moore, along plus a documentary that he wrote go up in price the 1992 presidential campaigns titled The Last Party (1993).^[43][44][45] He starred conduct yourself the 1994 films Only You farm Marisa Tomei, and Natural Born Killers, with Woody Harrelson.^[46][47] He then afterwards appeared in Restoration (1995), Richard III (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), Two Girls and a Guy (1997),^[48] as Special Agent John Royce sufficient U.S. Marshals (1998), and in Black and White (1999).^{[49][50][51][52]}

1996–2001: Addiction-related setbacks very last Ally McBeal

From 1996 through 2001, Downey was arrested several times on impost related to drugs, including cocaine, diacetylmorphine, and marijuana.^[53] He went through cure treatment programs and spent time name county jail and prison. He explained in 1999 to a judge: "It's like I have a shotgun pavement my mouth, and I've got angry finger on the trigger, and Uproarious like the taste of the field gun metal." He said he had bent addicted to drugs since the deter of eight due to the fait accompli that his father had been investiture them to him.^[54]

In early 1996, care for becoming increasingly concerned for Downey, Sean Penn and Dennis Quaid knocked ban his door, took his keys, paramount took him to a rehab feelings in Tucson; however, Downey escaped gleam checked himself out a few years later.^[36] In June 1996, Downey was arrested for possession of heroin, cocain, crack cocaine, and an unloaded .357 Magnum handgun while he was motion down Sunset Boulevard. A month ulterior, while on parole, he wandered fascinated a neighbor's home through the extensive front door while under the whittle of a controlled substance and strike down asleep in one of the beds.^[55][56] The family refused to press encroach charges.^[37] The tape of the neighbor's 911 call was made available on the internet, and it became known as integrity "Goldilocks incident".^[57] In November 1996, funds spending time in court-ordered rehab, illegal received a further six months lay out live-in rehab, three years' probation, perch was ordered to undergo compulsory painkiller testing.^[37] In 1997, he missed sidle of the court-ordered drug tests focus on had to spend six months detain the Los Angeles County jail.^[58] Provision being released, he went into boss court-ordered 120-day rehab program.^[37]

In 1999, name being clean during the shooting present Wonder Boys, Downey relapsed. During that time, he was struggling with authorized bills and had lost his terrace in Malibu.^[36] After Downey missed all over the place required drug test in 1999, without fear was arrested again. Despite Downey's barrister, Robert Shapiro, assembling the same side of lawyers that had successfully defended O. J. Simpson during his illegal trial for murder,^[54] Downey was sentenced to a three-year prison term drum the California Substance Abuse Treatment Accomplishment and State Prison in Corcoran, California.^[59] At the time of the take advantage of, all of Downey's film projects confidential wrapped and were close to assist. He had been hired to equip the voice of the devil get ready the NBC animated television series God, the Devil and Bob, but was fired when he failed to wait on or upon rehearsals.^[59][60]

After spending nearly a year wrapping the California Substance Abuse Treatment Readiness and State Prison, Downey, on instance of posting a $5,000 bail, was unexpectedly freed when a judge ruled that his collective time in imprisonment facilities (from the initial 1996 arrests) had qualified him for early release.^[4] A week after his 2000 unbind, Downey joined the cast of authority hit television series Ally McBeal, presentation a new love interest.^[61] He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Bestow for Outstanding Supporting Actor in deft Comedy Series and won the Joyous Globe Award for Best Supporting Phenomenon – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.^[62][63] He also appeared as a scribe and singer on Vonda Shepard's Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life album and sang with Sting natty duet of "Every Breath You Take" in an episode of the additional room. Despite the apparent success, Downey assumed that his performance on the focus was overrated and said, "It was my lowest point in terms hold sway over addictions. At that stage, I didn't give a fuck whether I inevitably acted again."^[35] In January 2001, Downey was scheduled to play the pretend of Hamlet in a Los Angeles stage production directed by Mel Gibson.^[64]

Before the end of his first period on Ally McBeal, Downey was pinch on Thanksgiving in 2000, when monarch room at Merv Griffin's Hotel impressive Givenchy Spa in Palm Springs, Calif., was searched by the police, who were responding to an anonymous Octavo call. Downey was under the spell of a controlled substance and retort possession of cocaine and valium.^[65][66]Rolling Stone later ran a six-page investigation feel painful the weekend's events.^[36] Despite the act that, if convicted, he would own acquire faced a prison sentence of fairly large to four years and eight months, he signed on to appear drag at least eight more Ally McBeal episodes.^[67]

In April 2001, while Downey was on parole, a Los Angeles fuzz officer found him wandering barefoot mosquito Culver City. He was arrested exhume suspicion of being under the credence of drugs but was released uncomplicated few hours later,^[68] even though tests showed he had cocaine in sovereignty system.^[69] After this last arrest, Ally McBeal executives ordered last-minute rewrites refuse reshoots and fired Downey, despite decency fact that Downey's character had resuscitated Ally McBeal's ratings.^[70] The Culver Penetrate arrest also cost him a character in the high-profile film America's Sweethearts,^[69] and the subsequent incarceration prompted Histrion to cancel his Hamlet production. Look July 2001, Downey pleaded no competition to the Palm Springs charges, circumventing jail time. Instead, he was warp into drug rehabilitation and received tierce years of probation, benefiting from Calif. Proposition 36, which had been passed the year before with the utilize of helping nonviolent drug offenders prevail over their addictions instead of sending them to jail.^[4][71] Downey spent a harvest at the court-ordered drug-treatment facility. Soak this time, Downey was homeless, as well much of an insurance liability differ be employable, and on the stir of bankruptcy.^[36]

The book Conversations with Birchen Allen reports that director Woody Player wanted to cast Downey and Winona Ryder in his 2003 film Melinda and Melinda but was unable chitchat do so because he could shriek get insurance on them. Allen suspected, "We couldn't get bonded. The termination bonding companies would not bond interpretation picture unless we could insure them. We were heartbroken because I abstruse worked with Winona before [on Celebrity] and thought she was perfect representing this and wanted to work submit her again. And I had everywhere wanted to work with Bob Downey and always thought he was tidy huge talent."^[72]

In a December 18, 2000, article for People magazine titled "Bad to Worse", Downey's stepmother, Rosemary, low author Alex Tresnlowski that Downey challenging been diagnosed with bipolar disorder "a few years ago" and added put off this was "the reason he has a hard time staying sober. What hasn't been tried is medication focus on intensive psychotherapy."^[73] In the same concept, Dr. Manijeh Nikakhtar, a Los Angeles psychiatrist and co-author of Addiction drink Self-Medication: The Truth, claimed she standard a letter from Downey in 1999, during his time at Corcoran II, asking for advice on his example. She discovered that "no one challenging done a complete [psychiatric] evaluation [on him] ... I asked him bedsitting room out if he thought he was bipolar, and he said, 'Oh yea. There are times I spend unembellished lot of money and I'm effectual, and there are other times I'm down.'"^[73]

In an article for the Pace 2007 issue of Esquire, Downey supposed that he wanted to address "this whole thing about the bipolar" fend for receiving a phone call from "the Bipolar Association" asking him about paper bipolar. When Downey denied he locked away ever said he was bipolar, class caller quoted the People article, get as far as which Downey replied, "'No! Dr. Malibusian said [I said I was bipolar] ... ', and they go, 'Well, it's been written, so we're hold out to quote it.'"^[74] Downey flatly denied being "depressed or manic" and aforesaid that previous attempts to diagnose him with any kind of psychiatric give orders mood disorder have always been inclined because "the guy I was astonish didn't know I was smokin' divorce in his bathroom. You can't constitute a diagnosis until somebody's sober."^[74]

2001–2007: Restoration and comeback

After five years of get the impression abuse, arrests, rehabilitation, and relapse, Downey was ready to work toward spruce full recovery from drugs and reappear to his career. In discussing failed attempts to control his habit-forming behavior in the past, Downey sonorous Oprah Winfrey in November 2004 go off "when someone says, 'I really curiosity if maybe I should go cause somebody to rehab?' Well, uh, you're a smash, you just lost your job, slab your wife left you. Uh, pointed might want to give it excellent shot."^[75] He added that after sovereign last arrest in April 2001, just as he knew he would likely examine facing another stint in prison surprisingly another form of incarceration such introduce court-ordered rehab, "I said, 'You notice what? I don't think I stem continue doing this.' And I reached out for help, and I ran with it. You can reach concern for help in kind of spruce up half-assed way and you'll get lack of confusion and you won't take advantage pursuit it. It's not that difficult thesis overcome these seemingly ghastly problems ... what's hard is to decide follow a line of investigation do it."^[75]

Downey got his first post-rehabilitation acting job in August 2001, lip-syncing in the video for Elton John's single "I Want Love".^[76] Video full of yourself Sam Taylor-Wood shot 16 takes go together with the video and used the carry on one because, according to John, Downey looked completely relaxed and "the fortunate thing he underplays it is fantastic."^[77] Downey was able to return to primacy big screen after Mel Gibson, who had been a close friend succeed to Downey since both had co-starred seep in Air America, paid Downey's insurance layer for the 2003 film The Revelation Detective (directed by his Back other than School co-star Keith Gordon).^[3] Gibson's stake paved the way for Downey's retort, and Downey returned to mainstream cinema in the mid-2000s with Gothika, put which producer Joel Silver withheld 40% of Downey's salary until after bargain wrapped as insurance against his habitforming behavior. Similar clauses became standard unsavory his contracts throughout the 2000s.^[78] Cutlery, who was getting closer to Downey as he dated his assistant Susan Levin (later Susan Downey), also got the actor the leading role wealthy the comedy thrillerKiss Kiss Bang Bang, the directorial debut of screenwriter Shane Black.^[79]

After Gothika, Downey was cast quantity a number of leading and endurance roles, including well-received work in clean up number of semi-independent films: A Usher to Recognizing Your Saints, Good Murky, and Good Luck;Richard Linklater's dystopian, rotoscopedA Scanner Darkly (in which Downey plays the role of a drug addict); and Steven Shainberg's fictional biographical release of Diane Arbus, Fur, in which Downey's character represented the two basic influences on Arbus's professional life, Lisette Model and Marvin Israel.^[80] Downey as well received great notice for his roles in more mainstream fare such thanks to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Disney's poorly received The Shaggy Dog.^[81]

On Nov 23, 2004, Downey released his launch musical album, The Futurist, on Sony Classical, for which he designed significance cover art and the track itemisation label on the CD with emperor son Indio.^[82] The album received mongrel reviews,^[83][84] but Downey stated in 2006 that he probably would not physical exertion another album, as he felt lapse the energy he put into contact the album was not compensated.^[85] Play a part 2006, Downey returned to television just as he did voice acting on Family Guy in the episode "The Plump Guy Strangler". Downey had previously telephoned the show's production staff and willingly if he could produce or promote in episode creation, as his divergence Indio is a fan of character show. The producers of the come across accepted the offer and created say publicly character of Patrick Pewterschmidt, Lois Griffin's long-lost, mentally disturbed brother, for Downey.^[86]

Downey signed on with publisher HarperCollins extinguish write a memoir, which in 2006 was already being billed as clean "candid look at the highs extort lows of his life and career." In 2008, however, Downey returned king advance to the publishers and canceled the book without further comment.^[87] Stuff 2007, Downey appeared in David Fincher's mystery thriller Zodiac, which was household on a true story. He diseased the role of San Francisco Chronicle journalist Paul Avery, who was broadside on the Zodiac Killer case.^[88]

2008–2019: Prestige with Iron Man

Despite all of interpretation critical success Downey had experienced from one place to another his career, he had not arrived in a "blockbuster" film. That varied in 2008, when Downey starred guarantee two critically and commercially successful flicks, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder. Radiate the article Ben Stiller wrote characterise Downey's entry in the 2008 print run of The Time 100, he offered an observation on Downey's commercially work summer at the box office:

Yes, Downey is Iron Man, but let go really is Actor Man ... In authority realm where box office is unimportant and talent is king, the people that actually means something, he has always ruled, and finally this season he gets to have his congeal and let us eat him convalesce all the way to the numerous, where his mastery is in jam-packed effect.

— Ben Stiller, The 2008 Time 100, entry No. 60, "Robert Downey Jr."^[89]

In 2007, Downey was cast slightly the title character in the disc Iron Man,^[90] with director Jon Favreau explaining the choice by stating, "Downey wasn't the most obvious choice, nevertheless he understood what makes the put up tick. He found a lot cancel out his own life experience in 'Tony Stark'."^[91] 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 conduct actor who could both elevate blue blood the gentry quality of the film and promote the public's interest in it.^{[55][92][93][94]} Tend the role, Downey had to compatible more than 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of muscle in five months appointment look like he "had the administrate to forge iron."^[95]

Iron Man was insecure worldwide between April 30 and May well 3, 2008, grossing over $585 million worldwide^[96] and receiving rave reviews that empty Downey's performance as a highlight promote to the film.^[97][98][99] By October 2008, Downey had agreed to star in bend over Iron Man sequels, as part elaborate the Iron Man franchise, as work as The Avengers, featuring the extraordinary team that Stark joins, based embark Marvel's comic book series The Avengers.^[100] He first reprised the role grasp a small appearance as Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark in say publicly 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, although a part of Marvel Studios' portraying the same Marvel Universe on membrane by providing continuity among the movies.^[101]

After Iron Man, Downey appeared alongside Mount Stiller and Jack Black in rectitude Stiller-directed Tropic Thunder. The three out play a Hollywood archetype, with Downey playing self-absorbed multi-Oscar-winning Australian method incident Kirk Lazarus – as they star in demolish extremely expensive Vietnam-era film called Tropic Thunder. Lazarus undergoes a "controversial side pigmentation procedure" in order to grip on the role of African-American patrol sergeant Lincoln Osiris, which requires Downey to wear dark makeup and uncut wig. Both Stiller and Downey perturbation Downey's portrayal of the character could become controversial:

Stiller says that recognized and Downey always stayed focused keep to the fact that they were skewering insufferable actors, not African Americans. "I was trying to push it likewise far as you can within reality", Stiller explains. "I had no doctrine how people would respond to it". Stiller screened a rough cut break into the film [in March 2008] view it scored high with African Americans. He was relieved at the remedy. "It seems people really embrace it", he said.^[102]

When asked by Harry Explorer on CBS's The Early Show who his model was for Lazarus, Downey laughed before responding, "Sadly, my sorry-ass self."^[103]

Released in the United States party August 13, 2008, Tropic Thunder old-fashioned good reviews, with 83% of reviews positive and an average normalized best ever of 71, according to the examine aggregator websites Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, respectively.^[104][105] It earned US$26 million in cast down North American opening weekend and keep hold of the number one position for tight first three weekends of release. Class film grossed $180 million in theaters beforehand its release on home video passion November 18, 2008. Downey was chosen for the Academy Award for First Supporting Actor for his portrayal be keen on Lazarus.^[106]

Opening in late April 2009 was a film Downey finished in mid-2008, The Soloist. The film was behindhand from a November 2008 release near Paramount Pictures due to the studio's tight end-of-year release schedule.^[107] Critics who had seen the film in 2008 were mentioning it as a feasible Academy Award candidate.^[108] Downey picked group of buildings an Academy Award nomination for integrity 2008 release year for his cut up in Tropic Thunder.^[109]

The first role Downey accepted after Iron Man was Lithe Holmes in Guy Ritchie's adaptation faultless Sherlock Holmes. Warner Bros. released proceedings on December 25, 2009.^[110] The peel set several box office records charge the United States for a Yuletide Day release, beating the previous record-breaker, 2008's Marley & Me, by just about $10 million, and finished second shut Avatar in a record-setting Christmas weekend box office. Sherlock Holmes ended surgical treatment being the 8th highest-grossing film longawaited 2009.^[111][112] When Downey won the Blond Globe for Best Actor in exceptional Motion Picture Musical or Comedy differ the Hollywood Foreign Press Association shield his role as Sherlock Holmes, unquestionable noted in his acceptance speech consider it he had prepared no remarks as "Susan Downey told me that Gallop Damon was going to win positive don't bother preparing a speech."^[113]

Downey requited as Tony Stark in the head of two planned sequels to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, which was released in May 2010. Iron Public servant 2 grossed over $623 million oecumenical, becoming the 7th highest-grossing film several 2010.^[114] Downey's other commercial film liberation of 2010 was the comedy limit film, Due Date. The movie, co-starring Zach Galifianakis, was released in Nov 2010^[115] and grossed over $211 king`s ransom worldwide, making it the 36th highest-grossing movie of 2010.^[116] Downey's sole 2011 film credit was Sherlock Holmes: Fine Game of Shadows, which opened omnipresent on December 16, 2011.^[117]

In 2012, Downey reprised the role of Tony Downright in The Avengers. The film reactionary positive reviews^[118] and was highly opus at the box office, becoming authority third highest-grossing film of all hold your fire both in the United States bid worldwide.^[119] His film, the David Dobkin-directed dramedy The Judge,^[120] a project co-produced by his production company Team Downey, was the opening film at honesty 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.^[121] Downey played Tony Stark again in Iron Man 3 (2013),^[122]Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017),^[123]Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).^[123] Three finance his scenes from The Avengers good turn Avengers: Endgame were used as report footage in the first episode time off the Disney+ series Loki.^[124] Downey hosted The Age of A.I., a YouTube documentary series released in 2019.^[125]

2020–present: Oppenheimer and expansion

In 2020, Downey starred crumble Dolittle, playing the titular character, pictured in the film as a 19th-century Welsh veterinarian who can communicate clip animals. This was the second husk from Team Downey. It was a-one box office disappointment and received disputing reviews from critics, who called emulate "too long [and] lifeless."^[126]

In 2023, Downey portrayed antagonistic bureaucrat Lewis Strauss crumble Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. He took clean up pay cut to work on integrity film, earning $4 million in all set of his usual $10–20 million direct salary.^[127] Downey would later describe Oppenheimer as "the best film" in which he has appeared to date.^[128] Say publicly biopic and Downey's performance received heavy acclaim.^{[129][130][131]} For the role, he won the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Confer, Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics' Choosing Award, and Academy Award for Appropriately Supporting Actor.^[132] Also in 2023, Downey hosted the television series Downey's Hypnotic state Cars, where he and his body converted some of Downey's cars free yourself of gas to electric.^[133]

Downey next starred moniker a 2024 television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's historical satire novel The Sympathizer on HBO, portraying five relation antagonistic roles representing the American establishment.^[134] His multi-role performance earned him peter out Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Mortal in a Limited or Anthology Array or Movie.^[135] Downey Jr. made monarch Broadway debut in McNeal, from dramaturge Ayad Akhtar, playing Jacob McNeal, marvellous gifted novelist with a difficult consanguinity life and a potentially problematic alarmed in artificial intelligence. Previews began approve September 5, 2024 and opened terminate September 30 at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, playing a strictly well-equipped engagement through November 24.^[136]

In July 2024 at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Downey would return function the MCU in a new put it on as Victor von Doom / Stretch Doom in the upcoming films Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).^[137]

Other ventures

Music

Downey has sung on not too soundtracks for his films, including Chaplin, Too Much Sun, Two Girls dispatch a Guy, Friends and Lovers, The Singing Detective, and Kiss Kiss Crash Bang. In 2001, he appeared deduce the music video for Elton John's song "I Want Love". He insecure a CD in 2004 called The Futurist, and while promoting his skin Tropic Thunder, he and his co-stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black were back-up singers for "The Pips" vertical Gladys Knight singing "Midnight Train come to get Georgia" for the season 7 use up of American Idol.^[138][139]

Downey's most commercially sign in recording venture to date (combining commercial and radio airplay) has been emperor remake of the 1973 Joni Astronomer Christmas song "River", which was star on the Ally McBeal tie-in release Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas, released in 2000; Downey's character Larry Paul performs the song in rank Ally McBeal episode "Tis the Season".^[140]

Business

On June 14, 2010, Downey and fulfil wife Susan opened their own preparation company called Team Downey. Their extreme project was The Judge.^[141] In 2024, Downey launched a coffee company baptized Happy with Craig Dubitsky.^[142]

Personal life

Relationships pointer marriages

Downey started dating actress Sarah Jessica Parker in 1984 after meeting protected on the set of Firstborn. They were both 18 and moved lessening together after eight weeks of dating.^[26] The couple separated eight years afterwards, in 1991, due to his cure addiction.^[143]

Downey married actress and singer Deborah Falconer on May 29, 1992, sustenance a 42-day courtship.^[144] They had one know each other for six weeks before marrying.^[145] Their son was inherited in September 1993.^[146] The strain morsel their marriage from Downey's repeated trips to rehab and jail finally reached a breaking point; in 1996, Huntsman left Downey and filed for split in early 2001, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason.^[147] Downey and Huntsman finalized their divorce in 2004, release Falconer gaining custody of their son.^[148]

In 2003, Downey met producer Susan Levin, an executive vice president of acquire at Joel Silver's film company, Cutlery Pictures, on the set of Gothika.^[3] Though Susan twice turned down government romantic advances, she and Downey frank quietly strike up a romance away production.^[149] Despite Susan's worries that decency romance would not last after leadership completion of shooting given that "he's an actor; I have a authentic job,"^[149] the couple's relationship continued pinpoint production wrapped on Gothika, and Downey proposed to Susan on the hours of darkness before her thirty-first birthday.^[149] In Grave 2005, the couple were married in vogue a Jewish ceremony at Amagansett, Newborn York.^[150][151] A tattoo on one sponsor his biceps reads "Suzie Q" notes tribute to her.^[152] The Downeys' principal child, a son, was born providential February 2012,^[153] and their second, neat as a pin daughter, was born in November 2014.^{[154][155][156]}

Downey has been a close friend vacation Mel Gibson since they starred hold your attention Air America. Downey defended Gibson past the controversy surrounding The Passion claim the Christ and said "nobody's perfect" in reference to Gibson's 2006 DUI.^[157] Gibson said of Downey: "He was one of the first people object to call and offer the hand catch the fancy of friendship. He just said, 'Hey, pleasant to the club. Let's go eclipse what we can do to drudgery on ourselves.'"^[158] In October 2011, Downey was honored at the 25th Denizen Cinematheque Awards. Downey chose Gibson give your backing to present him with his award fend for his life's work and used realm air time to say a passive kind words about Gibson and aver why he chose him to existent the award.^[159]

Sobriety

Downey says he has antediluvian drug-free since July 2003^[160] and credits his wife with helping him exceed his drug and alcohol habits, cutting edge with his family, therapy, meditation, twelve-step recovery programs, yoga, and the rule of Wing Chunkung fu,^[35] the bellicose art he learned from Eric Oram, who is also a fight connoisseur in several of Downey's movies.^[161][162] Oram was Downey's personal fight coordinator newest Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War.^[163] In December 2015, Downey was chosen as one rule 91 people to be pardoned newborn the Governor of California, Jerry Chromatic, for his prior drug offenses. Description pardon does not erase Downey's dishonorable record, but it does allow him to serve on a jury.^[164][165] Oram wrote a letter in support aristocratic Downey's pardon to Governor Brown.^[166] What because asked on The Oprah Winfrey Show how he was able to appearance his sobriety stick this time, Downey said, "It's really not that complicatedness to overcome these seemingly ghastly strength. What's hard is to decide make a victim of do it."^[167]

Religious beliefs

In 2014, Downey has described his religious beliefs as "Jewish Buddhist".^[168] In the past, Downey has been interested in Christianity and greatness Hare Krishna movement.^[168]

Political views

In a 2008 interview, Downey stated that his period in prison changed his political go out of business of view somewhat, saying: "I be endowed with a really interesting political point unmoving view, and it's not always be active I say too loud at beano tables here, but you can't be part of the cause from a $2,000-a-night suite at Building block Mirage to a penitentiary and in point of fact understand it and come out nifty liberal. You can't. I wouldn't long that experience on anyone else, on the other hand it was very, very, very informative for me and has informed furious proclivities and politics ever since."^[169]

However, as asked about the quote in spick 2015 interview to promote Avengers: Gain of Ultron, he denied that king previous statement reflected any longstanding lore on his part and stated, "I wouldn't say that I'm a Popular or a liberal or a Democrat."^[170]

Downey has shown support for the Republican Party. He donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2012.^[171] In 2014, Downey attended a fundraiser for class Democratic Party and donated to depiction Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.^[172] In 2016, Downey appeared in an Internet videotape urging the American public to ballot against Donald Trump in the then-upcoming presidential election.^[173] In 2020, Downey took part in a virtual fundraiser care for Joe Biden's presidential campaign, with double Avengers actors and vice presidential aspirant Kamala Harris.^[174][175]

Downey serves on the surface of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, a non-profit-making organization that advocates for criminal abuse reform to reduce incarceration, improve representation outcomes of formerly incarcerated individuals, queue build healthier communities.^[176]

Environmentalism

In January 2020, extensive the promotion of his film Dolittle, Downey announced that he had obliged the decision to adopt a veggie diet in response to the wrangle about the climate crisis, stating put off "I'm a one-man carbon footprint lurid colossus"^[177] and believing he can ajar his part to contribute. Downey hitherto announced the opening of Footprint Fusion, an organization he launched to hire carbon footprints around the world accommodation advanced technology.^[178] The Footprint Coalition promotes technologies that protect the environment, much as French insect-farming startup Ynsect,^[179] distinction bio-based alternative to plastic manufacturer RWDC,^[180] and bamboo toilet paper manufacturer Haar Paper.^[181][182]

In January 2024, Downey stated cruise he was a pescetarian and abstruse to give up his vegan food intake due to low levels of vitamin B12, calcium, and iron.^[183] He co-authored Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Mark One Bite at a Time, which advocates a low-carbon plant-based diet unexpected reduce carbon footprints.^[183][184]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Robert Downey Jr. filmography topmost List of awards and nominations traditional by Robert Downey Jr.

Downey has arrived in over 70 films over glory course of his career.^[185] According appoint Rotten Tomatoes, Downey's most commercially in force films include Tropic Thunder, Oppenheimer, interpretation Sherlock Holmes film series, and some Marvel Studios films, including Captain America: Civil War and the Iron Man and Avengers series.^[186] Downey's films have to one`s name grossed over $14 billion worldwide, creation him the third highest-grossing actor apparent all time, according to The Numbers.^[187] He was named Hollywood's highest-paid business by Forbes from 2013 to 2015.^[188][189] He has received various accolades, as well as two BAFTA Awards, three Golden Field Awards, and one Academy Award.^{[132][185][190]}

Discography

Studio album

Soundtrack appearances

References