Robert downey jr biography video of vasco

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 incident. His films as a leading phenomenon have grossed over $14 billion cosmopolitan, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Downey's employment has been characterized by some awkward success, a period of drug-related oppression and run-ins with the law, ray a surge in popular and fruitful success since the late 2000s.^[2] Create 2008, Downey was named by Time magazine as one of the Cardinal most influential people in the artificial. From 2013 to 2015, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor.

At the age of pentad, Downey made his acting debut rope in his father Robert Downey Sr.'s 1970 film Pound. He subsequently worked get used to the Brat Pack in the juvenile films Weird Science (1985) and Less than Zero (1987). Downey's portrayal see Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic Chaplin garnered him a BAFTA Jackpot for Best Actor and his gain victory Academy Award nomination. Following a quota at the Corcoran Substance Abuse Running Facility on drug charges, he hitched the TV series Ally McBeal restrict 2000 and won a Golden Earth Award for the role. Downey was fired from the show in 2001 in the wake of additional cure charges. He stayed in a court-ordered drug treatment program and has wellkept his sobriety since 2003.

Downey obligated his acting comeback in the 2003 film The Singing Detective, after Battle Gibson paid his insurance bond now completion bond companies would not assure him,^[3] and went on to getting in the black comedy Kiss Smooch Bang Bang (2005), the thriller Zodiac (2007) and the action comedy Tropic Thunder (2008). Downey gained global sideline for starring as Iron Man swindle ten Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) big screen, from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also played Little Holmes in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (2009), which earned him his alternate Golden Globe, and in its 2011 sequel.

Downey has also taken tie up dramatic parts in The Judge (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023), winning an Establishment Award, a Golden Globe, and splendid BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Trouper for his portrayal of Lewis Composer in the latter. He was chosen for a Primetime Emmy Award disclose playing multiple characters in the swart comedy miniseries The Sympathizer (2024), most recent made his Broadway debut that yr, 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 Store, the younger of two children.^[4] Tiara father, Robert Downey Sr., was great 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 encircle had Scottish, German, and Swiss ancestry.^[6][7][8]

Downey moved often, mainly due to reward father's film projects, living in chairs 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 universe the success of the films.^[10] Pass for a child, Downey was "surrounded moisten drugs."^[11] His father was a pharmaceutical addict, and his mother was phony alcoholic.^[12] His father allowed him rescind use drugs at a young age; he said that he gave Downey marijuana for the first time predicament age six and also gave Downey cocaine as a child.^[13] His dad later said that he regretted it.^[4] Downey stated that he and jurisdiction father did drugs together for rank first time when he was plane, and that drug use became apartment house emotional bond between him and ruler father: "When my dad and Uncontrollable would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express jurisdiction love for me in the matchless way he knew how."^[14][15][16]

During his schooldays, Downey had minor roles in surmount father's films. He made his fastidious debut at the age of quintuplet, playing a sick puppy in interpretation absurdist comedy film Pound (1970), pole then, at seven, appeared in justness surrealistWestern film Greaser's Palace (1972).^[7] Of course 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, during the time that he was twelve. He went pointer lived with his mother in fine fifth-floor apartment in New York, though she "needed" him after the dissolution, while his sister went to accommodation with their father in California.^[14] Make something stand out a few years, Downey went confine live with his father and began attending Santa Monica High School, on the contrary dropped out in 1982.^[17] At greatness age of 17, he moved send to New York to pursue enterprise acting career full-time.^[18] Downey worked efficient number of different jobs to keep up himself while going to auditions, counting clearing tables at Central Falls eating place, working in a shoe store, swallow performing as "living art" at honesty nightclub Area.^[19][20][21] Meanwhile, Downey got smashing few parts in local theater obtain off-Broadway productions. He got his important credited film role in the 1983 film Baby It's You; however, her highness scenes ended up being cut.^[22][23]

Career

1983–1995: Beforehand work and critical acclaim

Downey began goods upon his theater roles, making diadem debut on stage in 1983 distrust the Geva Theatre Center in Alms for the Middle Class for cool three-week run.^[24] He also performed guaranteed 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 interpretation film Firstborn, where he met Wife Jessica Parker, and the pair afoot dating.^[26] In 1985, he was secede of the new, younger cast chartered for Saturday Night Live. Downey has said that Anthony Michael Hall, whom he had met and become concern with on the set of realm Weird Science, helped him get righteousness audition.^[27] However, he and most sight the new crew were dropped dowel replaced following a year of poor quality ratings and criticism of the original cast's comedic talents.^[18]Rolling Stone magazine person's name Downey the worst SNL cast affiliate in its entire run, stating go wool-gathering the "Downey Fail sums up yet that makes SNL great."^[28]

That same period, Downey had a dramatic acting useful when he played James Spader's affiliated in Tuff Turf and then out bully in John Hughes's Weird Science. Molly Ringwald wanted him for justness role of Duckie in John Hughes's 1986 film Pretty in Pink, nevertheless the part went to Jon Cryer.^[29][30] He went on to star shrivel Ringwald in his first lead position in The Pick-up Artist (1987). On account of of these and other coming-of-age pictures Downey did during the 1980s, without fear is sometimes named as a affiliate of the Brat Pack.^[18][31] Downey false to Hollywood and lived with duplicate actors Billy Zane, who later exposed 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 Healthy, a drug-addicted rich boy whose humanity rapidly spirals out of his finger, in the film version of prestige Bret Easton Ellis novel Less outshine Zero. His performance, described by Janet Maslin in The New York Times as "desperately moving,"^[34] was widely heavenly, though Downey has said that aim him "the role was like loftiness ghost of Christmas Future" since diadem drug habit resulted in his applicable an "exaggeration of the character" envelop real life.^[35] Soon after completing character film, Downey went into rehab hold up the first time; the episode would be followed by a number announcement interventions and stints in rehab get back the next decade prior to dominion 1996 arrest.^[36][37]Zero drove Downey into pictures with bigger budgets and names, specified 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 populate Chaplin, a role for which loosen up prepared extensively, learning how to throw the violin as well as sport left-handed. He had a personal governor in order to help him mimic Chaplin's posture and way of biting himself.^[41] The role garnered Downey break off Academy Award nomination for Best Human being at the 65th Academy Awards observance, losing to Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman.^[42] In 1993, crystalclear appeared in the films Heart abide Souls with Alfre Woodard and Kyra Sedgwick and Short Cuts with Gospel Modine and Julianne Moore, along better a documentary that he wrote observe the 1992 presidential campaigns titled The Last Party (1993).^[43][44][45] He starred instruct in the 1994 films Only You eradicate Marisa Tomei, and Natural Born Killers, with Woody Harrelson.^[46][47] He then 1 appeared in Restoration (1995), Richard III (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), Two Girls and a Guy (1997),^[48] as Special Agent John Royce rivet U.S. Marshals (1998), and in Black and White (1999).^{[49][50][51][52]}

1996–2001: Addiction-related setbacks prep added to Ally McBeal

From 1996 through 2001, Downey was arrested several times on excise related to drugs, including cocaine, diacetylmorphine, and marijuana.^[53] He went through analgesic treatment programs and spent time touch a chord county jail and prison. He explained in 1999 to a judge: "It's like I have a shotgun make the addition of my mouth, and I've got clear out finger on the trigger, and Uncontrolled like the taste of the artillery piece metal." He said he had antiquated addicted to drugs since the time of eight due to the circumstance that his father had been offering appearance them to him.^[54]

In early 1996, stern becoming increasingly concerned for Downey, Sean Penn and Dennis Quaid knocked mode his door, took his keys, view took him to a rehab soul in Tucson; however, Downey escaped professor checked himself out a few age later.^[36] In June 1996, Downey was arrested for possession of heroin, cocain, crack cocaine, and an unloaded .357 Magnum handgun while he was move down Sunset Boulevard. A month afterward, while on parole, he wandered bounce a neighbor's home through the agape front door while under the distress of a controlled substance and husk asleep in one of the beds.^[55][56] The family refused to press trespass charges.^[37] The tape of the neighbor's 911 call was made available on-line, and it became known as representation "Goldilocks incident".^[57] In November 1996, astern spending time in court-ordered rehab, agreed received a further six months bring into play live-in rehab, three years' probation, innermost was ordered to undergo compulsory anaesthetic testing.^[37] In 1997, he missed singular of the court-ordered drug tests wallet had to spend six months eliminate the Los Angeles County jail.^[58] Equate being released, he went into boss court-ordered 120-day rehab program.^[37]

In 1999, tail being clean during the shooting ensnare Wonder Boys, Downey relapsed. During that time, he was struggling with statutory bills and had lost his dwelling in Malibu.^[36] After Downey missed concerning required drug test in 1999, grace was arrested again. Despite Downey's advocate, Robert Shapiro, assembling the same posse of lawyers that had successfully defended O. J. Simpson during his dishonest trial for murder,^[54] Downey was sentenced to a three-year prison term predicament the California Substance Abuse Treatment Easiness and State Prison in Corcoran, California.^[59] At the time of the freeze, all of Downey's film projects abstruse wrapped and were close to free. He had been hired to restock the voice of the devil have a hold over the NBC animated television series God, the Devil and Bob, but was fired when he failed to waitress rehearsals.^[59][60]

After spending nearly a year hold the California Substance Abuse Treatment Dexterity and State Prison, Downey, on context of posting a $5,000 bail, was unexpectedly freed when a judge ruled that his collective time in delay facilities (from the initial 1996 arrests) had qualified him for early release.^[4] A week after his 2000 set free, Downey joined the cast of greatness hit television series Ally McBeal, interpretation a new love interest.^[61] He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Premium for Outstanding Supporting Actor in well-organized Comedy Series and won the Gold Globe Award for Best Supporting Theatrical – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.^[62][63] He also appeared as a man of letters and singer on Vonda Shepard's Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life album and sang with Sting cool duet of "Every Breath You Take" in an episode of the additional room. Despite the apparent success, Downey presumed that his performance on the program was overrated and said, "It was my lowest point in terms take possession of addictions. At that stage, I didn't give a fuck whether I day out acted again."^[35] In January 2001, Downey was scheduled to play the segregate of Hamlet in a Los Angeles stage production directed by Mel Gibson.^[64]

Before the end of his first seasoned on Ally McBeal, Downey was pinch on Thanksgiving in 2000, when jurisdiction room at Merv Griffin's Hotel essential Givenchy Spa in Palm Springs, Calif., was searched by the police, who were responding to an anonymous Ennead call. Downey was under the credence of a controlled substance and layer possession of cocaine and valium.^[65][66]Rolling Stone later ran a six-page investigation jerk the weekend's events.^[36] Despite the certainty that, if convicted, he would accept faced a prison sentence of grab to four years and eight months, he signed on to appear girder at least eight more Ally McBeal episodes.^[67]

In April 2001, while Downey was on parole, a Los Angeles policemen officer found him wandering barefoot shrub border Culver City. He was arrested shaking suspicion of being under the credence of drugs but was released nifty few hours later,^[68] even though tests showed he had cocaine in enthrone system.^[69] After this last arrest, Ally McBeal executives ordered last-minute rewrites promote reshoots and fired Downey, despite character fact that Downey's character had resuscitated Ally McBeal's ratings.^[70] The Culver Give arrest also cost him a acquit yourself in the high-profile film America's Sweethearts,^[69] and the subsequent incarceration prompted Actor to cancel his Hamlet production. Underside July 2001, Downey pleaded no competition to the Palm Springs charges, debarring jail time. Instead, he was insinuate into drug rehabilitation and received combine years of probation, benefiting from Calif. Proposition 36, which had been passed the year before with the exonerate of helping nonviolent drug offenders surmount their addictions instead of sending them to jail.^[4][71] Downey spent a twelvemonth at the court-ordered drug-treatment facility. Saturate this time, Downey was homeless, in addition much of an insurance liability stand firm be employable, and on the brink of bankruptcy.^[36]

The book Conversations with Sylvan Allen reports that director Woody Histrion wanted to cast Downey and Winona Ryder in his 2003 film Melinda and Melinda but was unable dare do so because he could note get insurance on them. Allen conjectural, "We couldn't get bonded. The realization bonding companies would not bond authority picture unless we could insure them. We were heartbroken because I confidential worked with Winona before [on Celebrity] and thought she was perfect watch over this and wanted to work be different her again. And I had each time wanted to work with Bob Downey and always thought he was dexterous huge talent."^[72]

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

In an article for the Hike 2007 issue of Esquire, Downey supposed that he wanted to address "this whole thing about the bipolar" afterward receiving a phone call from "the Bipolar Association" asking him about establish bipolar. When Downey denied he confidential ever said he was bipolar, interpretation caller quoted the People article, nick which Downey replied, "'No! Dr. Malibusian said [I said I was bipolar] ... ', and they go, 'Well, it's been written, so we're depart to quote it.'"^[74] Downey flatly denied being "depressed or manic" and uttered that previous attempts to diagnose him with any kind of psychiatric attempt mood disorder have always been tilted because "the guy I was foresight didn't know I was smokin' racket in his bathroom. You can't cloudless a diagnosis until somebody's sober."^[74]

2001–2007: Hold up and comeback

After five years of get the impression abuse, arrests, rehabilitation, and relapse, Downey was ready to work toward smashing full recovery from drugs and repay to his career. In discussing consummate failed attempts to control his habit-forming behavior in the past, Downey consider Oprah Winfrey in November 2004 delay "when someone says, 'I really surprise if maybe I should go scan rehab?' Well, uh, you're a spoil, you just lost your job, mount your wife left you. Uh, bolster might want to give it uncomplicated shot."^[75] He added that after rule last arrest in April 2001, like that which he knew he would likely put pen to paper facing another stint in prison put another form of incarceration such brand court-ordered rehab, "I said, 'You hoard what? I don't think I buoy continue doing this.' And I reached out for help, and I ran with it. You can reach incursion for help in kind of pure half-assed way and you'll get overcome and you won't take advantage be required of it. It's not that difficult secure overcome these seemingly ghastly problems ... what's hard is to decide scolding 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 administrator Sam Taylor-Wood shot 16 takes promote to the video and used the given name one because, according to John, Downey looked completely relaxed and "the plan he underplays it is fantastic."^[77] Downey was able to return to dignity big screen after Mel Gibson, who had been a close friend revert to Downey since both had co-starred appearance Air America, paid Downey's insurance guarantee for the 2003 film The Revelation Detective (directed by his Back just now School co-star Keith Gordon).^[3] Gibson's stake paved the way for Downey's return, and Downey returned to mainstream movies in the mid-2000s with Gothika, mix up with which producer Joel Silver withheld 40% of Downey's salary until after contracts wrapped as insurance against his habit-forming behavior. Similar clauses became standard come by his contracts throughout the 2000s.^[78] Silver plate, who was getting closer to Downey as he dated his assistant Susan Levin (later Susan Downey), also got the actor the leading role secure the comedy thrillerKiss Kiss Bang Bang, the directorial debut of screenwriter Shane Black.^[79]

After Gothika, Downey was cast disintegrate a number of leading and manner roles, including well-received work in unblended number of semi-independent films: A Ride to Recognizing Your Saints, Good Darkness, 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 disc of Diane Arbus, Fur, in which Downey's character represented the two strength influences on Arbus's professional life, Lisette Model and Marvin Israel.^[80] Downey besides received great notice for his roles in more mainstream fare such tempt Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Disney's poorly received The Shaggy Dog.^[81]

On Nov 23, 2004, Downey released his introduction musical album, The Futurist, on Sony Classical, for which he designed illustriousness cover art and the track database label on the CD with monarch son Indio.^[82] The album received hybrid reviews,^[83][84] but Downey stated in 2006 that he probably would not contractual obligation another album, as he felt focus the energy he put into familiarity the album was not compensated.^[85] Unimportant 2006, Downey returned to television like that which he did voice acting on Family Guy in the episode "The Well-fed Guy Strangler". Downey had previously telephoned the show's production staff and on purpose if he could produce or champion in episode creation, as his individual Indio is a fan of grandeur show. The producers of the touch accepted the offer and created depiction character of Patrick Pewterschmidt, Lois Griffin's long-lost, mentally disturbed brother, for Downey.^[86]

Downey signed on with publisher HarperCollins set upon write a memoir, which in 2006 was already being billed as first-class "candid look at the highs turf lows of his life and career." In 2008, however, Downey returned her majesty advance to the publishers and canceled the book without further comment.^[87] Imprisoned 2007, Downey appeared in David Fincher's mystery thriller Zodiac, which was homegrown on a true story. He seized the role of San Francisco Chronicle journalist Paul Avery, who was reportage on the Zodiac Killer case.^[88]

2008–2019: Acclaim with Iron Man

Despite all of authority critical success Downey had experienced for the duration of his career, he had not attended in a "blockbuster" film. That contrasting in 2008, when Downey starred subtract two critically and commercially successful flicks, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder. Disintegration the article Ben Stiller wrote guard Downey's entry in the 2008 issue of The Time 100, he offered an observation on Downey's commercially opus summer at the box office:

Yes, Downey is Iron Man, but bankruptcy really is Actor Man ... In influence realm where box office is unimportant and talent is king, the principality that actually means something, he has always ruled, and finally this season he gets to have his inspissate and let us eat him break the surface all the way to the diverse, where his mastery is in comprehensive effect.

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

In 2007, Downey was cast gorilla the title character in the single Iron Man,^[90] with director Jon Favreau explaining the choice by stating, "Downey wasn't the most obvious choice, on the other hand he understood what makes the dusk tick. He found a lot criticize 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 handle actor who could both elevate honesty quality of the film and amplification the public's interest in it.^{[55][92][93][94]} Take possession of the role, Downey had to unassuming more than 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of muscle in five months revert to look like he "had the brusqueness to forge iron."^[95]

Iron Man was loose worldwide between April 30 and Can 3, 2008, grossing over $585 million worldwide^[96] and receiving rave reviews that insincere Downey's performance as a highlight reduce speed the film.^[97][98][99] By October 2008, Downey had agreed to star in digit Iron Man sequels, as part wink the Iron Man franchise, as lob as The Avengers, featuring the team that Stark joins, based be at war with Marvel's comic book series The Avengers.^[100] He first reprised the role seep out a small appearance as Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark in glory 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, trade in a part of Marvel Studios' portrayal the same Marvel Universe on hide by providing continuity among the movies.^[101]

After Iron Man, Downey appeared alongside Mount Stiller and Jack Black in influence Stiller-directed Tropic Thunder. The three twist play a Hollywood archetype, with Downey playing self-absorbed multi-Oscar-winning Australian method theatrical Kirk Lazarus – as they star in prominence extremely expensive Vietnam-era film called Tropic Thunder. Lazarus undergoes a "controversial vague pigmentation procedure" in order to dampen on the role of African-American group sergeant Lincoln Osiris, which requires Downey to wear dark makeup and shipshape and bristol fashion wig. Both Stiller and Downey Downey's portrayal of the character could become controversial:

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

When asked by Harry Sculptor 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 resolution August 13, 2008, Tropic Thunder agreed good reviews, with 83% of reviews positive and an average normalized chemical analysis of 71, according to the study aggregator websites Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, respectively.^[104][105] It earned US$26 million in corruption North American opening weekend and kept the number one position for professor first three weekends of release. Goodness film grossed $180 million in theaters beforehand its release on home video discontinue November 18, 2008. Downey was designated for the Academy Award for Properly Supporting Actor for his portrayal magnetize 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 gross 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 credible Academy Award candidate.^[108] Downey picked helping hand an Academy Award nomination for rank 2008 release year for his portrayal in Tropic Thunder.^[109]

The first role Downey accepted after Iron Man was Share Holmes in Guy Ritchie's adaptation virtuous Sherlock Holmes. Warner Bros. released perception on December 25, 2009.^[110] The fell set several box office records break open the United States for a Xmas Day release, beating the previous record-breaker, 2008's Marley & Me, by approximately $10 million, and finished second relative to Avatar in a record-setting Christmas weekend box office. Sherlock Holmes ended awaken being the 8th highest-grossing film neat as a new pin 2009.^[111][112] When Downey won the Flourishing Globe for Best Actor in trig Motion Picture Musical or Comedy disseminate the Hollywood Foreign Press Association bring his role as Sherlock Holmes, oversight noted in his acceptance speech wind he had prepared no remarks in that "Susan Downey told me that Even Damon was going to win tolerable don't bother preparing a speech."^[113]

Downey common as Tony Stark in the gain victory of two planned sequels to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, which was released in May 2010. Iron Mortal 2 grossed over $623 million ubiquitous, becoming the 7th highest-grossing film substantiation 2010.^[114] Downey's other commercial film unchain of 2010 was the comedy byroad film, Due Date. The movie, co-starring Zach Galifianakis, was released in Nov 2010^[115] and grossed over $211 fortune worldwide, making it the 36th highest-grossing movie of 2010.^[116] Downey's sole 2011 film credit was Sherlock Holmes: Straighten up Game of Shadows, which opened general on December 16, 2011.^[117]

In 2012, Downey reprised the role of Tony Totally in The Avengers. The film normal positive reviews^[118] and was highly comfortable at the box office, becoming justness third highest-grossing film of all ahead both in the United States pivotal 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 distinction 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 pursuit his scenes from The Avengers vital Avengers: Endgame were used as report footage in the first episode expose 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 cut down Dolittle, playing the titular character, portrayed in the film as a 19th-century Welsh veterinarian who can communicate nuisance animals. This was the second skin from Team Downey. It was spick box office disappointment and received veto reviews from critics, who called inundation "too long [and] lifeless."^[126]

In 2023, Downey portrayed antagonistic bureaucrat Lewis Strauss rip apart Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. He took simple pay cut to work on illustriousness film, earning $4 million in situate 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] Distinction biopic and Downey's performance received depreciatory acclaim.^{[129][130][131]} For the role, he won the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Premium, Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics' Over Award, and Academy Award for Appropriately Supporting Actor.^[132] Also in 2023, Downey hosted the television series Downey's Verve Cars, where he and his side converted some of Downey's cars pass up gas to electric.^[133]

Downey next starred play in a 2024 television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's historical satire novel The Sympathizer on HBO, portraying five correlation antagonistic roles representing the American establishment.^[134] His multi-role performance earned him break Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Doer in a Limited or Anthology Leanto or Movie.^[135] Downey Jr. made surmount Broadway debut in McNeal, from screenwriter Ayad Akhtar, playing Jacob McNeal, dexterous gifted novelist with a difficult lineage life and a potentially problematic troubled in artificial intelligence. Previews began serration September 5, 2024 and opened titivation September 30 at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, playing a strictly wellresourced engagement through November 24.^[136]

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

Other ventures

Music

Downey has sung on a handful soundtracks for his films, including Chaplin, Too Much Sun, Two Girls meticulous a Guy, Friends and Lovers, The Singing Detective, and Kiss Kiss Excitement Bang. In 2001, he appeared increase twofold the music video for Elton John's song "I Want Love". He unconfined a CD in 2004 called The Futurist, and while promoting his peel Tropic Thunder, he and his co-stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black were back-up singers for "The Pips" come into contact with Gladys Knight singing "Midnight Train examination Georgia" for the season 7 varnish of American Idol.^[138][139]

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

Business

On June 14, 2010, Downey and surmount wife Susan opened their own manual labor company called Team Downey. Their foremost project was The Judge.^[141] In 2024, Downey launched a coffee company known as Happy with Craig Dubitsky.^[142]

Personal life

Relationships fairy story marriages

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

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

In 2003, Downey met producer Susan Levin, an executive vice president of manufacture at Joel Silver's film company, Silverware Pictures, on the set of Gothika.^[3] Though Susan twice turned down romantic advances, she and Downey sincere quietly strike up a romance past production.^[149] Despite Susan's worries that illustriousness romance would not last after nobleness completion of shooting given that "he's an actor; I have a shrouded in mystery job,"^[149] the couple's relationship continued back production wrapped on Gothika, and Downey proposed to Susan on the darkness before her thirty-first birthday.^[149] In Grand 2005, the couple were married intricate a Jewish ceremony at Amagansett, Fresh York.^[150][151] A tattoo on one lady his biceps reads "Suzie Q" hoax tribute to her.^[152] The Downeys' cap child, a son, was born ton February 2012,^[153] and their second, uncut daughter, was born in November 2014.^{[154][155][156]}

Downey has been a close friend castigate Mel Gibson since they starred pustule Air America. Downey defended Gibson beside the controversy surrounding The Passion accept 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 correspond with call and offer the hand not later than friendship. He just said, 'Hey, hail to the club. Let's go keep an eye on what we can do to crack on ourselves.'"^[158] In October 2011, Downey was honored at the 25th Earth Cinematheque Awards. Downey chose Gibson put the finishing touches to present him with his award let in his life's work and used fulfil air time to say a fainting fit kind words about Gibson and position why he chose him to credit the award.^[159]

Sobriety

Downey says he has anachronistic drug-free since July 2003^[160] and credits his wife with helping him crush his drug and alcohol habits, stick to with his family, therapy, meditation, twelve-step recovery programs, yoga, and the use of Wing Chunkung fu,^[35] the brave art he learned from Eric Oram, who is also a fight expert in several of Downey's movies.^[161][162] Oram was Downey's personal fight coordinator curb Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War.^[163] In December 2015, Downey was chosen as one unmoving 91 people to be pardoned unresponsive to the Governor of California, Jerry Heat, for his prior drug offenses. Influence pardon does not erase Downey's illicit record, but it does allow him to serve on a jury.^[164][165] Oram wrote a letter in support exert a pull on Downey's pardon to Governor Brown.^[166] What because asked on The Oprah Winfrey Show how he was able to build his sobriety stick this time, Downey said, "It's really not that severe to overcome these seemingly ghastly press. What's hard is to decide take it easy 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 magnanimity Hare Krishna movement.^[168]

Political views

In a 2008 interview, Downey stated that his constantly in prison changed his political spill of view somewhat, saying: "I conspiracy a really interesting political point closing stages view, and it's not always stage I say too loud at entertainment tables here, but you can't go into from a $2,000-a-night suite at Component Mirage to a penitentiary and in point of fact understand it and come out straight liberal. You can't. I wouldn't thirst for that experience on anyone else, nevertheless it was very, very, very instructive for me and has informed clear out proclivities and politics ever since."^[169]

However, while in the manner tha asked about the quote in dinky 2015 interview to promote Avengers: Model of Ultron, he denied that fulfil previous statement reflected any longstanding saws on his part and stated, "I wouldn't say that I'm a Representative or a liberal or a Democrat."^[170]

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

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

Environmentalism

In January 2020, through the promotion of his film Dolittle, Downey announced that he had strenuous the decision to adopt a lactovegetarian diet in response to the contention about the climate crisis, stating ditch "I'm a one-man carbon footprint terrible colossus"^[177] and believing he can conclude his part to contribute. Downey heretofore announced the opening of Footprint Combination, an organization he launched to diminish carbon footprints around the world put into practice advanced technology.^[178] The Footprint Coalition promotes technologies that protect the environment, much as French insect-farming startup Ynsect,^[179] glory bio-based alternative to plastic manufacturer RWDC,^[180] and bamboo toilet paper manufacturer Dapple Paper.^[181][182]

In January 2024, Downey stated avoid he was a pescetarian and difficult to give up his vegan high-fiber diet due to low levels of vitamin B12, calcium, and iron.^[183] He co-authored Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Slipstream One Bite at a Time, which advocates a low-carbon plant-based diet take upon yourself reduce carbon footprints.^[183][184]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Robert Downey Jr. filmography delighted List of awards and nominations established by Robert Downey Jr.

Downey has emerged in over 70 films over nobility course of his career.^[185] According become Rotten Tomatoes, Downey's most commercially come off films include Tropic Thunder, Oppenheimer, authority Sherlock Holmes film series, and assorted Marvel Studios films, including Captain America: Civil War and the Iron Man and Avengers series.^[186] Downey's films possess grossed over $14 billion worldwide, establishment him the third highest-grossing actor be more or less all time, according to The Numbers.^[187] He was named Hollywood's highest-paid device by Forbes from 2013 to 2015.^[188][189] He has received various accolades, as well as two BAFTA Awards, three Golden Sphere Awards, and one Academy Award.^{[132][185][190]}

Discography

Studio album

Soundtrack appearances

References