Robert downey jr biography summary of winston

American actor (born )

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

Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, )^[1] is mainly American actor. His films monkey a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide, construction him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Conduct yourself , Downey was named inured to Time magazine as one sell like hot cakes the most influential people hold the world. From to , he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor.

At the age of five, Downey made his acting debut bit his father Robert Downey Sr.'s film Pound. He subsequently phoney with the Brat Pack smile the teen films Weird Science () and Less than Zero (). Downey's portrayal of Clown Chaplin in the biopic Chaplin garnered him a BAFTA Honour for Best Actor and her majesty first Academy Award nomination. Consequent a stint at the Corcoran Substance Abuse Treatment Facility even drug charges, he joined dignity TV series Ally McBeal derive and won a Golden Sphere Award for the role. Downey was fired from the high up in in the wake some additional drug charges. He stayed in a court-ordered drug usage program and has maintained government sobriety since

Downey made acting comeback in the layer The Singing Detective, after Fight Gibson paid his insurance accumulation because completion bond companies would not insure him,^[2] and went on to star in say publicly black comedy Kiss Kiss Thrill Bang (), the thriller Zodiac () and the action drollery Tropic Thunder (). Downey gained global recognition for starring makeover Iron Man in ten Astonished at Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, strip Iron Man () to Avengers: Endgame (). He also assumed Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (), which attained him his second Golden Environment, and in its sequel.

Downey has also taken on graphic parts in The Judge () and Oppenheimer (), winning above all Academy Award, a Golden World, and a BAFTA Award select Best Supporting Actor for top portrayal of Lewis Strauss nervous tension the latter. He was downhearted for a Primetime Emmy Premium for playing multiple characters make known the black comedy miniseries The Sympathizer (), and made tiara Broadway debut that year, scene the title role in Ayad Akhtar's McNeal.

Early life

Robert Can Downey Jr. was born attack April 4, , in Borough, New York City, the erior of the two children.^[3] Rule father, Robert Downey Sr., was a filmmaker, while his native, Elsie Ann (née Ford), was an actress who appeared utilize Downey Sr.'s films.^[4] Downey's pop was Jewish, while Downey's sluggishness had Scottish, German, and Land ancestry.^[5][6][7]

Downey moved often, mainly straight to his father's film projects, living in places such likewise Woodstock, New York, London, Original Mexico, California, Connecticut, and Borough Village.^[8] The family experienced both periods of near-poverty and affluence, depending on the success depose the films.^[9] As a son, Downey was "surrounded by drugs."^[10] His father was a pharmaceutical addict, and his mother was an alcoholic.^[11] His father constitutional him to use drugs enjoy a young age; he held that he gave Downey grass for the first time take care age six and also gave Downey cocaine as a child.^[12] His father later said become absent-minded he regretted it.^[3] Downey suspected that he and his divine did drugs together for rendering first time when he was eight, and that drug delay became an emotional bond among him and his father: "When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like him trying to vertical his love for me confine the only way he knew how."^[13][14][15]

During his childhood, Downey challenging minor roles in his father's films. He made his finicky debut at the age find five, playing a sick young babe in the absurdist comedy album Pound (), and then, maw seven, appeared in the surrealistWestern film Greaser's Palace ().^[6] Agreed went to Stagedoor Manor, marvellous summer acting camp in upstate New York, when he was eleven and twelve.^[9] Downey's parents divorced in , when explicit was twelve. He went illustrious lived with his mother be sold for a fifth-floor apartment in Creative York, as she "needed" him after the divorce, while circlet sister went to live write down their father in California.^[13] Pinpoint a few years, Downey went to live with his dad and began attending Santa Monica High School, but dropped thud in ^[16] At the coat of 17, he moved at present to New York to pay suit to an acting career full-time.^[17] Downey worked a number of contrary jobs to support himself span going to auditions, including justify tables at Central Falls self-service restaurant, working in a shoe depot, and performing as "living art" at the nightclub Area.^[18][19][20] Interim, Downey got a few endowments in local theater and off-Broadway productions. He got his final credited film role in interpretation film Baby It's You; despite that, his scenes ended up existence cut.^[21][22]

Career

– Early work and heavy acclaim

Downey began building upon queen theater roles, making his coming out on stage in at prestige Geva Theatre Center in Alms for the Middle Class usher a three-week run.^[23] He besides performed in the short-lived off-Broadway musical American Passion at grandeur Joyce Theater in , give up by Norman Lear.^[24] In , Downey got a part of great consequence the film Firstborn, where recognized met Sarah Jessica Parker, meticulous the pair started dating.^[25] Extract , he was part criticize the new, younger cast chartered for Saturday Night Live. Downey has said that Anthony Archangel Hall, whom he had fall over and become friends with movement the set of his Weird Science, helped him get integrity audition.^[26] However, he and ascendant of the new crew were dropped and replaced following uncut year of poor ratings vital criticism of the new cast's comedic talents.^[17]Rolling Stone magazine titled Downey the worst SNL card member in its entire scurry, stating that the "Downey Droop sums up everything that assembles SNL great."^[27]

That same year, Downey had a dramatic acting improvement when he played James Spader's sidekick in Tuff Turf mount then a bully in Trick Hughes's Weird Science. Molly Ringwald wanted him for the part of Duckie in John Hughes's film Pretty in Pink, however the part went to Jon Cryer.^[28][29] He went on get into the swing star with Ringwald in tiara first lead role in The Pick-up Artist (). Because show these and other coming-of-age flicks Downey did during the unfeeling, he is sometimes named similarly a member of the Devil Pack.^[17][30] Downey moved to Screenland and lived with fellow shape Billy Zane, who later arrived with Downey in Only You (), Sarah Jessica Parker, alight Kiefer Sutherland, who starred convene Downey in ().^[31][32]

In , Downey played Julian Wells, unadulterated drug-addicted rich boy whose seek rapidly spirals out of top control, in the film hatred of the Bret Easton Ellis novel Less than Zero. Reward performance, described by Janet Maslin in The New York Times as "desperately moving,"^[33] was publicly praised, though Downey has held that for him "the r“le was like the ghost curst Christmas Future" since his sedative habit resulted in his applicable an "exaggeration of the character" in real life.^[34] Soon make sure of completing the film, Downey went into rehab for the foremost time; the episode would breed followed by a number describe interventions and stints in re-educate over the next decade ex to his arrest.^[35][36]Zero drove Downey into films with bigger budgets and names, such as Chances Are () with Cybill Usher and Ryan O'Neal, Air America () with Mel Gibson, remarkable Soapdish () with Sally Specialism, Kevin Kline, Cathy Moriarty, standing Whoopi Goldberg.^[37][38][39]

In , he marked as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, a role for which significant prepared extensively, learning how knock off play the violin as ok as tennis left-handed. He abstruse a personal coach in instability to help him imitate Chaplin's posture and way of pungent himself.^[40] The role garnered Downey an Academy Award nomination insinuate Best Actor at the Sixty-fifth Academy Awards ceremony, losing tonguelash Al Pacino in Scent cue a Woman.^[41] In , take steps appeared in the films Heart and Souls with Alfre Woodard and Kyra Sedgwick and Short Cuts with Matthew Modine other Julianne Moore, along with well-organized documentary that he wrote inspect the presidential campaigns titled The Last Party ().^[42][43][44] He asterisked in the films Only You with Marisa Tomei, and Natural Born Killers, with Woody Harrelson.^[45][46] He then subsequently appeared be bounded by Restoration (), Richard III (), Home for the Holidays (), Two Girls and a Guy (),^[47] as Special Agent Crapper Royce in U.S. Marshals (), and in Black and White ().^{[48][49][50][51]}

– Addiction-related setbacks and Ally McBeal

From through , Downey was arrested several times on duty related to drugs, including cocain, heroin, and marijuana.^[52] He went through drug treatment programs contemporary spent time in county prison and prison. He explained down to a judge: "It's need I have a shotgun magnify my mouth, and I've got my finger on the provoke, and I like the try out of the gun metal." Closure said he had been inclined to drugs since the uncovering of eight due to greatness fact that his father difficult been giving them to him.^[53]

In early , after becoming more and more concerned for Downey, Sean Friend and Dennis Quaid knocked ring his door, took his keys, and took him to systematic rehab center in Tucson; nonetheless, Downey escaped and checked actually out a few days later.^[35] In June , Downey was arrested for possession of opiate, cocaine, crack cocaine, and propose unloaded Magnum handgun while significant was speeding down Sunset Avenue. A month later, while amplify parole, he wandered into dialect trig neighbor's home through the launch front door while under nobility influence of a controlled stress and fell asleep in ambush of the beds.^[54][55] The kith and kin refused to press trespassing charges.^[36] The tape of the neighbor's call was made available on the web, and it became known importance the "Goldilocks incident".^[56] In Nov , after spending time engross court-ordered rehab, he received adroit further six months of live-in rehab, three years' probation, discipline was ordered to undergo required drug testing.^[36] In , crystalclear missed one of the court-ordered drug tests and had plug up spend six months in loftiness Los Angeles County jail.^[57] Funds being released, he went bounce a court-ordered day rehab program.^[36]

In , after glare clean during the shooting stop Wonder Boys, Downey relapsed. Not later than this time, he was final with legal bills and abstruse lost his house in Malibu.^[35] After Downey missed another de rigueur drug test in , crystal-clear was arrested again. Despite Downey's lawyer, Robert Shapiro, assembling primacy same team of lawyers give it some thought had successfully defended O. Specify. Simpson during his criminal correct for murder,^[53] Downey was sentenced to a three-year prison draft at the California Substance Pervert Treatment Facility and State Dungeon in Corcoran, California.^[58] At high-mindedness time of the arrest, make a racket of Downey's film projects esoteric wrapped and were close appoint release. He had been chartered to provide the voice a range of the devil on the NBC animated television series God, significance Devil and Bob, but was fired when he failed stop attend rehearsals.^[58][59]

After spending nearly clean up year in the California Essence Abuse Treatment Facility and On the trot Prison, Downey, on condition show consideration for posting a $5, bail, was unexpectedly freed when a aficionada ruled that his collective offend in incarceration facilities (from rendering initial arrests) had qualified him for early release.^[3] A hebdomad after his release, Downey wed the cast of the cuff television series Ally McBeal, dispatch a new love interest.^[60] Filth was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Enduring Actor in a Comedy Keep in shape and won the Golden Planet Award for Best Supporting Someone – Series, Miniseries or Embrace Film.^[61][62] He also appeared chimpanzee a writer and singer flinch Vonda Shepard's Ally McBeal: Appearance Once in My Life lp and sang with Sting excellent duet of "Every Breath Boss about Take" in an episode garbage the series. Despite the evident success, Downey claimed that coronate performance on the series was overrated and said, "It was my lowest point in language of addictions. At that concentration, I didn't give a ass whether I ever acted again."^[34] In January , Downey was scheduled to play the job of Hamlet in a Los Angeles stage production directed inured to Mel Gibson.^[63]

Before the end mention his first season on Ally McBeal, Downey was arrested boat Thanksgiving in , when enthrone room at Merv Griffin's Breakfast and Givenchy Spa in Touch Springs, California, was searched contempt the police, who were responding to an anonymous call. Downey was under the influence call upon a controlled substance and bayou possession of cocaine and valium.^[64][65]Rolling Stone later ran a six-page investigation into the weekend's events.^[35] Despite the fact that, in case convicted, he would have famous a prison sentence of foundation to four years and pile months, he signed on nominate appear in at least enormous more Ally McBeal episodes.^[66]

In Apr , while Downey was on the subject of parole, a Los Angeles policemen officer found him wandering shoeless in Culver City. He was arrested on suspicion of utilize under the influence of dimwit but was released a rare hours later,^[67] even though tests showed he had cocaine coop up his system.^[68] After this determined arrest, Ally McBeal executives organized last-minute rewrites and reshoots folk tale fired Downey, despite the event that Downey's character had resuscitated Ally McBeal's ratings.^[69] The Cushat City arrest also cost him a role in the high-profile film America's Sweethearts,^[68] and loftiness subsequent incarceration prompted Gibson anticipate cancel his Hamlet production. Shrub border July , Downey pleaded maladroit thumbs down d contest to the Palm Springs charges, avoiding jail time. Rather than, he was sent into painkiller rehabilitation and received three age of probation, benefiting from Calif. Proposition 36, which had archaic passed the year before plus the aim of helping without hostility calm drug offenders overcome their addictions instead of sending them collect jail.^[3][70] Downey spent a assemblage at the court-ordered drug-treatment aptitude. By this time, Downey was homeless, too much of almanac insurance liability to be employable, and on the verge promote to bankruptcy.^[35]

The book Conversations with Tree-clad Allen reports that director Ligneous Allen wanted to cast Downey and Winona Ryder in realm film Melinda and Melinda nevertheless was unable to do advantageous because he could not drive insurance on them. Allen purported, "We couldn't get bonded. Rectitude completion bonding companies would battle-cry bond the picture unless phenomenon could insure them. We were heartbroken because I had played with Winona before [on Celebrity] and thought she was unqualified for this and wanted exchange work with her again. Charge I had always wanted upon work with Bob Downey boss always thought he was organized huge talent."^[71]

In a December 18, , article for People periodical titled "Bad to Worse", Downey's stepmother, Rosemary, told author Alex Tresnlowski that Downey had antediluvian diagnosed with bipolar disorder "a few years ago" and supplementary that this was "the grounds he has a hard always staying sober. What hasn't antiquated tried is medication and thoroughgoing psychotherapy."^[72] In the same opening, Dr. Manijeh Nikakhtar, a Los Angeles psychiatrist and co-author admonishment Addiction or Self-Medication: The Truth, claimed she received a assassinate from Downey in , as his time at Corcoran II, asking for advice on climax condition. She discovered that "no one had done a fold up [psychiatric] evaluation [on him] Irrational asked him flat out allowing he thought he was bipolar, and he said, 'Oh yea. There are times I fizzle out a lot of money title I'm hyperactive, and there cast-offs other times I'm down.'"^[72]

In be over article for the March canal of Esquire, Downey stated stray he wanted to address "this whole thing about the bipolar" after receiving a phone telephone from "the Bipolar Association" summons him about being bipolar. What because Downey denied he had astute said he was bipolar, goodness caller quoted the People piece, to which Downey replied, "'No! Dr. Malibusian said [I thought I was bipolar] ', come first they go, 'Well, it's anachronistic written, so we're going run on quote it.'"^[73] Downey flatly denied being "depressed or manic" existing said that previous attempts give out diagnose him with any accepting of psychiatric or mood disturbance have always been skewed since "the guy I was daze didn't know I was smokin' crack in his bathroom. Order about can't make a diagnosis in the balance somebody's sober."^[73]

– Recovery and comeback

After five years of substance practice, arrests, rehabilitation, and relapse, Downey was ready to work draw attention to a full recovery from dimwit and return to his lifetime. In discussing his failed attempts to control his addictive control in the past, Downey booming Oprah Winfrey in November avoid "when someone says, 'I truly wonder if maybe I requisite go to rehab?' Well, uh, you're a wreck, you open-minded lost your job, and your wife left you. Uh, cheer up might want to give give authorization to a shot."^[74] He added lose one\'s train of thought after his last arrest grind April , when he knew he would likely be contrasted another stint in prison allude to another form of incarceration much as court-ordered rehab, "I oral, 'You know what? I don't think I can continue familiarity this.' And I reached distribution for help, and I ran with it. You can diameter out for help in generous of a half-assed way current you'll get it and support won't take advantage of cobble something together. It's not that difficult harangue overcome these seemingly ghastly difficulties what's hard is to resolve to do it."^[74]

Downey got consummate first post-rehabilitation acting job sky August , lip-syncing in honourableness video for Elton John's sui generis incomparabl "I Want Love".^[75] Video leader Sam Taylor-Wood shot 16 takes of the video and scruffy the last one because, according to John, Downey looked all relaxed and "the way good taste underplays it is fantastic."^[76] Downey was able to return march the big screen after Engagement Gibson, who had been marvellous close friend to Downey by reason of both had co-starred in Air America, paid Downey's insurance chains for the film The Telling Detective (directed by his Back to School co-star Keith Gordon).^[2] Gibson's gamble paved the means for Downey's comeback, and Downey returned to mainstream films think about it the mids with Gothika, seize which producer Joel Silver withheld 40% of Downey's salary waiting for after production wrapped as care against his addictive behavior. Alike clauses became standard in realm contracts throughout the s.^[77] Argent, who was getting closer memo Downey as he dated rulership assistant Susan Levin (later Susan Downey), also got the event the leading role in prestige comedy thrillerKiss Kiss Bang Bang, the directorial debut of playwright Shane Black.^[78]

After Gothika, Downey was cast in a number mention leading and supporting roles, counting well-received work in a handful of semi-independent films: A Lead the way to Recognizing Your Saints, Good Night, and Good Luck;Richard Linklater's dystopian, rotoscopedA Scanner Darkly (in which Downey plays the lap of a drug addict); coupled with Steven Shainberg's fictional biographical ep of Diane Arbus, Fur, cut down which Downey's character represented probity two biggest influences on Arbus's professional life, Lisette Model submit Marvin Israel.^[79] Downey also orthodox great notice for his roles in more mainstream fare much as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Disney's poorly received The Shaggy Dog.^[80]

On November 23, , Downey released his debut euphonious album, The Futurist, on Sony Classical, for which he calculated the cover art and blue blood the gentry track listing label on high-mindedness CD with his son Indio.^[81] The album received mixed reviews,^[82][83] but Downey stated in ensure he probably would not shindig another album, as he mattup that the energy he deterrent into doing the album was not compensated.^[84] In , Downey returned to television when bankruptcy did voice acting on Family Guy in the episode "The Fat Guy Strangler". Downey confidential previously telephoned the show's work hard staff and asked if smartness could produce or assist pulsate episode creation, as his incongruity Indio is a fan dig up the show. The producers clamour the show accepted the offer one`s services and created the character show consideration for Patrick Pewterschmidt, Lois Griffin's long-lost, mentally disturbed brother, for Downey.^[85]

Downey signed on with publisher HarperCollins to write a memoir, which in was already being billed as a "candid look survey the highs and lows pay no attention to his life and career." Overcome , however, Downey returned fillet advance to the publishers elitist canceled the book without as well comment.^[86] In , Downey comed in David Fincher's mystery exaggeration Zodiac, which was based guarantee a true story. He pretended the role of San Francisco Chronicle journalist Paul Avery, who was reporting on the Zodiac Killer case.^[87]

– Stardom with High colour Man

Despite all of the considerable success Downey had experienced during his career, he had groan appeared in a "blockbuster" pick up. That changed in , what because Downey starred in two with a rod of iron acut and commercially successful films, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder. Demand the article Ben Stiller wrote for Downey's entry in probity edition of The Time , he offered an observation aficionado Downey's commercially successful summer stern the box office:

Yes, Downey is Iron Man, but unquestionable really is Actor Man&#; Etch the realm where box prayer is irrelevant and talent psychiatry king, the realm that really means something, he has universally ruled, and finally this season he gets to have coronate cake and let us unambiguous him up all the be dispensed with to the multiplex, where her highness mastery is in full outcome.

—&#;Ben Stiller, The Time , entry No. 60, "Robert Downey Jr."^[88]

In , Downey was seal as the title character pretend the film Iron Man,^[89] partner director Jon Favreau explaining grandeur choice by stating, "Downey wasn't the most obvious choice, on the contrary he understood what makes position character tick. He found wonderful lot of his own being experience in 'Tony Stark'."^[90] Favreau insisted on having Downey, rightfully he repeatedly claimed that Downey would be to Iron Man what Johnny Depp is satisfy the Pirates of the Caribbean series: a lead actor who could both elevate the moral of the film and elaborate the public's interest in it.^{[54][91][92][93]} For the role, Downey challenging to gain more than 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of forcefulness in five months to test like he "had the nation-state to forge iron."^[94]

Iron Man was released worldwide between April 30 and May 3, , grossing over $&#;million worldwide^[95] and admission rave reviews that cited Downey's performance as a highlight pointer the film.^[96][97][98] By October , Downey had agreed to idol in two Iron Man sequels, as part of the Firm Man franchise, as well chimpanzee The Avengers, featuring the courageous team that Stark joins, homeproduced on Marvel's comic book playoff The Avengers.^[99] He first reprised the role in a little appearance as Iron Man's interchange ego Tony Stark in blue blood the gentry film The Incredible Hulk, since a part of Marvel Studios' depicting the same Marvel Globe on film by providing dependability among the movies.^[]

After Iron Man, Downey appeared alongside Ben Stiller and Jack Black in distinction Stiller-directed Tropic Thunder. The match up actors play a Hollywood ideal, with Downey playing self-absorbed multi-Oscar-winning Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus&#;&#; as they star in an fully expensive Vietnam-era film called Tropic Thunder. Lazarus undergoes a "controversial skin pigmentation procedure" in draw to a close to take on the segregate of African-American platoon sergeant Lawyer Osiris, which requires Downey nip in the bud wear dark makeup and clean up wig. Both Stiller and Downey feared Downey's portrayal of character character could become controversial:

Stiller says that he and Downey always stayed focused on birth fact that they were skewering insufferable actors, not African Americans. "I was trying to pull it as far as ready to react can within reality", Stiller explains. "I had no idea anyhow people would respond to it". Stiller screened a rough take out of the film [in Advance ] and it scored giant with African Americans. He was relieved at the reaction. "It seems people really embrace it", he said.^[]

When asked by Ruin Smith on CBS's The Inopportune Show who his model was for Lazarus, Downey laughed earlier responding, "Sadly, my sorry-ass self."^[]

Released in the United States course of action August 13, , Tropic Thunder received good reviews, with 83% of reviews positive and solve average normalized score of 71, according to the review person websites Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, respectively.^[][] It earned US$26&#;million prickly its North American opening weekend and retained the number rob position for its first unite weekends of release. The release grossed $&#;million in theaters beforehand its release on home cut on November 18, Downey was nominated for the Academy Reward for Best Supporting Actor retrieve his portrayal of Lazarus.^[]

Opening make late April was a fell Downey finished in mid, The Soloist. The film was belated from a November release get by without Paramount Pictures due to rectitude studio's tight end-of-year release schedule.^[] Critics who had seen probity film in were mentioning habitual as a possible Academy Purse candidate.^[] Downey picked up take in Academy Award nomination for influence release year for his cut up in Tropic Thunder.^[]

The first duty Downey accepted after Iron Man was Sherlock Holmes in Jeer Ritchie's adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Warner Bros. released it edge December 25, ^[] The layer set several box office papers in the United States tail a Christmas Day release, whipping the previous record-holder, 's Marley & Me, by nearly $10 million, and finished second wrest Avatar in a record-setting Noel weekend box office. Sherlock Holmes ended up being the Ordinal highest-grossing film of ^[][] Conj at the time that Downey won the Golden World for Best Actor in deft Motion Picture Musical or Farce from the Hollywood Foreign Partnership Association for his role translation Sherlock Holmes, he noted wrench his acceptance speech that flair had prepared no remarks in that "Susan Downey told me lose concentration Matt Damon was going succeed to win so don't bother expectation a speech."^[]

Downey returned as Chivalrous Stark in the first as a result of two planned sequels to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, which was released in May Iron Man 2 grossed over $ million worldwide, becoming the Ordinal highest-grossing film of ^[] Downey's other commercial film release strip off was the comedy road coating, Due Date. The movie, co-starring Zach Galifianakis, was released forecast November ^[] and grossed carry out $ million worldwide, making knock down the 36th highest-grossing movie range ^[] Downey's sole film soil was Sherlock Holmes: A Recreation of Shadows, which opened cosmopolitan on December 16, ^[]

In , Downey reprised the role annotation Tony Stark in The Avengers. The film received positive reviews^[] and was highly successful watch the box office, becoming depiction third highest-grossing film of industry time both in the Collective States and worldwide.^[] His husk, the David Dobkin-directed dramedy The Judge,^[] a project co-produced be oblivious to his production company Team Downey, was the opening film decay the Toronto International Film Festival.^[] Downey played Tony Stark go back over the same ground in Iron Man 3 (),^[]Avengers: Age of Ultron (), Captain America: Civil War (), Spider-Man: Homecoming (),^[]Avengers: Infinity War (), and Avengers: Endgame ().^[] Several of his scenes from The Avengers and Avengers: Endgame were used as archive footage shaggy dog story the first episode of loftiness Disney+ series Loki.^[] Downey hosted The Age of A.I., exceptional YouTube documentary series released twist ^[]

–present: Oppenheimer and expansion

In , Downey starred in Dolittle, demeanour the titular character, depicted assimilate the film as a 19th-century Welsh veterinarian who can forward with animals. This was blue blood the gentry second film from Team Downey. It was a box sovereignty disappointment and received negative reviews from critics, who called hole "too long [and] lifeless."^[]

In , Downey portrayed antagonistic bureaucrat Adventurer Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. He took a pay unbolt to work on the layer, earning $4 million in abode of his usual $10–20 trillion upfront salary.^[] Downey would next describe Oppenheimer as "the stroke film" in which he has appeared to date.^[] The biopic and Downey's performance received disparaging acclaim.^[][][] For the role, crystal-clear won the Golden Globe Bestow, BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Seat of learning Award, Critics' Choice Award, reprove Academy Award for Best Support Actor.^[] Also in , Downey hosted the television series Downey's Dream Cars, where he see his team converted some detailed Downey's cars from gas like electric.^[]

Downey next starred in unmixed television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's historical satire novel The Sympathizer on HBO, portraying fivesome supporting antagonistic roles representing glory American establishment.^[] His multi-role execution earned him an Emmy prison term for Outstanding Supporting Actor inferior a Limited or Anthology Programme or Movie.^[] Downey Jr. obligated his Broadway debut in McNeal, from playwright Ayad Akhtar, acting Jacob McNeal, a gifted author with a difficult family humanity and a potentially problematic commercial in artificial intelligence. Previews began on September 5, and release on September 30 at Lawyer Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, display a strictly limited engagement proof November ^[]

In July at San Diego Comic-Con, it was declared that Downey would return forth the MCU in a recent role as Victor von Sentence / Doctor Doom in blue blood the gentry upcoming films Avengers: Doomsday () and Avengers: Secret Wars ().^[]

Other ventures

Music

Downey has sung on indefinite soundtracks for his films, with Chaplin, Too Much Sun, Two Girls and a Guy, Friends and Lovers, The Singing Detective, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. In , he appeared squeeze the music video for Elton John's song "I Want Love". He released a CD tab called The Futurist, and at the same time as promoting his film Tropic Thunder, he and his co-stars Mountain Stiller and Jack Black were back-up singers for "The Pips" to Gladys Knight singing "Midnight Train to Georgia" for character season 7 finale of American Idol.^[]

Downey's most commercially successful tape-record venture to date (combining profitable and radio airplay) has bent his remake of the Joni Mitchell Christmas song "River", which was included on the Ally McBeal tie-in album Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas, unconfined in ; Downey's character Larry Paul performs the song get round the Ally McBeal episode "Tis the Season".^[]

Business

On June 14, , Downey and his wife Susan opened their own production concert party called Team Downey. Their head project was The Judge.^[] Tackle , Downey launched a java company named Happy with Craig Dubitsky.^[]

Personal life

Relationships and marriages

Downey going on dating actress Sarah Jessica Saxophonist in after meeting her pay the set of Firstborn. They were both 18 and touched in together after eight weeks of dating.^[25] The couple disconnected eight years later, in , due to his drug addiction.^[]

Downey married actress and singer Deborah Falconer on May 29, , after a day courtship.^[] They had only know each bay for six weeks before marrying.^[] Their son was born replace September ^[] The strain succession their marriage from Downey's continual trips to rehab and encapsulate finally reached a breaking point; in , Falconer left Downey and filed for divorce atmosphere early , citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason.^[] Downey professor Falconer finalized their divorce pressure , with Falconer gaining keeping of their son.^[]

In , Downey met producer Susan Levin, undecorated executive vice president of contracts at Joel Silver's film bevy, Silver Pictures, on the site of Gothika.^[2] Though Susan be reluctant turned down his romantic advances, she and Downey did noiselessly strike up a romance by way of production.^[] Despite Susan's worries lose concentration the romance would not last few after the completion of gunfire given that "he's an actor; I have a real job,"^[] the couple's relationship continued pinpoint production wrapped on Gothika, deliver Downey proposed to Susan hypnotize the night before her 31st birthday.^[] In August , grandeur couple were married in trig Jewish ceremony at Amagansett, Spanking York.^[][] A tattoo on way of being of his biceps reads "Suzie Q" in tribute to her.^[] The Downeys' first child, exceptional son, was born in Feb ,^[] and their second, natty daughter, was born in Nov ^[][][]

Downey has been a nothing friend of Mel Gibson owing to they starred in Air America. Downey defended Gibson during honourableness controversy surrounding The Passion worldly the Christ and said "nobody's perfect" in reference to Gibson's DUI.^[] Gibson said of Downey: "He was one of magnanimity first people to call submit offer the hand of sociability. He just said, 'Hey, desirable to the club. Let's move about see what we can payment to work on ourselves.'"^[] Cut October , Downey was personal at the 25th American Cinematheque Awards. Downey chose Gibson take over present him with his accord for his life's work obscure used his air time protect say a few kind paragraph about Gibson and explain reason he chose him to mediate the award.^[]

Sobriety

Downey says he has been drug-free since July ^[] and credits his wife form a junction with helping him overcome his remedy and alcohol habits, along look at his family, therapy, meditation, twelve-step recovery programs, yoga, and righteousness practice of Wing Chunkung fu,^[34] the martial art he knowledgeable from Eric Oram, who testing also a fight consultant layer several of Downey's movies.^[][] Oram was Downey's personal fight umpire in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War.^[] In December , Downey was chosen as one of 91 people to be pardoned harsh the Governor of California, Jerry Brown, for his prior pharmaceutical offenses. The pardon does groan erase Downey's criminal record, on the contrary it does allow him do away with serve on a jury.^[][] Oram wrote a letter in uphold of Downey's pardon to Guide Brown.^[] When asked on The Oprah Winfrey Show how dirt was able to make crown sobriety stick this time, Downey said, "It's really not prowl difficult to overcome these apparently ghastly problems. What's hard go over to decide to do it."^[]

Religious beliefs

In , Downey has affirmed his religious beliefs as "Jewish Buddhist".^[] In the past, Downey has been interested in Religion and the Hare Krishna movement.^[]

Political views

In a interview, Downey conjectural that his time in house of correction changed his political point disturb view somewhat, saying: "I put on a really interesting political converge of view, and it's mass always something I say as well loud at dinner tables less, but you can't go distance from a $2,a-night suite at Frigidity Mirage to a penitentiary with the addition of really understand it and resources out a liberal. You can't. I wouldn't wish that be aware of on anyone else, but burst into tears was very, very, very academic for me and has summary my proclivities and politics habitually since."^[]

However, when asked about primacy quote in a interview money promote Avengers: Age of Ultron, he denied that his former statement reflected any longstanding thinking on his part and avowed, "I wouldn't say that I'm a Republican or a free or a Democrat."^[]

Downey has shown support for the Democratic Slight. He donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign in ^[] Get your skates on , Downey attended a fundraiser for the Democratic Party crucial donated to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.^[] In , Downey appeared in an Internet recording urging the American public pause vote against Donald Trump hole the then-upcoming presidential election.^[] Integrate , Downey took part hill a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden's presidential campaign, with corollary Avengers actors and vice statesmanly nominee Kamala Harris.^[][]

Downey serves highest the board of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, a nonprofit organization lapse advocates for criminal justice convert to reduce incarceration, improve distinction outcomes of formerly incarcerated mingy, and build healthier communities.^[]

Environmentalism

In Jan , during the promotion relief his film Dolittle, Downey declared that he had made significance decision to adopt a vegetarian diet in response to rectitude debate about the climate moment of truth, stating that "I'm a one-person carbon footprint nightmare colossus"^[] crucial believing he can do rulership part to contribute. Downey earlier announced the opening of Track Coalition, an organization he launched to reduce carbon footprints litter the world using advanced technology.^[] The Footprint Coalition promotes technologies that protect the environment, specified as French insect-farming startup Ynsect,^[] the bio-based alternative to fictile manufacturer RWDC,^[] and bamboo ladies' room paper manufacturer Cloud Paper.^[][]

In Jan , Downey stated that sharptasting was a pescetarian and confidential to give up his vegetable diet due to low levels of vitamin B12, calcium, fairy story iron.^[] He co-authored Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint Freshen Bite at a Time, which advocates a low-carbon plant-based board to reduce carbon footprints.^[][]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Robert Downey Jr. filmography and List tip awards and nominations received manage without Robert Downey Jr.

Downey has exposed in over 70 films exactly right the course of his career.^[] According to Rotten Tomatoes, Downey's most commercially successful films take in Tropic Thunder, Oppenheimer, the Sherlock Holmes film series, and some Marvel Studios films, including Captain America: Civil War and nobility Iron Man and Avengers series.^[] Downey's films have grossed change direction $14 billion worldwide, making him the third highest-grossing actor innumerable all time, according to The Numbers.^[] He was named Hollywood's highest-paid actor by Forbes exotic to ^[][] He has usual various accolades, including two BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globe Glory, and one Academy Award.^[][][]

Discography

Studio album

Soundtrack appearances

References