Introduction

Robert John Downey Jr. is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of commercial success in middle age. In 2008, Downey was named by Time magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world, and from 2013 to 2015, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor. His films have grossed over $14.4 billion worldwide, making Downey the sixth-highest-grossing box office star of all-time. 

Early Life

Famed actor Robert Downey Jr. was born on April 4, 1965, in New York City, the son of the avant-garde filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., who is best known for the 1969 film Putney Swope. Downey began acting as a young child. His mother, Elsie, was an actress who instilled in her son a love of performing. Raised in Greenwich Village with his older sister, Alison, Downey made his film debut playing a puppy in his father's film, Pound (1970), in which actors played dogs. Robert got to play minor roles in his father’s films from the age of 5 itself. He joined Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts institute as a 12 year old. At the age of 13, he moved to California and joined the Santa Monica High School. In 1982, he quit school to pursue acting as a full-time career and moved back to New York to live with his mother. Downey's parents divorced when he was 13, and the young actor ended up living in Los Angeles with his father. 

Career

He played many minor roles in theatre and films, but was unable to establish him for a number of years. The breakthrough role that started his career was in the 1987 film ‘Less Than Zero’ where he played the role of a drug addict. His performance got him many positive reviews from critics and art film enthusiasts. Started his Career in 1987His realistic performance gave him a flood of offers from other top directors. He got to act in averagely successful movies like ‘Soapdish’, ‘Chances Are’ and ‘Air America’ in the next 4 years. Again he came back to the spotlight with his performance as Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 movie ‘Chaplin’. This film not only got commercial acclaim but got him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He became a regular cast in many of the successful films of the 1990’s but was in and out of prison for the drug offenses that he regularly committed. Robert Downey Jr in Chaplin (1992)Many had written him off and he was himself not interested in acting anymore. But after months of rehabilitation, he got back to act in the hit television serial ‘Ally McBeal’. He got back into mainstream films with the 2003 film ‘The Singing Detective’. Got his First Blockbuster in 2008He went on to act in more and more successful films as years went by like ‘Gothika’, ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’, ‘Zodiac’, ‘Good Night and Good Luck’ and ‘A Scanner Darkly’. He got his first blockbuster in the form of ‘Iron Man’ released in 2008 which grossed more than $580 million. With this critically and commercially successful film, he had become an overnight superstar in Hollywood. 

A Cycle of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

One of the more disturbing incidents involved an intoxicated Downey wandering into a neighbor’s house and passing out in a bed. After repeatedly missing court ordered drug tests, Downey was sentenced to a three-year prison stint in 1999 but only ended up serving a year in California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran. In 2001, while on parole, Downey was found barefoot, wandering around Culver City, California, and was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence. That incident led to him being fired from his role on the TV show “Ally McBeal” in addition to other film and stage jobs. Instead of being sent back to prison, the now-broke actor was ordered to rehab. 

The Turning Point

Downey’s wife Susan Downey (née Levin) told Harper’s Bazaar that he quit drugs for good in 2003 after she gave him an ultimatum. Apparently, it stuck. According to a 2013 Daily Mail article, the actor credits a combination of 12-step programs, yoga, meditation and therapy with keeping him sober. His career didn’t pick up again until Mel Gibson personally underwrote Downey’s liability insurance… He also credits sobriety for the phenomenal career momentum he has enjoyed over the past few years. In the early aughts, it was practically impossible for Downey to get hired since most filmmakers wouldn’t—or couldn’t—pay the exorbitant insurance bonds it required to have him on set. His career didn’t pick up again until Mel Gibson personally underwrote Downey’s liability insurance so that the actor could star in 2003’s The Singing Detective. From there, Downey started working steadily, appearing in films such as Gothika, A Scanner Darkly, Zodiac and Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang. 

'The Soloist' and 'Sherlock Holmes'

Downey went on to share top billing with Jamie Foxx in The Soloist (2009), which tells the story about the friendship between a Los Angeles journalist (Downey) and a homeless Juilliard-trained musician (Foxx). The film registered a respectable showing at the box office and earned the praise from critics, who lauded Downey and Foxx for their performances. Demonstrating he isn't afraid of blockbusters (or English accents), Downey co-starred in the Guy Ritchie directed Sherlock Holmes in 2009, alongside Jude Law as Dr. John Watson. The duo teamed up again for the 2011 sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. 

'The Avengers' Franchise

The crime fighting picked up again in 2012, when Downey's Iron Man character was back in action in The Avengers, a movie that featured a bevy of Hollywood talent, including Don Cheadle (Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), among others. After a turn as sharp city lawyer Hank Palmer opposite Robert Duvall in the drama The Judge (2014), Downey reprised his Tony Stark/Iron Man dual role for Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015); Captain America: Civil War (2016); Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017); Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). 

'Dolittle'

After a half-decade of appearing solely in Marvel-branded features, Downey reemerged as host of the YouTube series The Age of AI beginning in late 2019. In January 2020, he starred as a veterinarian who talks to animals in Dolittle, based on the classic children's book series by British author Hugh Lofting. 

Robert Downey Jr. Quotes

1. “Worrying is like praying for something that you don’t want to happen.” 

2. “Listen, smile, agree and then do whatever you were gonna do anyway.” 

3. “Do I want to be a hero to my son? No. I would like to be a very real human being. That’s hard enough.” 

4. “Sometimes you just gotta be drop-kicked out of the nest.” 

5. “The lesson is that you can still make mistakes and be forgiven.” 

6. “I know very little about acting. I am just an incredibly gifted faker.” 

7. “Look, even bad years are pretty good years, I think.” 

8. “For years I took pride in being resilient.” 

9. “It doesn’t matter whether or not you can act. If you can go into a room and make these sweaters want you, that’s what’ll get you the job.” 

10. “You need to know what to do when the sun is not shining.” 

📜Conclusion:-

Never Forever, Give Up..!!!