Robert Downey Jr

QUICK FACTS
NAME
Robert Downey Jr.
OCCUPATION
Film Actor
BIRTH DATE
April 4, 1965 (age 53)
DID YOU KNOW?
Robert Downey Jr. was once stopped by police after driving naked in his Porsche, and found not only to be without clothes, but in possession of cocaine, heroine and a .357 Magnum.
PLACE OF BIRTH
New York, New York
ZODIAC SIGN
Aries

Robert Downey Jr. is an American actor known for his roles in a variety of films, including 'Iron Man', 'The Avengers', 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'Chaplin'.
Who is Robert Downey Jr?
Born in New York City on April 4, 1965, Robert Downey Jr. began acting as a young child. He made his first film appearances and was a member of the Saturday Night Live cast in the 1980s, but his growing success was marred by years of struggles against drug abuse. Over time, changing his life, he gained a resurgence of critical and popular acclaim, and is considered one of Hollywood's leading actors.

Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. in an advertisement for 'Iron Man' yet.

(Photo: Marvel Studios)

Net worth
As of 2017, Robert Downey Jr. has an estimated net worth of $ 260 million and is one of the highest paid players in the industry.

Height
Downey is 5 feet and 9 inches tall.

First films
Downey made his first appearances in films in films like Baby, It's You (1983), Firstborn (1984), Weird Science (1985) and Back to School (1986). From 1985 to 1986, he was a regular member of the cast of Saturday Night Live, NBC's popular comedy and sketching program.

Downey's first major role on the big screen was a charming womanizer in The Pick-up Artist (1987), a romantic comedy starring Molly Ringwald that was written and directed by James Toback. His great performance came in 1987 with Less Than Zero (1987), in which he co-starred with Andrew McCarthy. Downey played Julian Wells in the film, addicted to cocaine and a party lover.

Substance abuse problems
Unfortunately, the line of story and character sounded especially true for Downey, who had been introduced to drugs at the age of eight by his father, and developed a full-fledged addiction when he was heading into his 20s.


"Until that movie, I took my drugs after work and on weekends," he explained later. "Maybe there was a hangover on the set, but not as much as the double, that changed in Less Than Zero, I was playing this junkie guy and, for me, the role was like the ghost of the Christmas future." The character was a exaggeration of myself. Then things changed and, somehow, I became an exaggeration of the character. That lasted much longer than necessary. "

Shortly thereafter, he continued a season in drug rehabilitation, but Downey's struggle with drugs and alcohol would continue. And yet, his career continued to advance. In the early 1990s, Downey had established a reputation as a critically acclaimed A-List actor. He received praise for his comic turn as a soap opera producer in Soapdish (1991), co-starring Sally Field, Kevin Kline and Whoopi Goldberg. There was more adoration when Downey landed a leading role in Short Cuts (1993), Robert Altman's critically praised ensemble film.


Critically critical films
A particular high point in Downey's career came in 1993, when he was nominated for an Academy Award (Best Actor) for his performance in Chaplin (1992), directed by Richard Attenborough. In the acclaimed film, which did not go so well with the public as with the critics, Downey skillfully played the legendary Charlie Chaplin from 19 to 83 years old. The paper showed his dramatic range and his considerable talent for physical comedy. By this time, Downey, 27, had been considered one of the most talented actors of his generation, but he had also earned a reputation as a problematic and controversial figure in Hollywood.

Following his critical success with Chaplin, Downey presented a documentary about the 1992 presidential election, The Last Game. In 1994, he appeared in the romantic comedy Only You, as well as in the acclaimed but controversial Natural Born Killers. The following year, the actor starred in the Restoration period with Meg Ryan and Sam Neill; an updated film version of Richard III (1995), co-starring Ian McKellen and Annette Bening; and The Home for the Holidays, directed by Jodie Foster, also starring Holly Hunter.

Personal life and challenges
Downey's personal life had also expanded. In May 1992, he married actress Deborah Falconer. Two years later, the couple had a son, Indio, who named his friend and actor, Anthony Michael Hall, as the boy's godfather.

If Downey was ever really punished for his new status as husband and father, it was short-lived. In June 1996, the police arrested the actor after driving naked in his Porsche on Sunset Boulevard, and found that not only was he without clothes, but he also owned cocaine, heroin and a Magnum .357. Less than a month later, and only a few hours before he was ordered to be charged, Downey came back