Robert Downey Jr. was born in New York City, New York, on April 4, 1965. The American performer is regarded as one of the most talented and adaptable in Hollywood. Robert Downey grew up in a creative family in Greenwich Village, New York City; his father was a well-known underground filmmaker who offered the five-year-old Downey his first role. Following his graduation from California High School, Downey went back to New York City in order to concentrate on his acting career.
Robert Downey Jr. Biography
Real Name | Robert John Downey Jr. |
Nick Name | Robert Downey Jr. |
Date of Birth | April 4, 1965. |
Age (as of 2024) | 59 years. |
Birthday place | Manhattan, New York, United States. |
Height (Tall) | 5 feet 8 inches. |
Weight | 78 Kg. or 172 lbs. |
Eye Color | Dark Brown. |
Hair Color | Dark Brown. |
Body Measurements | 40-32-36. |
Net Worth (approx.) | $300 Million US Dollars (as of 2024). |
Favorite City/Country | Alabama, United States. |
Favorite Sports | Basketball & Baseball. |
Personal Life & Family
Mother | Elsie Ann (actress). |
Father | Robert Downey Sr (Film Maker). |
Sister | Allyson Downey. |
Marital Status | Married. |
Wife (Spouse) | Susan Downey (m. 2005), Deborah Falconer (m. 1992–2004). |
Children | Indio Falconer Downey, Avri Roel Downey |
Hobbies | Modeling & Listening to Music. |
High School | He completed his education at a private High School. |
Qualification | Graduate |
Early Life & Family of Robert Downey Jr.
Downey, the youngest of two children, was born in Manhattan, New York City. Elsie Ann (née Ford), his mother, was an actress in Robert Downey Sr.‘s films, and her father, Robert Downey Sr., was an actor and filmmaker. While Downey’s mother was descended from Scotland, Germany, and Switzerland, her father was half Lithuanian Jewish, one-quarter Hungarian Jewish, and one-quarter Irish. Robert’s father changed his name so he could join the Army, and Robert’s original family name was Elias. Downey was raised in Greenwich Village along with his elder sister Allyson.
Downey appeared in a few small parts of his father’s movies in his early years. At five years old, he starred as a sick puppy in the absurdist comedy Pound (1970). At seven years old, he made his feature film debut in the surrealist Western Greaser’s Palace (1972). He was ten years old when he moved to England and began studying classical ballet as part of a more extensive curriculum.
As a teenager, he went to the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York. Following his parents’ divorce in 1978, Downey relocated to California with his father. However, in 1982, he left Santa Monica High School to focus entirely on his acting career, returning to New York.
When Downey initially arrived in Hollywood to pursue his acting career, he lived with Kiefer Sutherland for three years. The two appeared together on screen in the 1988 drama 1969.
The Career of Robert Downey Jr.
Downey started expanding his career in theater with roles in productions like Norman Lear’s short-lived off-Broadway musical American Passion at the Joyce Theater in 1983. He was one of the new, younger cast members that Saturday Night Live hired in 1985. However, after a year of low viewership and criticism of the new cast’s comic abilities, he and the majority of the new cast members were fired and replaced.
According to Rolling Stone, Downey “sums up everything that makes SNL great,” making him the worst cast member of the show over its entire tenure. In Tuff Turf that same year, Downey had a serious acting debut as James Spader’s sidekick, and he later played a bully in John Hughes’s Weird Science.
His first leading role was with Molly Ringwald in The Pick-up Artist (1987), while he was also considered for the part of Duckie in John Hughes’s Pretty in Pink (1986). As a result of these and other coming-of-age movies that he starred in in the 1980s, Downey is occasionally referred to as a Brat Pack member.
In the 1987 film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel Less than Zero, Downey portrayed Julian Wells, a wealthy young man whose life quickly gets out of control. Though Downey has stated that for him, “the role was like the ghost of Christmas Future,” his portrayal was generally lauded, with Janet Maslin of The New York Times calling it “desperately moving.” Downey was forced by Zero to work on movies with larger stars and finances, like Soapdish (1991) starring Sally Field, Kevin Kline, and Whoopi Goldberg, and Chances Are (1989) with Cybill Shepherd and Ryan O’Neal.
He studied hard for the role of Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin (1992), learning to play tennis and the violin with his left hand. He was assisted in mimicking Chaplin’s stance and demeanor by a personal coach. At the 65th Academy Awards, Downey was nominated for Best Actor for the performance, but he lost to Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman.
Along with writing a documentary titled The Last Party (1993), he starred in two films in 1993: Short Cuts, starring Matthew Modine and Julianne Moore, and Heart and Souls, starring Alfre Woodard and Kyra Sedgwick. In 1994, he acted in Woody Harrelson’s Natural Born Killers and Marisa Tomei’s Only You. Following that, he starred in the films Restoration (1995), Richard III (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), Two Girls and a Guy (1997), U.S. Marshals (1998) as Special Agent John Royce, and Black and White (1999).
Setbacks in Robert Downey’s Career
Downey was caught in April 1996 while speeding down Sunset Boulevard with an unloaded.357 Magnum revolver. He broke into his neighbor’s house a month later while on parole and dozed off on one of the beds. He was placed on probation for three years.
He was arrested once more in 1999. A week after his 2000 debut, Downey played a new love interest in the cast of the popular television series Ally McBeal. He received the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film and was a nominee for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
In addition, he contributed lyrics and vocals to Vonda Shepard’s Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life album. In one episode of the show, he and Sting performed a duet of “Every Breath You Take.” Mel Gibson had slated Downey to play Hamlet in a theater performance in Los Angeles in January of 2001.
Prior to the conclusion of his debut season on Ally McBeal, Downey was taken into custody during the Thanksgiving 2000 holiday when the police, acting on an anonymous 911 call, searched his room at the Merv Griffin’s Hotel and Givenchy Spa in Palm Springs, California. He agreed to appear in at least eight more Ally McBeal episodes, despite the fact that, had he been found guilty, he could have received a prison sentence of up to four years and eight months.
Downey was discovered strolling barefoot in Culver City in April 2001 by a Los Angeles police officer, during his parole period. A few hours after his arrest, he was set free. Even though Downey’s character had revived Ally McBeal’s ratings, management at the network requested last-minute rewrites and reshoots following this most recent arrest and fired Downey. In addition, Gibson lost his part in the well-known movie America’s Sweethearts due to his Culver City arrest, and the ensuing jail time forced him to postpone his Hamlet performance. Downey avoided jail time by entering a plea of not guilty to the Palm Springs allegations in July 2001.
Downey’s stepmother Rosemary informed author Alex Tresnlowski in a People magazine article titled “Bad to Worse” on December 18, 2000, that Downey had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder “a few years ago” and that this was “the reason he has a hard time staying sober.” Medication and intense psychotherapy have not been tried.
In the same article, Los Angeles psychiatrist Dr. Manijeh Nikakhtar—co-author of Addiction or Self-Medication: The Truth—said that in 1999, while Downey was a patient at Corcoran II, she got a letter from him requesting guidance regarding his condition. “No one had done a complete [psychiatric] evaluation [on him],” she found out. When I directly questioned him if he believed himself to be bipolar, he said, “Oh yeah.”
I can be hyperactive and spend a lot of money at times, yet I can also be depressed. After getting a call from “the Bipolar Association” inquiring about his bipolar disorder, Downey wrote in an essay for the March 2007 issue of Esquire that he wanted to address “this whole thing about the bipolar.”
When the caller cited the People article and Downey refuted having ever indicated he was bipolar, Downey answered, “‘No! When Dr. Malibusian remarked, “Well, it’s been written, so we’re going to quote it,” they said, “Well, I said I was bipolar.” In an interview, Downey categorically denied having a mental illness of any type, saying that any attempts to diagnose him with a mental illness had always been biased.
Robert Downey, Jr.’s Net Worth
American actor, producer, and singer Robert Downey Jr. With a $300 million net worth, Robert Downey Jr. Most people today most likely know Robert Downey Jr. from his work as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood history because of the role.
In both his personal and professional lives, Robert Downey, Jr. has seen some amazing highs and lows. Although he was always acknowledged as a gifted actor, he also had a bad tendency to drink too much and/or use drugs to the point of unconsciousness. Sadly, his way of living caught up with him and caused his career to collapse.
He eventually got himself cleaned out after spending time in jail and attending several rehab centers. He has risen to the top of Hollywood’s A-list in the last ten years thanks to roles in several blockbuster films, including “Kiss Kiss Bang, Bang,” “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” “The Soloist,” “Tropic Thunder,” and the “Sherlock Holmes” and “Iron Man” franchises.
Quick Facts about Robert Downey Jr.
- left high school early to seek a career in acting
- defeated Dustin Hoffman, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams to land the title role of Chaplin.
- In February 2004, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals of Harvard awarded him the title of “Man of the Year.”
- released The Futurist, their debut album, in 2004.
- The highlight was a duet on the timeless Yes song “Your Move” with lead singer Jon Anderson of Yes.
- Son Indio plays a younger version of Downey’s character in the opening scene of Downey’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang film from 2005.
- founded Team Downey, a production firm, in 2010 with his producer wife, Susan.
Robert Downey Jr. AWARDS
- 2020Favorite Movie Actor at the People’s Choice Awards: Nominee
- 2019The People’s Choice Award winner for Best Motion Picture Actor
- 2014Critics’ Choice Movie Awards: Nominee for Best Actor in an Action Film
- 2013Critics’ Choice Movie Awards: Nominee for Best Actor in an Action Film
- 2013Critics’ Choice Movie Awards: Nominee for Best Actor in an Action Film
- 20132010 nomination for Best Actor in an Action Film at the Critics’ Choice Movie AwardsWinner of the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy
- 20092009 BAFTA Film Awards Nominee for Best Supporting Actor2008 Critics’ Choice Awards Nominee for Best Supporting ActorOscar nominee for Best Supporting Performance by an Actor
- 20082008 Southeastern Film Critics Association Nominee for Best Supporting Actor2008 nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics AssociationDetroit Film Critics Society Nominee for Best Supporting Actor
- 2008Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Screen Actors Guild Awards: Nominee
- Best Ensemble Performance: Winner of the Dramatic Special Jury Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
- Best Acting Ensemble, 2006 Critics’ Choice Awards: Nominated
- 2005 SAG Awards: Nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- 2001Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Television Series, Miniseries, or Film
- Nominated for an Emmy in 2001 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- 20001993 nomination for Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesDramatic film actor’s best performance in a Golden Globe nomination
- 1993Best Actor in a Leading Role at the BAFTA Film Awards: Winner
- 1992 Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Robert Downey Jr. Relationship
- Daughter Avri Roel Downey
- Sarah Jessica Parker, the former important person
- Deborah Falconer, former spouse
- Father Robert Downey Sr.
- Mom, Elsie Downey
- Sister Allyson Downey
- Son of Exton Elias Downey
- Son of Indio Falconer Downey
- Laura Downey: Mother-in-law
- Susan Downey: Spouse
Robert Downey’s family and relationships
In 1984, Downey began a romantic relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker, an actress she had met in the Firstborn production. In 1991, the pair went their ways.
Following a 42-day courtship, he wed Deborah Falconer, an actress and singer, on May 29, 1992. In September 1993, Indio Falconer Downey, their son, was born. After Downey was sentenced to a prolonged term in treatment following her most recent arrest in 2001, Falconer decided to leave Downey and take their kid with her, as the pressure of Downey’s frequent visits to rehab and jail eventually became too much for their marriage to handle. On April 26, 2004, Downey and Falconer concluded their divorce.
On the set of Gothika in 2003, Downey got to know producer Susan Downey (née Levin), an Executive Vice President of Production at Joel Silver’s Silver Pictures. Although Susan declined his romantic advances on two occasions, she and Downey did discreetly develop a romantic relationship while filming.
Because “he’s an actor; I have a real job,” Susan was worried that their affair would end when filming on Gothika was over. However, the couple’s love lasted, and on the eve of Susan’s thirteenth birthday, Downey proposed to her. The pair wed in a Jewish ceremony in Amagansett, New York, in August 2005. In honor of her, he has a tattoo on one of his biceps that says “Suzie Q.”
The Downeys welcomed a son, Exton Elias, into the world in February 2012, and a girl, Avri Roel, into the world in November 2014. Mel Gibson and Downey have been close since their time as co-stars in Air America. Downey remarked that “nobody’s perfect” when it came to Gibson’s DUI and supported Gibson throughout the controversy surrounding The Passion of the Christ. “He was one of the first people to call and offer the hand of friendship,” Gibson remarked of Downey. Hey, welcome to the club,’ he remarked. “Let’s go explore our options for improving ourselves.”
During the 25th American Cinematheque Awards in October 2011, Gibson was selected by Downey to present him with an award for his life’s work. During his interview, Downey expressed his gratitude to Gibson and explained his selection.
Iron Man Robert Downey and Additional Achievements
Despite all of the accolades and recognition Downey had received over his career, he had never starred in a “blockbuster” movie. When Downey was featured in the critically and financially successful movies Tropic Thunder and Iron Man in 2008, it all changed. Ben Stiller provided an analysis of Downey’s financially successful summer at the box office in the piece he wrote for the film’s 2008 inclusion in The Time 100:
“Actor Man, indeed, but Downey is Iron Man. He has always governed the area where talent reigns supreme and the box office is meaningless. This summer, he finally gets his cake and we may eat him up to the multiplex, where his expertise is fully on display.
Director Jon Favreau said of Downey’s selection for the lead role in the 2007 movie Iron Man: “Downey wasn’t the most obvious choice, but he understood what makes the character tick.”
He discovered a great deal of himself in “Tony Stark.” As he consistently asserted that Downey would be to Iron Man what Johnny Depp is to the Pirates of the Caribbean series—a leading man who could both improve the caliber of the picture and spark more interest in it from the general public—Favreau insisted on having Downey. To appear as though he “had the power to forge iron,” Downey had to put on more than 20 pounds (9 kg) of muscle in just five months for the part.
Between April 30 and May 3, 2008, Iron Man was released worldwide. It made over $585 million at the box office and was praised by critics for Downey’s performance, which was hailed as the film’s high point. As a part of the Iron Man franchise, Downey had already committed to playing Iron Man in two of the films by October 2008.
Additionally, he had already promised to play the superhero squad that Stark joins in The Avengers, which is based on Marvel’s comic book series of the same name. He initially played the part again in a brief cameo as Iron Man’s side character Tony Stark in the 2008 motion picture The Incredible Hulk. This was done as part of Marvel Studios’ effort to maintain consistency throughout the films while portraying the same Marvel Universe.
Robert Downey’s future endeavors
Downey is set to feature in Jamie Foxx’s sports comedy-drama All-Star Weekend. Director Dexter Fletcher has stated that he will play Holmes again in a third movie, which was originally slated to be released on December 22, 2021, but was later placed on indefinite hold.
It was revealed on July 15, 2021, that Downey would co-star in The Sympathizer, the television version of novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen’s book. It was announced later in 2021 that Downey would star in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biographical picture Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss. Additionally, it was revealed that he would be starring in Play Dirty, reuniting with Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black.
Robert Downey, Jr’s Total Earnings From Marvel
Iron Man | $500 thousand |
Iron Man 2 | $10 million |
Iron Man 3 | $75 million |
The Avengers | $50 million ($10 million base + $40 million backend bonus) |
Avengers: Age of Ultron | $40 million |
Captain America: Civil War | $40 million |
Spider-Man Homecoming | $15 million |
Avengers: Infinity War | $40 million |
Avengers: End Game | $75 million |
Total Earning | $345.5 million |
Movies of Robert Downey Jr.
- Pound
- Up the Academy
- Baby It’s You
- Only You
- Richard III
- Home for the Holidays
- One Night Stand
- Friends & Lovers
- Black & White
- The Singing Detective
- . The Shaggy Dog
- Charlie Bartlett
- Iron Man
- The Incredible Hulk
- The Soloist
- Iron Man 2
- Due Date
- The Avengers
- Iron Man 3
- Chef
Standing ovations greet Robert Downey Jr. after he wins the Oppenheimer Golden Globe!
Golden Globes 2024: For Christopher Nolan’s highly regarded film Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr., a Hollywood icon, earned the Best Supporting Actor prize on Sunday (Monday in India). In Nolan’s biographical film about the title physicist (Cillian Murphy), Downey Jr. portrayed Lewis Strauss. Lewis Strauss was a key contributor to the atomic bomb’s creation and subsequently J Robert Oppenheimer’s political adversary. As Downey Jr. entered the stage to accept his trophy, he was met with a standing ovation.
“Yes, indeed, I’ve taken a beta blocker, so this should be easy,” Downey Jr. chuckled as he accepted the Golden Globe. The star expressed his gratitude to Universal for “going all in” so that Nolan and the team could “render a goddamn masterpiece.” Thanking his wife Susan, who “made an art out of extracting me from my comfort zone,” he referred to it as the “most improved” prize.
Robert Downey Jr. most recently compared his time as Iron Man to his part in Oppenheimer. According to what he told W Magazine, “There have been three times in my career when I became completely obsessed with the possibility of playing a role.” Initially, it was Chaplin. Tony Stark in Iron Man was the second instance.
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