Robert Downey Jr. Biography. Early life. Path to success. Films. Problems with the law. Personal life.

Who is Robert Downey Jr.?

Robert Downey Jr. was born in New York on April 4, 1965. He made his first film appearances and was a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1980s, but his growing success was overshadowed by years of struggles with drug abuse. Ultimately turning his life around, he earned a resurgence of critical and popular acclaim and is considered one of Hollywood's finest actors. As of 2021, Robert Downey Jr. has an estimated net worth of $300 million and is one of the highest paid actors in the industry.

Childhood

Robert was born on April 4, 1965 in New York. His father, Robert Downey Sr. (real name Elias), was an actor and director. Mother, Elsie Ford, worked as an actress. The family also had an eldest daughter, Alison. The boy has Irish, Russian, Jewish and Scottish roots.

Robert traveled with his parents throughout most of Europe. At the age of five, he starred in his father’s project and played a puppy in the film “The Paddock.” Two years later he took part in “Griser’s Palace”.

Robert went to first grade in England. Parents were involved not only in the general development of their son, but also in his creative abilities. Therefore, they sent the boy to classical ballet . At the age of 12, he went to a camp for young actors and was successful in it. He had no problems with his peers, and he easily became the center of any company.

The boy's parents divorced when he was 13 years old. Robert initially decided to stay with his mother, but later moved to live with his father in California. Three years later, Downey Jr. was expelled from school. He spent a lot of time working and hardly attended classes. Later, he realized that for his career it was better for him to move to New York.

Early life.

The famous actor Robert Downey Jr. was born on April 4, 1965 in New York, in the family of avant-garde director Robert Downey Sr., who is best known for the 1969 film Putney Swope. His mother, Elsie, was an actress who instilled in her son a love of the theater. 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. He was to play small roles in several more of his father's films. Downey's parents divorced when he was 13, and the young actor ended up living in Los Angeles with his father. However, at the age of 16, he dropped out of high school and moved again to New York to live with his mother.

Biography

Screenwriter, director, actor Robert Downey Sr. was better known to the modern generation of film lovers as the father of “Iron Man” Robert Downey Jr. But he himself made a significant contribution to American cinema. Robert started with low-budget short films and independent films until he reached certain heights in the Hollywood world. He showed himself in various areas of the film industry, becoming, in addition to the above, a producer, a cameraman, and an editor.

Early films and shows.

Downey has starred in films such as Baby, It's You! (1983), “First Born” (1984), “Oh, the science!” (1985) and Back to School (1986). From 1985 to 86, he was a regular on “Saturday Night Live,” the popular NBC comedy program.

“Removal specialist”, “Less than zero”.

Downey's first starring role on the big screen was in The Film Specialist (1987), a romantic comedy starring Molly Ringwald and written and directed by James Toback. His breakthrough performance came in 1987 with Less Than Zero (1987), in which he co-starred with Andrew McCarthy. Downey played party-loving, cocaine-addicted Julian Wells in the film. Unfortunately, the storyline and character were particularly relevant to Downey, who was introduced to drugs by his father at the age of eight and developed a full-blown addiction by age 20.

“Before this movie, I was doing drugs after work and on weekends,” he later explained. I played this drug-addicted fagot, and for me this role was like the ghost of Christmas future. This character was an exaggeration of myself. Then things changed and in some ways I became an exaggeration of the character. It took a lot longer than it needed to."

Drug rehab followed soon after, but Downey's struggles with drugs and alcohol continued. And yet his career continued to move forward. By the early 1990s, Downey had gained a reputation as a critically acclaimed A-list actor. He earned praise for his comic turn as a quirky soap opera producer in The Big Foam (1991), starring Sally Field, Kevin Kline and Whoopi Goldberg. More adoration followed when Downey landed the lead role in the critically acclaimed short film Robert Ahl (1993).

"Chaplin"

A particularly high point in Downey's career came in 1993, when he was nominated for an Oscar (best actor) for his role in Chaplin (1992), directed by Richard Attenborough. In the acclaimed film, which did not fare as well with audiences as it did with critics, Downey deftly portrayed the legendary Charlie Chaplin from the ages of 19 to 83. The role showed his dramatic range as well as his considerable talent for comedy. By this time, the 27-year-old Downey had come to be regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation, but he had also developed a reputation as a troubled and controversial figure in Hollywood.

"Natural Born Killers", "Richard III".

Following his critical success with Chaplin, Downey co-wrote and starred in the documentary about the 1992 presidential election, The Last Party. In 1994, he starred in the romantic comedy Only You, as well as Oliver Stone's acclaimed but controversial film Natural Born Killers. The following year, the actor starred in the film Period Restoration alongside Meg Ryan and Sam Neill; an updated film version of Richard III starring Ian McKellen and Annette Bening; and also in Jodie Foster's Home for the Holidays, starring Holly Hunter.

Movies

Robert Downey Sr., having come to cinema, began to create low-budget independent films, sometimes based on the philosophy of the absurd and directed against the mass culture of the 60s. His works of the late 60s and 70s debunked the myths about the ruling elite, the country's political elite. They reflected the inconsistencies presented to audiences by popular culture and the new freedom in filmmaking.

First-time director Robert Downey Sr.

In 1960, the 25-year-old director began working with editor Fred von Bernewitz. Together they made low-budget short films on 16mm film. This format was of poor quality, but provided the opportunity to rent a film for home viewing. The first work of like-minded people was the 24-minute film Balls Bluff, in which they told the story of an American soldier during the Civil War.

During the battle, the fighter was accidentally transported 100 years into the future. For unknown reasons, he ended up in New York's Central Park in 1961. A man explores Manhattan and goes to Yankee Stadium in an attempt to find other Civil War soldiers. Robert acted here in three roles at once: screenwriter, director and actor who played the main role.

Downey Sr. directed his next film in 1964. The comedy Babo-73 is a satire on Catholics, the White House, the President and American politics. The film stars Taylor Mead (as President Sandy Stersbury), Jim Antonio (Chester Kitty-Litter), Tom Gaines (Phillip Greene), James Greene (Lawrence Silver-Sky) and others. A certain circle of viewers liked the picture.

After 2 years, Downey again acted as a screenwriter and director. The new work is a full-length film by Chafed Elbows with a budget of $12 thousand. The manic comic parody became commercially successful. The film ran at The Gate Theater in New York for just over a month. The film satirizes almost every aspect of that society, from racism to popular music. It is noteworthy that all the female roles were played by Elsie Downey, Robert’s wife. The leading male role was played by George Morgan.

Robert Downey Sr.

Downey then directed No More Excuses and then, in 1969, the satirical comedy Putney Swope. The plot centers on a black American who works in an advertising agency and suddenly heads it. With his first orders, the new manager fires light-skinned workers and replaces them with dark-skinned ones. The company is gaining momentum, becoming famous and generating more and more income. The main role was played by Arnold Jones.

After its release, the work was included in the top ten according to New York Magazine. And in 2021, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

In 1970, Downey Sr. filmed his famous “The Corral.” This is a film about animals played by people. It is noteworthy that in this film, for the first time, the director’s son Robert Downey Jr. appeared in the role of a puppy. Daughter Allison also filmed here. In the story, in a small pen, dogs, a Siamese cat and a penguin are waiting to be euthanized. The author has created a heartfelt film in which animals talk about life, dreams, and the desire for freedom.

In 1973, the director made a movie about a blind Vietnam War veteran, Sticks and Bones. The film turned out to be so controversial that some cinemas refused to release it.

Robert Downey Sr. in How to Steal a Skyscraper

While creating his own films, Robert also starred in films by other directors. Among his works in this capacity are the films Naughty Nurse, To Live and Die in Los Angeles, The Family Man, the series City Stories and others.

Downey Sr.'s filmography as an actor includes a role in the 2011 crime comedy How to Steal a Skyscraper. The artist appeared before the audience in the image of Judge Ramos. The main roles in the film went to Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Alan Alda.

A television.

"Ally McBeal."

Despite personal turmoil in the early 2000s, Downey continued to work. He gave a memorable performance in Geeks (2000) and played roles in several other films, including Auto Motives and Lethargy. Downey also moved to the small screen in 2000, becoming a regular cast member on the hit series Ally McBeal, starring Calista Flockhart. With this new role, Downey once again reminded fans and critics of his talent, likability and versatility. In 2001, he received a Golden Globe Award and soon received a Screen Actors Guild Award.

But Downey's increasingly complicated personal life put pressure on his employer's patience. After this second arrest in April 2001, Downey's tenure on Ally McBeal came to an end. The producers decided to complete production on the final episodes of the season without the actor. Around the same time, lawyers reached an agreement with prosecutors that required Downey to plead no contest to cocaine-related charges. He was sentenced to three years probation, a decision that allowed him to continue living in drug treatment instead of returning to prison.

He makes a backdoor turn with Downey's team

Tags: Robert Downey Jr.

Box office hits.

“Gothic”, “Good night and good luck”, “Zodiac”.

Returning to fame, Downey starred opposite Halle Berry in the 2003 film Gothic, which did better than critics at the box office. He continued to dedicate himself to his craft, playing a supporting role in the film Good Night and Good Luck (2005) and a starring role in the independent drama How to Know Your Saints (2006), which he also co-produced. In Zodiac (2007), Downey played a journalist who becomes embroiled in the hunt for the notorious Zodiac Killer.

"Iron Man", "Soldiers of Trouble".

In 2008, Downey went from being a frequently admired actor to a box office star. He played wealthy industrialist turned crime fighter Tony Stark in the hit "Iron Man," based on the Marvel comics superhero, which grossed more than $318 million domestically and led to sequels in 2010 and 2013.

Taking a huge risk, Downey also starred in the comedy Troopers (2008) with Ben Stiller and Jack Black, playing a white actor pretending to be a black actor in this war film parody. His efforts received mostly positive reviews, with Todd McCarthy of Variety magazine stating that "the audacity of Downey's performance" was one of the "best reasons to see the film." Downey received numerous awards for his work in Troopers, including an Academy Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role), a Golden Globe Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture), and a Screen Actors Guild Award (Outstanding performance of a male actor in a supporting role).

"The Soloist" and "Sherlock Holmes".

Downey shared top billing with Jamie Foxx in The Soloist (2009), which chronicled the friendship between a Los Angeles journalist (Downey) and a homeless Julliard-trained musician (Foxx). The film registered a solid performance at the box office and earned praise from critics, who praised Downey and Foxx for their performances.

Showing that he is not afraid of blockbusters, Downey starred in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes in 2009, opposite Jude Law as Dr. John Watson. The duo teamed up again for the 2011 sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

The Avengers franchise

Crime-fighting picked up steam again in 2012 when Downey's Iron Man character returned to action in The Avengers, which featured a host of Hollywood talent including Don Cheadle (Colonel James "Rhody" Rhodes), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) ), Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow).

After his turn as edgy city lawyer Hank Palmer opposite Robert Duvall in The Judge (2014), Downey reprized his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016). , Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

"The Amazing Journey of Doctor Dolittle."

Downey reappeared as the host of the YouTube series "The Age of AI" beginning in late 2021. In January 2021, he starred as a veterinarian who talks to animals in The Marvelous Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, based on the classic children's book series by British author Hugh Lofting.

Way to success

Robert Downey Jr. is the son of director Robert Downey Sr. His acting career cannot be called rapid: before becoming a star, Robert tried for a long time and unsuccessfully to achieve popularity in New York. For this purpose, he left school at the age of 16. However, success was in no hurry to come, and young Downey had to get a job as a waiter in a restaurant to make ends meet.

His initial fees were relatively small: for the first Iron Man, for example, Robert received only 500,000 . Total - because this amount cannot be compared with those received for other franchises. For comparison, Downey received 29 million for the first "Avengers", 22 million for "Iron Man 3" and 25 million for "The Avengers." Age of Ultron”, 10 million 250 thousand dollars for “The Avengers. Infinity War" and 18 million 750 thousand dollars for "Confrontation". By starring in these and other Marvel films, the actor earned 200 million.

Personal life and problems.

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

If Downey was ever truly grounded in his new status as a husband and father, it was short-lived. In June 1996, the actor was stopped by police after driving naked in his Porsche down Sunset Boulevard and found not only naked, but also in possession of cocaine, heroin and a .357 Magnum. Less than a month later, just hours before he was due to be charged, Downey ran afoul of the law again after he was found passed out in a nearby home.

Over the next few years, Downey's life was shrouded in a fog that generated headlines, addiction-fueled mistakes and their consequences. This was followed by a 12-month stay in prison and another visit to a drug treatment clinic. In November 2000, Downey was arrested again, this time in a Palm Springs hotel room, where he was found with cocaine and wearing a Wonder Woman costume. He was accused of illegal possession of drugs.

Downey's trial, originally scheduled for late January, was delayed for several months while his lawyers negotiated with prosecutors. In March 2001, the two sides were unable to reach a plea agreement, and the case was set for a preliminary hearing in late April. On April 24, 2001, Downey was arrested for allegedly being under the influence of an undisclosed "stimulant". Downey's personal life was also in turmoil when Falconer sued him for divorce in 2004.

Marriage to Susan Levine.

Despite his troubled history with the law, Downey now has a much more stable family life. He married producer Susan Levine in 2005, and the couple welcomed their first child together on February 7, 2012. They named their son Exton Elias. On November 4, 2014, Downey and Levine welcomed their second child, a daughter named Avri. In December 2015, California Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned Downey's 1996 drug conviction that sent him to prison for a year.

One of the people who played a key role in the actor's turnaround was Mel Gibson, with whom Downey co-starred in Air America (1990). Gibson stuck by his friend's side even as Downey's life completely fell apart, and when Downey couldn't get something as routine as insurance due to his past troubles with the law, Gibson found him a job, casting him in the 2003 film "The Singing Detective" The two actors remain close friends today.

Ranch with stables

The public was very surprised that Robert Downey Jr. decided to purchase this property, because at the time of purchase it was expensive. Now this is the actor’s family ranch, which has a large local area. The main building has 4 bedrooms, a gym, a bathroom, and a living room with a fireplace. Not far from the main building there is a guest house, which has 2 bedrooms.

There is also a large stable on the ranch. The main body was finished in white oak. It contains many decorative antiques from different parts of the world. The rooms are decorated in bungalow style. Each of them has one unusually designed sisal rug.