Robert Downey Jr
Robert John Downey Jr., (born April 4, 1965) is an American Golden Globe-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated actor and musician. Downey made his screen debut at the age of five when he started to appear in his father’s films. During the 1980s he had minor roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the Brat Pack. Less Than Zero (1987) is particularly notable, not only because it was the first time Downey’s acting would be acknowledged by the critics, but also because the role pushed Downey’s already existing drug habit one step further. After Zero Downey started landing roles in bigger films such as Air America (1990) and Soapdish (1991), these would eventually lead him to Chaplin for which he gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin.
Between 1996 and 2001, Downey was arrested several times on drug-related charges, going through drug treatment programs unsuccessfully. It was between these stays in prison that Downey joined the cast of the hit television series Ally McBeal, playing the new love interest of Calista Flockhart’s title character. His performance was praised and he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a mini-series or TV Film, but his character was written out when Downey was once again arrested in 2000. After Ally McBeal, and one last stay in a drug treatment program, Downey finally achieved lasting sobriety, and his career began to take off again. He appeared in semi-independent films such as The Singing Detective (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2005) and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). He also had supporting roles in the mainstream films Gothika (2003) and Zodiac (2007). In 2004, Downey released his debut studio album The Futurist.
In 2006, Downey was cast as the title character in the comic book adaptation Iron Man which premiered in the summer of 2008, making almost $100 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend. In addition to receiving commercial success, Downey’s performance in the film received rave reviews. His other 2008 films include Charlie Bartlett and the Ben Stiller-directed Tropic Thunder, in which he portrayed an Australian Method actor overly engrossed in his role as an African-American soldier. He received his second Oscar nomination for said film, in the category of Best Supporting Actor, which he lost to the late Heath Ledger.
Other Information
- Birth name: Robert John Downey, Jr.
- Born: April 4, 1965
- Birth place: New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation: actor, film producer, singer, songwriter
- Spouses: Deborah Falconer (1992–2004); Susan Levin (2005–)
- Awards won: BAFTA Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role – 1992 Chaplin; Golden Globe Awards: Best Ensemble Cast – 1993 Short Cuts, Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or TV Movie – 2000 Ally McBeal; Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – 2000 Ally McBeal; Other awards: Venice Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast – 1993 Short Cuts, Saturn Award for Best Actor (film) – 1993 Heart and Souls, Chicago International Film Festival Career Achievement Award – 2003, Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize – Dramatic – 2006 A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble Cast – 2008 Tropic Thunder, Ranked #4 in AskMen.com 2008 49 Most Influential Men, Ranked #60 in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World 2008 – Entertainment Weekly 2008 Entertainer of the Year
Links
- Robert Downey Jr. at the Internet Movie Database
- Official site for “The Futurist” album
- Robert Downey Jr interview at www.reviewgraveyard.com
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