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Robert Downey Jr.

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Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. promoting 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con
Downey in 2014
Born
Robert John Downey Jr.

(1965-04-04) April 4, 1965 (age 60)
New York City, US
OccupationActor
Years active1970–present
WorksFilmography
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1992; div. 2004)​
  • ​
    (m. 2005)​
PartnerSarah Jessica Parker (1984–1991)
Children3
FatherRobert Downey Sr.
AwardsFull list
Signature

Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor. Known for his charismatic performances and versatility, he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood annually from 2013 to 2015. Over a five-decade career, Downey has won numerous accolades for his work, including an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

At the age of five, Downey made his acting debut in his father Robert Downey Sr.'s film Pound (1970). He rose to prominence by working with the Brat Pack for the teen films Weird Science (1985) and Less than Zero (1987). His portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in the biopic Chaplin (1992) earned him the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and an Academy Award nomination. After serving time at the Corcoran Substance Abuse Treatment Facility on drug charges, Downey joined the television series Ally McBeal in 2000, earning a Golden Globe for his performance. In 2001, he was dismissed from the show following further drug-related arrests. He entered a court-ordered rehabilitation program and has remained sober since 2003.

After Mel Gibson paid his insurance bond, Downey made his film comeback with The Singing Detective (2003). He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes (2009) and its 2011 sequel, the first of which earned him another Golden Globe. Downey gained global recognition for starring as Iron Man in ten Marvel Cinematic Universe films, from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). For his acclaimed portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), he won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2024, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for the miniseries The Sympathizer and made his Broadway debut in the title role of Ayad Akhtar's McNeal.

Downey is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, with his films as a leading actor collectively earning over $14.3 billion worldwide. Named one of Time's 100 most influential people in 2008, he has also pursued music, releasing the jazz-pop album The Futurist (2004), which charted on the US Billboard 200. Divorced from Deborah Falconer, he has been married to Susan Levin since 2005, with whom he co-founded the production company Team Downey. He has three children: one with Falconer and two with Levin.

Early life and acting background

Robert John Downey Jr. was born in Manhattan, New York City, on April 4, 1965.[1] His father, Robert Downey Sr. (né Elias), was a filmmaker,[2] while his mother, Elsie Ann (née Ford), was an actress who appeared in Downey Sr.'s films.[3][4] His father was of one-half Lithuanian Jewish, one-quarter Hungarian Jewish, and one-quarter Irish, while his mother had Scottish, German, and Swiss ancestry.[5] Downey's sister, Allyson, is two years older than him.[6]

Due to his father's film projects, Downey moved frequently during his childhood, living in places such as Woodstock, New York, London, New Mexico, California, Connecticut, and Greenwich Village.[7][8] From a young age, Downey was exposed to drugs: his father struggled with addiction, and his mother battled alcoholism.[7][9] He has said that his father introduced him to marijuana at age eight,[10] which he later expressed regret for.[11] Downey mentioned that using drugs with his father created an emotional connection between them, explaining that, "When my dad and I used drugs together, it was his way of showing love for me in the only manner he knew."[12][13] During his childhood, Downey appeared in small roles in his father's films. He made his acting debut at the age of five, portraying a sick puppy in the absurdist comedy Pound (1970), and at seven, he appeared in the surrealist Western Greaser's Palace (1972).[14] Aged eleven and twelve, he attended Stagedoor Manor, a summer acting camp in upstate New York.[15]

Downey was described as a hyperactive child who "tried to be cool", often teased by the older boys but popular with the girls.[15] His parents divorced in 1977 when he was twelve; afterward, he lived with his mother in a fifth-floor apartment in New York,[16][17] while his sister stayed with their father, who later took her to a boarding school.[17] He attended Lincoln Junior High School for eighth grade and then Santa Monica High School for ninth and tenth grades, but dropped out in 1982.[18] At age 17, he relocated to New York City to pursue acting full-time,[19] working various jobs such as clearing tables at a Central Falls restaurant, working in a shoe store, and performing as "living art" at the nightclub Area to support himself during auditions.[20][21] During this period, he also appeared in local theater and off-Broadway productions.[22]

Career

1983–1995: Early work and critical acclaim

Downey made his stage debut in 1983 with a three-week run in Alms for the Middle Class at the Geva Theatre Center.[23] He then appeared in the short-lived off-Broadway musical American Passion at the Joyce Theater, produced by Norman Lear.[24] Downey's first credited film role was in Baby It's You (1983), though most of his scenes were cut.[25] In his early film roles, he frequently portrayed misfit characters,[26] and his portrayals of punk-like figures in several 1980s coming-of-age films led to his occasional association with the Brat Pack.[19][27] In the drama film Firstborn (1984), he played a supporting role as the teenage friend of the protagonist.[26] Downey then traveled to Los Angeles to film James Spader's Tuff Turf (1985), in which he played Spader's sidekick and a punk drummer.[25] Later that year, his role as a bully in John Hughes's Weird Science (1985) marked his breakthrough.[28] Downey starred as a more likeable radical socialist in the Alan Metter comedy film Back to School (1987).[26]

A 25-year-old Downey dressed in a dark blazer and colorful shirt, being interviewed with a microphone
Downey at the premiere of Air America in 1990

In 1985, Downey joined the new, younger cast of Saturday Night Live, securing the audition with help from his Weird Science co-star and friend Anthony Michael Hall.[25] After a season of poor ratings and criticism of the cast's comedic ability, he and most of the new members were dismissed.[19][29] Downey's first leading role came in The Pick-up Artist (1987), which faced criticism for being "sexually irresponsible" because of its portrayal of promiscuous sex during a period of heightened AIDS awareness.[30][31] He earned critical acclaim for his role as Julian Wells in the drama film Less than Zero (1987), the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's 1985 novel.[32][33] For portraying a drug-addicted rich boy whose life rapidly spirals out of control,[34] his performance was widely praised: Roger Ebert called it "so real, so subtle and so observant that it's scary",[35] while Janet Maslin, writing for The New York Times, deemed it "desperately moving".[34] Downey said that the role felt like "the ghost of Christmas Future" for him, as his drug habit led him to become an "exaggeration of the character" in real life.[36]

Shortly after completing Less than Zero, he entered rehab for the first time, beginning a decade-long cycle of interventions and treatment stints that culminated in his 1996 arrest.[37][38] Downey starred alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Winona Ryder in the teen drama 1969 (1988).[30] The film saw mixed reviews,[39] though his performance garnered good reviews from writers at Variety and Deseret News.[40][41] Downey went on to star in the films Chances Are (1989) with Cybill Shepherd and Ryan O'Neal, Air America (1990) with Mel Gibson, and Soapdish (1991) with Sally Field, Kevin Kline, Cathy Moriarty, and Whoopi Goldberg; each saw varying critical success.[42][43][44] To prepare for his portrayal of comic actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin in the biopic Chaplin (1992), Downey trained extensively, learning to play the violin and tennis left-handed, and working with a coach to replicate Chaplin's accent and mannerisms.[45] Although the film was a box-office bomb,[46] critics praised Downey's performance,[47] for which he earned the BAFTA Award for Best Actor, as well as Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations.[48]

Oh come on—that's too much! You're going too far, Robert,  [...] you're ruining my movie! Forget the dumb dick idea. [...] This isn't some slapstick bullshit

— Oliver Stone recalled shouting at Downey during the filming of Natural Born Killers (1994)[49]

In 1993, Downey starred in Heart and Souls, playing a man possessed by multiple characters—a performance that Peter Travers praised as revealing his "explosive talent for physical comedy".[50][51] In Only You (1994), co-starring Marisa Tomei and Billy Zane, Downey played Peter Wright, a professional dancer who poses as the soulmate Tomei's character Faith.[30][52] Norman Jewison—the film's director—cast him because he reminded him of Tony Curtis: "charming with great comedic timing".[53] In preparation for his role of reporter Wayne Gale in Natural Born Killers (1994), Downey shadowed Australian television shock journalist Steve Dunleavy, which helped him develop an Australian accent.[54][55] The film proved successful at the box office, grossing $110 million on a $34 million budget.[56][57] Throughout 1995, he took on a string of diverse roles, including the period drama Restoration,[58] the Shakespearean adaptation Richard III,[59] and the family ensemble Home for the Holidays.[60]

In early 1996, concerned for Downey's well-being, Sean Penn and Dennis Quaid went to his residence, took his keys, and brought him to a rehab center in Tucson; however, Downey left the facility and checked himself out a few days later.[37] In June 1996, he was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and an unloaded .357 Magnum handgun while speeding down Sunset Boulevard. A month later, while on parole and under the influence of a controlled substance, he entered a neighbor's home through an unlocked front door and fell asleep in one of the beds.[61][62] The family declined to press trespassing charges.[38] The 911 call made by the neighbor was later circulated online and became known as the "Goldilocks incident".[63] In November 1996, following a period in court-ordered rehab, Downey was sentenced to an additional six months of live-in rehabilitation, three years' probation, and compulsory drug testing.[38] Downey starred in Two Girls and a Guy (1997), portraying a duplicitous man who convinces each of two women that she is his only love.[50]

Mugshot of a 34-year-old Downey smiling slightly, holding a placard with his identification details
Mugshot from his arrest in August 1999
Mugshot of Downey, wearing a green shirt, looking directly at the camera with a slight smile
Mugshot from his arrest in April 2001

After missing a court-ordered drug test in 1997, Downey spent six months in Los Angeles County Jail.[64] In January 1998, he was temporarily allowed out of jail to star in the U.S. Marshals.[65] Upon his full release, he entered a court-mandated 120-day rehab program and then starred in Black and White (1999), playing Terry Donager, the gay husband of a documentary filmmaker.[38][66] That year, after maintaining sobriety during the filming of Wonder Boys (2000), Downey relapsed. At the time, he was facing financial difficulties and had lost his house in Malibu.[37] Later that year, after missing another court-ordered drug test, he was arrested again. Despite his lawyer, Robert Shapiro, assembling the same legal team that had successfully defended O. J. Simpson in his criminal trial, Downey was sentenced to a three-year prison term at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran.[67][68] At the time of his arrest, all of Downey's film projects had been completed and were nearing release. He had also been hired to voice the devil in the NBC animated series God, the Devil and Bob, but was dismissed after failing to attend rehearsals.[69][70]

After spending nearly a year in the Corcoran prison, Downey was unexpectedly released in 2000 on the condition of posting a $5,000 bail, when a judge ruled that his cumulative time in incarceration facilities—from his initial 1996 arrests—qualified him for early release.[11] A week after his release, he joined the cast of the television series Ally McBeal as a new love interest.[71] For his performance, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film.[72][73] In retrospect, Downey described his performance as overrated, deeming it his "lowest point in terms of addictions".[36] Before the end of his first season on Ally McBeal, Downey was arrested on Thanksgiving in 2000, after police responded to an anonymous 911 call and searched his room at Merv Griffin's Hotel and Givenchy Spa in Palm Springs, California. He was found under the influence of a controlled substance and in possession of cocaine and valium.[74][75] Despite facing a potential prison sentence of up to four years and eight months if convicted, Downey committed to appear in at least eight additional episodes of Ally McBeal.[76]

In April 2001, while on parole, Downey was found wandering barefoot in Culver City by a Los Angeles police officer. He was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs but was released a few hours later, even though tests confirmed the presence of cocaine in his system.[77][78] After the arrest, the producers of Ally McBeal ordered last-minute rewrites and reshoots before dismissing him from the series, despite his character having boosted the show's ratings.[79] In July 2001, Downey pleaded no contest to the Palm Springs charges, avoiding jail time. Instead, he was ordered into drug rehabilitation and sentenced to three years of probation under California Proposition 36, which had been enacted the previous year to direct nonviolent drug offenders toward treatment rather than prison.[11][80] He spent a year in a court-mandated rehabilitation facility. By this time Downey was homeless, considered too great an insurance risk to be employable, and facing bankruptcy.[37]

In a December 2000, Downey's stepmother, Rosemary, told author Alex Tresnlowski of People that Downey had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder "a few years ago", adding that this was "the reason he has a hard time staying sober. What hasn't been tried is medication and intensive psychotherapy".[81] Los Angeles psychiatrist Dr. Manijeh Nikakhtar said she had received a letter from Downey in 1999 during his incarceration at Corcoran II, asking for advice regarding his condition. She stated that "no one had done a complete [psychiatric] evaluation [on him] [...] I asked him flat out if he thought he was bipolar, and he said, 'Oh yeah. There are times I spend a lot of money and I'm hyperactive, and there are other times I’m down.'"[81]

In a March 2007 Esquire article, Downey addressed "this whole thing about the bipolar" after receiving a phone call from the Bipolar Association asking him about his supposed diagnosis. When Downey denied ever having claimed to be bipolar, the caller cited the People article, to which he responded, "'No! Dr. Malibusian said [I said I was bipolar ...]' and they go, 'Well, it's been written, so we're going to quote it.'"[82] Downey firmly denied being depressed or manic and said that prior attempts to diagnose him with a psychiatric or mood disorder had been unreliable because "the guy I was seeing didn’t know I was smokin' crack in his bathroom. You can’t make a diagnosis until somebody’s sober."[82]

2001–2008: Recovery and comeback

I said, 'You know what? I don't think I can continue doing this.' And I reached out for help, and I ran with it. You can reach out for help in kind of a half-assed way and you'll get it and you won't take advantage of it. It's not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems  [...] what's hard is to decide to do it.

— Downey speaking to Oprah Winfrey in November 2004[83]

After five years of substance abuse, arrests, and relapse, Downey began working toward a full recovery in 2001.[84][85] Reflecting on his past struggles, he explained to Oprah Winfrey in 2004 that his earlier attempts to manage his addiction had been unsuccessful, and later said, "When someone says, 'I really wonder if maybe I should go to rehab?' Well, you're a wreck, you just lost your job, and your wife left you. You might want to give it a shot."[86]

Downey's first acting job after rehabilitation came in August 2001, when he appeared lip-syncing in the music video for Elton John's single "I Want Love", directed by Sam Taylor-Wood.[87] Two years later, he returned to film with The Singing Detective (2003), directed by his Back to School co-star Keith Gordon, after Gibson paid his insurance bond, allowing him to be cast.[88][89] He played Dan Dark, a paralyzed, suffering pulp novelist who hallucinates and drifts between reality and fantasy.[50] Although the film received mixed reviews, Downey regarded it as a personal achievement.[50][90] For Gothika (2003), producer Joel Silver withheld 40 percent of Downey's salary until production was completed as protection against potential issues related to his addiction.[91] Silver also secured him the lead role in Shane Black's directorial debut, the comedy thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005).[92] Downey received positive reviews for his performance: Mike Russell, writing in The Oregonian, deemed it "one of [his] most enjoyable performances",[93] while a The Age writer deemed it a "terrific comic performance".[94]

Downey appeared in a range of leading and supporting roles, gaining particular recognition for his performances in several semi-independent films. In Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), he portrayed a CBS journalist and editor secretly married to a coworker, a relationship concealed due to the network's policy prohibiting employees from marrying one another.[95] His role as a drug addict in Richard Linklater's dystopian, rotoscoped film A Scanner Darkly (2006) was praised:[96] Travers called his performance "the film's flashiest and most ferociously entertaining",[97] and J. Hoberman regarded it as "the performance to beat" that year.[98] Downey's character in Steven Shainberg's fictional biographical drama Fur (2006) was a composite representing the two most significant influences on Diane Arbus's professional life, Lisette Model and Marvin Israel.[99] Fur was poorly received by critics,[100] who conversely lauded Downey's performance.[101][102]

In 2005, Downey returned to television, providing voice work for an episode of Family Guy titled "The Fat Guy Strangler".[103] The producers created the character Patrick Pewterschmidt—Lois Griffin's long-lost, mentally disturbed brother—specifically for him.[104] That same year, Downey signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish a memoir, which he described as a candid account his life and career. In 2008, however, he returned his advance and canceled the project without explanation.[105] In 2007, he appeared in David Fincher's mystery thriller Zodiac, based on true events, portraying San Francisco Chronicle journalist Paul Avery, who covered the Zodiac Killer case.[106][107] Downey's performance was critically acclaimed:[108] a Tuscaloosa News writer deemed it one of his best,[109] and Manohla Dargis remarked that he was at the "top of [his] performance game".[110]

2008–2019: Stardom with Iron Man

Downey at an event for Iron Man in 2008

Despite all of the critical success Downey had experienced throughout his career, he had not appeared in a "blockbuster" film. That changed in 2008, when Downey starred in two critically and commercially successful films, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder. In the article Ben Stiller wrote for Downey's entry in the 2008 edition of The Time 100, he offered an observation on Downey's commercially successful summer at the box office:

Yes, Downey is Iron Man, but he really is Actor Man ... In the realm where box office is irrelevant and talent is king, the realm that actually means something, he has always ruled, and finally this summer he gets to have his cake and let us eat him up all the way to the multiplex, where his mastery is in full effect.

— Ben Stiller, The 2008 Time 100, entry No. 60, "Robert Downey Jr."[111]

In 2006, Downey was cast as the title character in the 2008 film Iron Man,[112] with director Jon Favreau explaining the choice by stating, "Downey wasn't the most obvious choice, but he understood what makes the character tick. He found a lot of his own life experience in 'Tony Stark'."[113] Favreau insisted on having Downey, as he repeatedly claimed that Downey would be to Iron Man what Johnny Depp is to the Pirates of the Caribbean series: a lead actor who could both elevate the quality of the film and increase the public's interest in it.[61][114][115][116] For the role, Downey had to gain more than 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of muscle in five months to look like he "had the power to forge iron."[117]

Iron Man was released worldwide between April 30 and May 3, 2008, grossing over $585 million worldwide[118] and receiving rave reviews that cited Downey's performance as a highlight of the film.[119][120][121] By October 2008, Downey had agreed to star in two Iron Man sequels, as part of the Iron Man franchise, as well as The Avengers (2012), featuring the superhero team that Stark joins, based on Marvel's comic book series The Avengers.[122] He first reprised the role in a small appearance as Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, as a part of Marvel Studios' depicting the same Marvel Universe on film by providing continuity among the movies.[123]

After Iron Man, Downey appeared alongside Ben Stiller and Jack Black in the Stiller-directed Tropic Thunder. The three actors play a Hollywood archetype, with Downey playing self-absorbed multi-Oscar-winning Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus – as they star in an extremely expensive Vietnam-era film called Tropic Thunder. Lazarus undergoes a "controversial skin pigmentation procedure" in order to take on the role of African-American platoon sergeant Lincoln Osiris, which requires Downey to wear dark makeup and a wig. Both Stiller and Downey feared Downey's portrayal of the character could become controversial:

Stiller says that he and Downey always stayed focused on the fact that they were skewering insufferable actors, not African Americans. "I was trying to push it as far as you can within reality", Stiller explains. "I had no idea how people would respond to it". Stiller screened a rough cut of the film [in March 2008] and it scored high with African Americans. He was relieved at the reaction. "It seems people really embrace it", he said.[124]

When asked by Harry Smith on CBS's The Early Show who his model was for Lazarus, Downey laughed before responding, "Sadly, my sorry-ass self."[125]

Released in the United States on August 13, 2008, Tropic Thunder received favorable reviews, with 83% of reviews positive and an average normalized score of 71, according to the review aggregator websites Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, respectively.[126][127] It earned US$26 million in its North American opening weekend and retained the number one position for its first three weekends of release. The film grossed $180 million in theaters before its release on home video on November 18, 2008. Downey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Lazarus.[128]

Opening in late April 2009 was a film Downey finished in mid-2008, The Soloist. The film was delayed from a November 2008 release by Paramount Pictures due to the studio's tight end-of-year release schedule.[129] Critics who had seen the film in 2008 were mentioning it as a possible Academy Award candidate.[130] Downey picked up an Academy Award nomination for the 2008 release year for his role in Tropic Thunder.[131]

Downey speaking at the 2019 Disney Legends Awards

The first role Downey accepted after Iron Man was Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Warner Bros. released it on December 25, 2009.[132] The film set several box office records in the United States for a Christmas Day release, beating the previous record-holder, 2008's Marley & Me, by nearly $10 million, and finished second to Avatar in a record-setting Christmas weekend box office. Sherlock Holmes ended up being the 8th highest-grossing film of 2009.[133][134] When Downey won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for his role as Sherlock Holmes, he noted in his acceptance speech that he had prepared no remarks because "Susan Downey told me that Matt Damon was going to win so don't bother preparing a speech."[135]

Downey returned as Tony Stark in the first of two planned sequels to Iron Man, Iron Man 2, which was released in May 2010. Iron Man 2 grossed over $623 million worldwide, becoming the 7th highest-grossing film of 2010.[136] Downey's other commercial film release of 2010 was the comedy road film, Due Date. The movie, co-starring Zach Galifianakis, was released in November 2010[137] and grossed over $211 million worldwide, making it the 36th highest-grossing movie of 2010.[138] Downey's sole 2011 film credit was Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, which opened worldwide on December 16, 2011.[139]

In 2012, Downey reprised the role of Tony Stark in The Avengers. The film received positive reviews[140] and was highly successful at the box office, grossing $1.52 billion on its way to becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time both in the United States and worldwide.[141] His film, the David Dobkin-directed dramedy The Judge,[142] a project co-produced by his production company Team Downey, was the opening film at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.[143] Downey played Tony Stark again in Iron Man 3 (2013),[144] Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017),[145] Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).[145] Three of his scenes from The Avengers and Avengers: Endgame were used as archive footage in the first episode of the Disney+ series Loki.[146] Downey hosted The Age of A.I., a YouTube documentary series released in 2019.[147]

2020–present: Oppenheimer and expansion

In 2020, Downey starred in Dolittle, playing Doctor Dolittle, depicted in the film as a 19th-century Welsh veterinarian who can communicate with animals. This was the second film from Team Downey. It was a box office disappointment and received negative reviews from critics, who called it "too long [and] lifeless."[148]

In 2023, Downey portrayed antagonistic bureaucrat Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. He took a pay cut to work on the film, earning $4 million in lieu of his usual $10–20 million upfront salary.[149] Downey would later describe Oppenheimer as "the best film" in which he has appeared to date.[150] The biopic and Downey's performance received critical acclaim.[151][152][153] For the role, he won the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics' Choice Award, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[154] Also in 2023, Downey hosted the television series Downey's Dream Cars, where he and his team converted some of Downey's cars from gas to electric.[155]

Downey next starred in a 2024 television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's historical satire novel The Sympathizer on HBO, portraying five supporting antagonistic roles representing the American establishment.[156] His multi-role performance earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.[157] Downey Jr. made his Broadway debut in McNeal, from playwright Ayad Akhtar, playing Jacob McNeal, a gifted novelist with a difficult family life and a potentially problematic interest in artificial intelligence. Previews began on September 5, 2024, and opened on September 30 at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre, playing a strictly limited engagement through November 24.[158]

In July 2024 at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Downey would return to the MCU in a new role as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in the upcoming films Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).[159] In The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Downey makes a uncredited cameo appearance in this role in a mid-credits scene.

Other ventures

Music

Downey has sung on several soundtracks for his films, including Chaplin, Too Much Sun, Two Girls and a Guy, Friends and Lovers, The Singing Detective, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. In 2001, he appeared in the music video for Elton John's song "I Want Love". He released a CD in 2004 called The Futurist, and while promoting his film Tropic Thunder, he and his co-stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black were back-up singers for "The Pips" to Gladys Knight singing "Midnight Train to Georgia" for the season 7 finale of American Idol.[160]

Downey's most commercially successful recording venture to date (combining sales and radio airplay) has been his remake of the 1973 Joni Mitchell Christmas song "River", which was included on the Ally McBeal tie-in album Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas, released in 2000; Downey's character Larry Paul performs the song in the Ally McBeal episode "Tis the Season".[161]

Downey has collaborated with English musician Sting multiple times. In addition to their duet of the Police's "Every Breath You Take" in a 2001 episode of Ally McBeal, they also performed "Driven to Tears" together live at a concert celebrating the artist's 60th birthday in October 2011.[162] Both appear on Jonathan Elias's Prayer Cycle 2: Path to Zero, a benefit album for the anti-nuclear organization Global Zero which released on May 10, 2011.[163]

Business

On June 14, 2010, Downey and his wife Susan opened their own production company called Team Downey. Their first project was The Judge.[164] In 2024, Downey launched a coffee company named Happy with Craig Dubitsky.[165] On October 6, 2025 it was announced Happy were collaborating with Tom Holland and his non-alcoholic beer brand BERO for an exclusive flavour of Happy coffee and BERO.[166]

Personal life

Relationships and marriages

Downey started dating actress Sarah Jessica Parker in 1984 after meeting her on the set of Firstborn. They were both eighteen and moved in together after eight weeks of dating.[167] The couple separated eight years later, in 1991, due to his drug addiction.[168]

Downey married actress and singer Deborah Falconer on May 29, 1992, after a 42-day courtship.[169] They had only known each other for six weeks before marrying.[170] Their son was born in September 1993.[171] The strain on their marriage from Downey's repeated trips to rehab and jail finally reached a breaking point; in 1996, Falconer left Downey and filed for divorce in early 2001, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason.[172] Downey and Falconer finalized their divorce in 2004, with Falconer gaining custody of their son.[173]

Downey with wife Susan Downey at the 2010 Academy Awards

In 2003, Downey met producer Susan Levin, an executive vice president of production at Joel Silver's film company, Silver Pictures, on the set of Gothika.[174] Though Levin twice turned down his romantic advances, she and Downey did quietly strike up a romance during production.[175] Despite Levin's worries that the romance would not last after the completion of shooting given that "he's an actor; I have a real job,"[175] the couple's relationship continued after production wrapped on Gothika, and Downey proposed to Levin on the night before her thirty-first birthday.[175] In August 2005, the couple were married in a Jewish ceremony at Amagansett, New York.[176][177] A tattoo on one of his biceps reads "Suzie Q" in tribute to her.[178] The Downeys' first child, a son, was born in February 2012,[179] and their second, a daughter, was born in November 2014.[180][181][182]

Downey has been a close friend of Mel Gibson since they starred in Air America. Downey defended Gibson during the controversy surrounding The Passion of the Christ (2004) and said "nobody's perfect" in reference to Gibson's 2006 DUI.[183] Gibson said of Downey: "He was one of the first people to call and offer the hand of friendship. He just said, 'Hey, welcome to the club. Let's go see what we can do to work on ourselves.'"[184] In October 2011, Downey was honored at the 25th American Cinematheque Awards. Downey chose Gibson to present him with his award for his life's work and used his air time to say a few kind words about Gibson and explain why he chose him to present the award.[185]

Sobriety

Downey says he has been drug-free since July 2003[186] and credits his wife with helping him overcome his drug and alcohol habits, along with his family, therapy, meditation, twelve-step recovery programs, yoga, and the practice of Wing Chun kung fu,[187] the martial art he learned from Eric Oram, who is also a fight consultant in several of Downey's movies.[188][189] Oram was Downey's personal fight coordinator in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War.[190] In December 2015, Downey was chosen as one of 91 people to be pardoned by the Governor of California, Jerry Brown, for his prior drug offenses. The pardon does not erase Downey's criminal record, but it does allow him to serve on a jury.[191][192] Oram wrote a letter in support of Downey's pardon to Governor Brown.[193] When asked on The Oprah Winfrey Show how he was able to make his sobriety stick this time, Downey said, "It's really not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems. What's hard is to decide to do it."[194]

Downey Jr. with William Cheung and Eric Oram (2005)

Religious beliefs

In 2014, Downey has described his religious beliefs as "Jewish Buddhist".[195] In the past, Downey has been interested in Christianity and the Hare Krishna movement.[195]

Political views

In a 2008 interview, Downey stated that his time in prison changed his political point of view somewhat, saying: "I have a really interesting political point of view, and it's not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can't go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can't. I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics ever since."[196]

However, when asked about the quote in a 2015 interview to promote Avengers: Age of Ultron, he denied that his previous statement reflected any longstanding beliefs on his part and stated, "I wouldn't say that I'm a Republican or a liberal or a Democrat."[197]

Downey has shown support for the Democratic Party. He donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2012.[198] In 2014, Downey attended a fundraiser for the Democratic Party and donated to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.[199] In 2016, Downey appeared in an Internet video urging the American public to vote against Donald Trump in the then-upcoming presidential election.[200] In 2020, Downey took part in a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden's presidential campaign, with fellow Avengers actors and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.[201][202]

Downey serves on the board of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, a nonprofit organization that advocates for criminal justice reform to reduce incarceration, improve the outcomes of formerly incarcerated individuals, and build healthier communities.[203]

Environmentalism

In January 2020, during the promotion of his film Dolittle, Downey announced that he had made the decision to adopt a vegan diet in response to the debate about the climate crisis, stating that "I'm a one-man carbon footprint nightmare colossus"[204] and believing he can do his part to contribute. Downey previously announced the opening of Footprint Coalition, an organization he launched to reduce carbon footprints around the world using advanced technology.[205] The Footprint Coalition promotes technologies that protect the environment, such as French insect-farming startup Ynsect,[206] the bio-based alternative to plastic manufacturer RWDC,[207] and bamboo toilet paper manufacturer Cloud Paper.[208][209]

In January 2024, Downey stated that he was a pescetarian and had to give up his vegan diet due to low levels of vitamin B12, calcium, and iron.[210] He co-authored Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time, which advocates a low-carbon plant-based diet to reduce carbon footprints.[210][211]

Acting credits and accolades

Main articles: Robert Downey Jr. filmography and List of awards and nominations received by Robert Downey Jr.

Downey has appeared in over 70 films over the course of his career.[212] According to Rotten Tomatoes, Downey's most commercially successful films include Tropic Thunder, Oppenheimer, the Sherlock Holmes film series, and several Marvel Studios films, including Captain America: Civil War and the Iron Man and Avengers series.[213] Downey's films have grossed over $14 billion worldwide, making him the third highest-grossing actor of all time, according to The Numbers.[214] He was named Hollywood's highest-paid actor by Forbes from 2013 to 2015.[215][216] He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Daytime Emmy Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards.[154][212][217]

Discography

Studio album

Soundtrack appearances

Year Song Soundtrack Notes
1992 "Smile" Chaplin OST On The Futurist
1993 "The Star-Spangled Banner" Heart and Souls OST With B.B. King
2000 "White Christmas" Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas With Vonda Shepard
"River"
2001 "Every Breath You Take" Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life featuring Vonda Shepard With Sting
"Chances Are" With Vonda Shepard
"Snakes"
2003 "In My Dreams" The Singing Detective OST
2005 "Broken" Kiss Kiss Bang Bang OST On The Futurist

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