Robert Downey Jr had a rough childhood. From drugs to getting arrested, the actor has seen jail time and court proceedings. Robert Downey Sr is the father of the Iron Man actor and as per RDJ, he got his first role thanks to his dad.
From what seems a cute and wholesome story but not a really good movie idea, Robert Downey Jr. starred in the movie titled Pound in 1970. The movie saw Downey Jr. portraying the role of a puppy as he remembered his father saying “I’m casting people to play the dogs”!
Robert Downey Jr. Played The Role of a Puppy
Being 5 years old, Downey Jr. was quite happy to be cast in a movie even though for a small role. Talking about how his career began, the actor stated that he portrayed the role of a puppy when he was 5 years old in his father’s movie titled Pound.
With a story of animals waiting in the pound to get euthanized, Pound depicts various dogs, a Siamese cat, and a penguin talking before the doom of their children. Well, although the project sounds interesting, Robert Downey Sr. wanted real humans to portray the role of various animals. In an interview with Vanity Fair, where Robert Downey Jr. broke down his career, the actor talked about his role in the 1970 movie in which, he was just a little puppy.
“Pound is a film that my dad got the financing for, I think the investors thought he was making a documentary about pounds and animal shelters and then he [Robert Downey Sr.] said ‘No, no, it’s a live action thing and I’m casting people to play the dogs'”
The Avengers Endgame star further continued,
“Next thing you know, we’re shooting it and these character actors of all shapes adn sizes are playing various dogs. And then I played a puppy.”
The actor went further down memory lane as he remembered what his earliest memory of being in front of a camera was.
Robert Downey Jr. Reveals His Earliest Memory In Front of a Camera
Since he was just 5 years old, the actor couldn’t have remembered much about what it was like on the sets of the 1970 movie. During his career breakdown with Vanity Fair, the actor recalled that his earliest memory of that shooting was seeing cameras on sets.
“My earliest memories are of cameras being on sets, being on stages, being on location, to the point where it almost seemed like life was kind of making a movie and kind of being a kid at the same time, because my folks were mostly underground kind of counterculture”
After finding firm roots in his life, the actor went on to star in MCU’s 2008 movie Iron Man which essentially kickstarted his journey back into Hollywood. Robert Downey Jr. is considered one of the most influential actors out there and continues to star in masterpieces to date.
Source Vanity Fair
