Robert Downey Jr. has had a phenomenal year after his performance as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer won him multiple accolades, including the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The Avengers star has had multiple career renaissances, with Iron Man aiding his resurgence as an actor, while Oppenheimer introduced a new dimension to his skills.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Robert Downey Jr. was asked along with his fellow nominees what they would be doing if they never became actors. While actors such as Mark Ruffalo and Paul Giamatti preferred to go into the arts, Downey Jr. joked that if he had not been an actor, he would be in prison doing ‘hard time’.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Career Renaissance
Robert Downey Jr.’s career renaissance is a story as incredible as the films he has been a part of. After being arrested multiple times over d*ug-related crimes and being almost blacklisted by every studio in Hollywood, Downey Jr. made a comeback with a starring role in the first MCU film Iron Man. Though Marvel Studios were apprehensive about his involvement, they were reportedly convinced by director Jon Favreau.
Robert Downey Jr. played the role of Tony Stark a.k.a Iron Man in the MCU for eleven years, making his last appearance in the climactic Avengers: Endgame. The actor became the face of the MCU during the Infinity Saga and was universally lauded for his effortless performances. The actor then went on to play the role of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
The role reportedly demanded Robert Downey Jr. break his own process and become the character in Christopher Nolan’s film. The actor reportedly shaved his head and lost weight to embody the role of Admiral Lewis Strauss. Nolan described the actor’s dedication in an interview with Vanity Fair,
“I didn’t know him but I’d met him a couple of times, and looking at him from the outside, I felt like he just was in a place where he would be ready to come and try something completely different. And as a director, if you can convince one of the great actors of his generation to come and challenge himself in a completely different way, you just know you’re going to get something special.”
Robert Downey Jr. went on to win the Golden Globe, SAG, Critic’s Choice, and the Academy Award for his performance in the film.
Robert Downey Jr. Says He Would Be In Prison If He Was Not An Actor
While Robert Downey Jr. is an A-lister in Hollywood now, the actor was on most studios’ blacklist due to his dangerous public image. The actor had been arrested several times and even served time in prison after a court sentenced him for his dr*g use. In 1999, he revealed that he had an addiction since the age of eight and that he needed treatment, which was dismissed by the court after the actor reportedly broke the terms of his parole. (via BBC News)
According to BBC News, the actor had also lost out on many roles due to his continuous arrests and public image, including the animated show God, the Devil, and Bob. After seeking help and undergoing treatment, Robert Downey Jr. returned to the big screen with Mel Gibson’s The Singing Detective and the horror film Gothika.
Since then, he has had a career resurgence with his Marvel films and most recently with Oppenheimer. The actor sat in an interview with fellow Oscar nominees Andrew Scott, Jeffrey Wright, Colman Domingo, Mark Ruffalo, and Paul Giamatti in The Hollywood Reporter’s Full Actor’s Roundtable.
When asked what would he do if he were not an actor, Downey Jr. joked,
“If I wasn’t an actor I would be doing hard time…A trumped-up felony, possession again but this time on a Hummer these cops set up…Judge got pi*sed off, bench warrant…I was the same guy from the other stuff so a cumulative edge.”
Fellow Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright mentioned that he would be a lawyer as that was what he was working towards before choosing to be an actor. He then joked that he would probably earn his money by defending Robert Downey Jr.
