The world has witnessed the rise and fall and rise again of Robert Downey Jr. and it is ever thankful for the actor’s steady climb to the top ever since. His pit-stop en route to becoming the adored favorite of the masses by helping to lay the foundation, solidify the roots, and spread the wings of the fledgling Marvel universe at a time when the star himself was finding his way back into the centerfold of Hollywood is a saga of endless retelling.
Yes, the MCU would not have been what it is today without the specific contributions of RDJ and what he brought to the iconic character of Tony Stark. No, the audience cannot forget the actor’s dark past before he made his incredulous comeback in Hollywood.
Robert Downey Jr. in Ally McBeal – The Beginning of the End
Despite an incredible, groundbreaking run at Fox, Ally McBeal was hurtling down the slope of faltering viewership and tv ratings by the time it got around to the third season. In 2000, the addition of Robert Downey Jr. as series regular Larry Paul in the 4th season got a move on things. The pace of the narrative changed, RDJ became an instant fan-favorite, and his arrival brought the promising show out of the grimy fate of cancellation. In 2001, the actor won his first Golden Globe for the role after dragging Ally out from the dirges of a premature television death.
However, the arc of Larry Paul, which would have witnessed him and Ally McBeal tying the knot in the Season 4 finale before picking up the story in Season 5 with the pair as a married couple, was fated to be doomed. On 25th April 2001, Robert Downey Jr.’s drug-related arrest halted the show’s progress as The Washington Post reported on his exit from the show. Producers of Ally McBeal would later clarify that they were keeping the door open for Larry Paul’s return in the future but simultaneously stressed the influential weight that Robert Downey Jr.’s addiction could have on the show:
“Right now what we have to focus on is the show, and what Robert has to focus on is getting well. We don’t want one to influence the other.”
The writers quickly attempted “wrapping up the stories on the final few episodes… for the season without him,” which essentially involved Larry Paul breaking things off with the show’s titular character via a note. Robert Downey Jr. would never resume his role in Ally McBeal and the show’s incredible award-winning 5-year run would come to an end shortly after in 2002, following its 5th and final season.
Robert Downey Jr.’s 2001 Charges Motivate Actor’s Sobriety
Despite dooming the fate of Ally McBeal with his arrest and departure, Robert Downey Jr.’s 2001 charges were the final nail to the coffin that buried his long and volatile history of drugs and substance abuse. On 24th April 2001, the actor, already on parole after the actor’s arrest in November 2000 on drug charges, was found walking barefoot, under the influence, at midnight in Culver City from where he was picked up and released to his parole agent.
Also read: RDJ’s Stunning Career Evolution: From Brutal Drug Addiction to King of Hollywood
Robert Downey Jr., who had been in and out of jail since 1996 on account of drug-related charges, would pay his final visit to the court in July 2001 wherein he was ordered by the presiding judge to seek rehabilitation after famously quipping – “Mr Downey, this is not a gift … this is going to be hard work. Good luck.” RDJ’s journey to recovery and complete sobriety would still be a thing of the future.
After he was found inebriated by his then-future wife Susan Downey (née Levin) during an event in 2003, an ultimatum from the woman who would go on to become his extraordinary friend and long-time partner soon turned things around for RDJ. His journey of sobriety turns 20 this year and his tale of progress and recovery is one that is still retold in the chapters of Hollywood’s greatest comebacks.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
