Actor Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most recognized stars in the globe for his role as Iron Man in the MCU. The actor’s role became a foundation for the highest-grossing franchise of all time, and he ended his stint in Marvel with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Downey Jr. has since featured in films such as Oppenheimer and Dolittle.
The MCU films gave Downey Jr. a much-needed career resurgence after his multiple arrests and drug abuse problems. The actor was rife with potential before his troubles and was even nominated for an Oscar for his role in Chaplin. Though he did not win, the actor claimed that one day he would win under unfair circumstances because that was the Hollywood way.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Life And Career
Robert Downey Jr. started acting at the age of five when he appeared in his father Robert Downey Sr.’s films such as Pound and Greaser’s Palace. After high school, he moved to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed on Off-Broadway shows. He was also cast on Saturday Night Live but was fired due to negative responses.
Downey Jr. had his breakthrough when he featured in James Spader’s Turf Turf and featured in many other coming-of-age films. He starred in the romantic comedy The Pick-up Artist and went on to star in many comedies. He rose to fame for portraying a rich boy with substance abuse issues in the film Less Than Zero. Due to his fame in the 80s, he was considered to be a part of the Brat Pack.
Also read: Marvel Confirms First 3 Young Avengers Actors, Robert Downey Jr Fans Label it “Side Character Squad”
Downey Jr. also gained notoriety in the late 90s for his drug abuse issues and arrests. He was arrested multiple times for drug possession and served prison time. He claimed that he got addicted at the age of eight when he smoked marijuana with his father Robert Downey Sr., who was also an addict.
The actor lost out on roles and was fired from existing projects when he was arrested in 1996 and was then sentenced to three years in prison. He started recovering after he got out of prison in 2000 and then restarted his career, although many productions were still hesitant to work with him due to his past.
Robert Downey Jr. Thinks He Will Win The Oscar Unfairly
Despite his legal troubles and public image, Robert Downey Jr. was acclaimed for his performances. He has won the Golden Globe Awards twice, once for his role in the TV show Ally McBeal and once for his role as Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. Downey Jr. has also been nominated for the Oscars twice.
He got a Best Supporting Actor nomination when he played the role of a method actor in Ben Stiller’s satire Tropic Thunder. He lost out to Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. Perhaps his biggest disappointment was when he did not win for his role as Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s biopic Chaplin.
The actor was nominated for Best Actor and has claimed to have done extensive preparations such as learning to play the violin and playing tennis left-handed. He lost out the coveted award to Al Pacino’s Scent of a Woman. Downey Jr. spoke about winning the Oscars later and said in an interview,
“…I’m probably going to win it one year when someone else deserves to win it. Why? Because it’s my time, goddammit. And that’s the way s*it works around here…Welcome to Hollywood, b*tch! I’ll see you at the Vanity Fair party and I’ll be holding that golden statue you deserve ’cause guess what? It happened to me too!”
The actor seems to be getting a strong Oscar buzz for his portrayal of Admiral Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer this year. Will he finally win the award for a deserving performance?
