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Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.33 posts

Robert Downey, Jr. is an American actor born in 1965 in New York City. Coming from a showbiz family, he started acting on-screen at an early age. He gained attention for his performance in such films as Less than Zero, Natural Born Killers and Chaplin, in which he earned an Oscar nomination. He received a Golden Globe for his role in the hit television series, Ally McBeal. After suffering from substance abuse for years, he managed to redeem his career by starring in several critically-acclaimed and box-office hits including Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Sherlock Holmes, Tropic Thunder, and the Iron Man series.

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22 Jan, 2009

Oscar nomination

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Downey, Jr. is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 81st Academy Awards for portraying Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder.

I’m so grateful for Ben Stiller and I think it’s kind of wild that, you know, a comedic performance of sorts would get a nomination, it’s really cool. I got nominated for playing a narcissistic idiot method actor, we’ve come a long way, baby.

Oscar Nominations 2009

13 Aug, 2008

Tropic Thunder

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Downey stars in action comedy film Tropic Thunder directed, produced and co-written by Ben Stiller. He plays multi-award winning actor Kirk Lazarus who gets cast in a huge Vietnam war film along with Tug Speedman played by Stiller, and Jeff Portnoy played by Jack Black. Their outrageous antics causes their director, played by Steve Coogan, to place them in a real jungle and film them there. On preparing for his role:

(There) were two things. One is I said at one point, I didn’t want to do this. I said at one point, “If he goes too far, it’s good,” provided Brandon (T. Jackson who plays) Alpa Chino, gets to pull up the slack and say, “Dude, you are so stereotyping yourself right now that I’m embarrassed for you and you wouldn’t last a second in my neighborhood,” type thing.

Tropic Thunder - Trailer

2 May, 2008

Iron Man

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Downey plays the title role in Marvel superhero film Iron Man directed by Jon Favreau. His true identity is Tony Stark, an ultra-rich genius and philanthropist who owns and runs weapons maker, Stark Industries. During a weapons demo in the desert, he is ambushed by terrorists and held captive in a cave. He creates the first arc reactor-powered Iron Man suit. The film also stars Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard. On wearing the armor:

There’s two other guys and I’d come in on the day that he was shooting second unit. And he’d be like laid out in a pool of sweat and still like in half in the suit. He’d just be like (groaning), ‘Dude…’ He’d be like, ‘You’re on tomorrow, right?’ And I’d be like, ‘I’m on, dude. We’re going to do the close-ups and I’ll swing through the thing.’ He goes, ‘Cool!’ We had like a support group. He’d come in the next day, he’d be like, ‘Man, you cool? Can I get you something?’ I was like, ‘Maybe an Advil,’ and then we’d both go visit the third guy.

Iron Man - Trailer [HD]

7 Jul, 2006

A Scanner Darkly

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Downey stars in animated sci-fi thriller A Scanner Darkly, which is based on a similarly titled novel by Philip K. Dick, playing James Barris, a prank-loving drug addict who lives with protagonist Bob Arctor—played by Keanu Reeves. Set in the dystopian future, the film’s plot revolves around Arctor, an undercover police agent who investigates the onslaught of a dangerous psychoactive drug called “Substance D.” The film also stars Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson. On his character’s creepy nature:

You’ve gotta think creepy thoughts. In A Scanner Darkly, everybody’s pretty much such a wreck that it’s that scramble to get an upper hand while you’re losing your mind.

A Scanner Darkly (2006) Official Trailer - Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr. Movie HD

21 Oct, 2005

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

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Downey stars in crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang directed by Shane Black. He plays Harry Lockhart, a thief from New York who accidentally pretends to be an actor. When he gets a film role, he moves to Los Angeles and trains as a private investigator under a real cop, played by Val Kilmer. The film also features Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen.

The script is great. Everyone who sees it goes, ‘God, that’s the kind of movie we want to see, where they don’t treat us like we’re stupid and we’ve kind of got to catch up but you don’t have to be an MIT graduate to get the jokes.’  The kind of movie I like to see.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - Movie Trailer

27 Aug, 2005

Downey, Levin marry

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Downey weds Levin in the town of Amagansett, Long Island, New York. The Jewish ceremony takes place under a custom-built gazebo with performances by Billy Joel and Sting. Some of the guests include Ellen Barkin and Keanu Reeves. Downey:

We changed each other. We both know the business really well, and ourselves and each other, and it’s a lot. And life is hard and it’s good to not do it alone.

Levin:

It’s a little cliche to say this, but when you find the right person, it brings out the best in both of you.

6 Nov, 2003

Downey, Levin engaged

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Downey proposes to Levin right before midnight on her birthday. He presents her with a Loree Rodkin engagement ring with diamonds and a rare African sapphire. The couple then travel to London to celebrate their engagement.

I got a ring for her birthday. It’s an engagement ring. It’s not sized right, so right now it’s on her middle finger.

On why she said yes:

More than anything, I never doubted it. There was something in my gut that knew really quickly. I knew three months in that this was it.

20 Mar, 2002

Completes rehab

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Downey completes rehab after a judge is impressed with his overall progress. Downey wants to resume his film career but is due in court mid-summer, at which time it could be determined that his probation period should conclude. He is currently in a three-year, live-in rehab program as was ordered by the court in January of 2001. Downey has remained drug-free since attending the program last spring. Judge Randall White:

I’m pleased to see that you’re doing well. I hope it drug rehab continues to be of some benefit to you.

7 Oct, 1994

Only You

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Downey stars in romantic comedy Only You directed by Norman Jewison. He plays Peter Wright, a shoe salesman who bumps into Faith Corvatch—played by Marisa Tomei—in Italy and pretends to be the man she believes she is destined to be with. The film also features Bonnie Hunt, Fisher Stevens and Billy Zane.

Only You (1994) - Trailer

26 Aug, 1994

Natural Born Killers

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Downey stars in this crime film written and directed by Oliver Stone. He plays a ratings-hungry tabloid journalist named Wayne Gale, who features mass murdering couple Mickey and Mallory on his TV show. As a result, the viewing public sees the criminals as cult heroes. The film also stars Woody Harrelson ad Juliette Lewis as the killers and Tom Sizemore as the detective that pursues them. On adopting an Australian accent for this role:

I just think that the Australian phenomenon reminds me more of American as with the British invasion from the ’60s. But when I was thinking about Kirk Lazarus I was thinking about Colin Farrell, about Daniel Day Lewis and about Russell Crowe and whoever was the most effective tool for whatever my thing was, I would use.

6 Nov, 1987

Less Than Zero

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Downey Jr. stars as Julian, a struggling junkie, in the drama about the addictive tendencies of the youth of Los Angeles based on Brett Easton Ellis’ book. Rumors of Downey arriving on the set of Less Than Zero already high on the drugs he was meant to be acting with began to surround the film’s reputation and Downey’s. Co-starring Andrew McCarthy and James Spader.

Until that movie, I took my drugs after work and on the weekends. Maybe I’d turn up hungover on the set, but no more so than the stuntman. That changed on Less Than Zero. I was playing this junkie-faggot guy and, for me, the role was like the ghost of Christmas future. The character was an exaggeration of myself. Then things changed and, in some ways, I became an exaggeration of the character. That lasted far longer than it needed to last.

4 Apr, 1965

Robert Downey, Jr. born in New York City

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RDJRobert John Downey, Jr. is born in New York City’s Greenwich Village to parents in the entertainment industry. His father, Robert Downey, Sr, is actor, filmmaker, and producer, and his mother Elise Ford,  is a singer and dancer. He has a sister named Allyson who is two years older than him. His father’s work requires the family to move a lot, and in 1977, his parents divorce. He lives with his mother in New York, while his sister stays with their dad in California. On his bohemian-influenced upbringing:

But speaking of the way I grew up, my mom and dad were actually kind of squares who found themselves entrenched in the counterculture, underground film making world. So it was all the people you would expect to be around Greenwich Village at that time, and to me, it was just really natural.