Robert Downey Jr. has been hitting the headlines since childhood days. Whether it is his profession or personal life, he has always been hitting the headlines. Many of you who have been following the actor know that his life hasn’t been easy. He had some struggling years but chose to rise like a phoenix instead of sulking. A year ago, there was a debate about how nepotism affected Hollywood. There is no denying that he is a product of nepotism, but you also cannot deny the fact that the actor is talented and has beaten all odds and secured a place for himself in the industry. Not just in showbiz, the actor has also ventured into business.
As the actor is all set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom, here are some fun and fascinating facts that you might not know about him.
Family With A Movie Background
Robert John Downey Jr.’s father, Downey Sr., was a filmmaker, and his mother, Elsie Ann, was an actress who featured in his films. Famous personalities like Harry Connick Jr. and Barbara Walters are apparently his cousins.
Born To Shine
Robert has been acting since an early age. He was 5 when he debuted on-screen with the movie Pound (1970). He starred as a pet in this movie. He went on to work with the Brat Pack in films like Weird, Science and Less Than Zero. For the uninitiated, Brat Pack is a famous group of young actors from 1980s teen-oriented films.
Learnt Ballet As A Child
Due to his father’s international work, Robert had to move around a lot. In the 70s, he lived in England for a year. When he was ten years old, he studied classical ballet at Perry House School in London.
Dropped Out Of High School
At the age of 17, Robert dropped out of Santa Monica High School, CA. After shifting to New York, he started pursuing acting.
His First Job
While answering the internet’s most searched questions about him, he revealed his first job at the Indian Walk Shoe Store on Broadway and 83rd Street. He added that he made it about ten shifts before getting fired for his sticky fingers.
Performed As A Living Art Statue
Apparently, he also cleaned tables at Central Falls restaurant. His most unconventional job was probably performing as a living art statue at SohHo’s notorious underground club Area.
Buried All Clothes In Yard To Start Afresh
After filming Less Than Zero in 1987, Robert wanted to change his image and focus on serious acting, which is when he buried all the clothes that he wore during filming in his yard to start afresh for his new film Chaplin in 1992.
Chaplin- His Greatest Performances To Date
Chaplin is a biographical comedy about the life of British comedian Charlie Chaplin. Robert’s performance is considered one of his greatest performances to date. Queen Elizabeth II, the queen of the United Kingdom, attended the movie premiere in London’s Leicester Square.
Apparently, Robert has kept many of the authentic vintage clothing he wore for his 1992 movie Chaplin. In 1988, he bought Chaplin’s house.
Rob, Charlie & Sean Were His Teenage Friends
Robert, Rob Lowe, Charlie Sheen and Sean Penn were teenage friends who attended the same California school (Santa Monica High School).
Talented Musician
Robert is also a talented musician. In 2004, he released his debut music album on Sony Classical, The Futurist, which received mixed reviews. He also showcased his singing skills in the 2008 movie Tropical Thunder.
His Father Introduced Him To Drugs At The Age Of 6
Robert and his father shared a complicated relationship. In the Netflix documentary Sr., the duo had spoken openly about their substance abuse problems. Downey Sr. had revealed that he was addicted to cocaine for 15 years. It was he who introduced marijuana to his son at the age of 6. Downey Sr revealed in the documentary that they were idiots as they felt it was cute to let him (their son) smoke. Well, everyone knows what Downey Jr had to go through because of his addiction.
Elton’s Music Video Was A Much-Needed Success For Robert
To shoot Elton John’s music video “I Want Love” in France, Robert was let out of rehab for a day. This took his career in a positive direction, as studios dropped him from his roles for his conflicted image. The video, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, turned out to be a huge success.
Tough Days/Years For Robert
Robert faced a tough time in the late 1990s when he was arrested several times between 1996 and 2001 due to substance abuse. Things worsened when he missed the court-ordered drug tests, because of which he was sentenced to prison for three years. However, he was granted an early release after being imprisoned for 365 days.
Broke Into Neighbour’s House In Intoxicated Condition
Robert, in an intoxicated condition, broke into his neighbour Malibu’s home, thinking it was his own, and fell asleep in their child’s bed. He was arrested for being under the influence of drugs, and this incident was the third violation of his probation.
How Robert Changed His Life For the Better
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the success of Iron Man and Iron man Suits changed his life! During that time, the actor was trying to rebuild his public image after struggling with drug abuse and arrests. Although his director-friend supported him for this role, Kevin Feige thought it was risky. However, the risk paid off in the end, as Robert gained global recognition with this film.
Wasn’t Allowed In Few Countries For Promotion
Due to his prior criminal records, Robert had trouble entering some countries, including Japan, for Iron Man promotion.
In an interview, he revealed that he was detained in Japan. He was not only interrogated for six hours but was also almost barred from entering the country for failing to disclose his past convictions. Although he was eventually allowed to enter Japan for the Iron Man premiere, he was later banned from entering the country again.
For His First Iron Man, Robert Just Made $500,000
Robert made only $500,000 for his first Iron Man because of the controversies he was facing due to addiction and arrests. After the film’s super success, Robert made $50 million for his appearance in 2012’s The Avengers. For his short role in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), he earned $15 million. In 2013, he earned $75 million for his third Iron Man.
His Contribution To the Environment
In 2020, he co-founded The Footprint Coalition, an organization launched to reduce carbon footprints worldwide. In 2024, he also co-authored a book, Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time, which helps you to make simple food choices in your daily life to reduce environmental impact.
Practices Martial Art For A Healthy Lifestyle
Since 2003, the actor has been sober. He credits his wife and family, along with therapy, medication, yoga and the martial art Wing Chun Kung Fu, for the same. He began studying this martial art under Sifu Eric Oram, who was also a fight and martial arts consultant on his film Sherlock Holmes.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is known for launching several comedians and actors. In 1985, when the show’s rating had dropped, Lorne Michaels hired a few new and upcoming actors who weren’t comedians, and Robert was one among them. When he joined the cast of SNL in Season 11, he was just 20 years old and had very little experience in comedy. Although the show’s ratings didn’t pick, and Lorne let go of Robert after one season, it helped Robert grow, as he focused on finding movie roles, and the rest is history.
Academy Awards & Oscar Awards
Joan Cusack and Dan Aykroyd were Saturday Night Live cast members who were nominated for the Acadamy Awards, but it was for their Supporting Roles category. He was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role and was the first SNL cast member to achieve this. The star also received an Oscar nomination for his amazing performance in Chaplin for Best Actor.
In 2024, he won the Oscars for Oppenheimer, becoming the first former cast member to do so.
Robert’s Life-Changing Burger King Story!
In an interview, he revealed how Burger King helped him reevaluate his life! He described how he was driving around with illicit substances in his car (in 2003) and stopped at Burger King, where he ordered a burger and a large soda. He thanked the Burger King because their food was so bad that it made him think about his life. He threw all of his drugs in the ocean and decided to clean up his act.
Kiefer Sutherland Was His Roommate During Struggling Days
Robert and Kiefer Sutherland shared an LA apartment for three years during their struggling days. Despite their tough start, they went on to become big and starred together in the 1988 film 1969.
The Real Superhero For 7-Year-Old Boy
Not just on-screen, Robert was the real superhero for a 7-year-old boy in Florida as he presented him with a bionic prosthetic arm. This robotic arm was made by 3D printing technology and had light inside the palm, just like Iron Man.
He Used To Hide Snacks On The Avengers Set
On The Avengers (2012) set, Robert used to hide snacks all over the lab, and nobody could find them. In fact, the scenes in the movie where Tony Shark, AKA Robert, was shown eating weren’t scripted.
Collection Of Expensive Designer Sneakers
Robert has expensive designer sneakers. This man owns an impressive range of high-fashion shoes and even celebrated his 50th birthday (2015), showing off his $2,000 Givenchy sneakers with a two-and-a-half-inch heel.
Robert Convinced Chris Evans & Mark Ruffalo To Play Captain America & Hulk
Apparently, Robert played an important role in influencing Chris Evans to take up the role of Captain America. Also, Mark Ruffalo revealed on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show how Robert encouraged him to play Hulk in the first Avengers.
Robert Dated Sarah Jessica Parker
Robert and Sarah Jessica Parker were in a relationship for almost seven years. They were an “IT” couple in the 1980s. However, their relationship didn’t last long; blame it on Robert’s drug and alcohol addiction.
Here’s What Susan Felt When She First Met Robert!
In 2003, while filming Gothika, Robert met his soulmate Susan. Initially, Susan is not interested in Robert and thinks he is strange! Things changed after he asked her out for dinner a few weeks after they started filming. The duo, who fell in love and then got married, have two children- a son, Exton (2012) and a daughter, Avri (2014).
Robert & Susan’s Production Company
Robert and his wife Susan own their production company, Team Downey, and The Judge was their first feature film.
Robert Accidentally Broke Halle Berry’s Arm
Apparently, Halle Berry suffered an injury in 2003 on the set of Gothika. She revealed that while shooting a scene, Robert grabbed her arm the wrong way and broke it. According to reports, the actress hasn’t forgotten or forgiven him for the same, as she felt that he wasn’t sorry enough.
Robert Is A Watch Aficionado
As a watch aficionado, Robert has an exceptional collection of branded timepieces, such as Breitling, Patek Philippe, Omega, and Rolex. The actor also inherited a vintage Baume and Mercier timepiece from his grandfather.
Wins Golden Globe For Sherlock Holmes
Robert is the “First and only actor” to win Golden Globe for playing Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective.
Walked Out Of An Interview When Asked About His Dark Past
In 2015, while promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron, Robert walked out of an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy as he was asked repeatedly about his dark past. The Oppenheimer actor felt it was inappropriate since children would be watching. He also mentioned to Howard Stern that he wouldn’t mind walking out again if he faced similar situations in the future.
Robert’s Coffee Company
In 2024, he launched a coffee company, Happy with Craig Dubitsky. In an interview with People, the actor spoke about his love for coffee. He credited coffee for his sanity.
