Robert Downey Jr.

About Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. was born into a creatively inclined family. His mother, Elise Ford, was an actress and his father, Robert Downey Sr., made his living as an independent film maker. Downey's parents divorced when Robert was 12 and his older sister Allyson left New York to live with her father in Los Angeles while Robert stayed behind with his mother in Greenwich Village.

At 16, Downey Jr. decided to leave his home state of New York and moved to Los Angeles with his father. After living in California for a year, Robert decided to drop out of high school to pursue his acting career full time. Strangely enough, instead of staying in Los Angeles, Downey Jr., decided to pack up again and move in with his sister, who was at the time, living in New York.

Early Acting Gigs

Downey Jr.'s, story is much like other struggling actors' stories, in that he worked as a busboy at a restaurant and other odd jobs while auditioning for various film and stage roles. Robert already had a bit of experience acting as he often played roles in his father's independent films. His first time in front of a camera was at the age of five in his father's film Pounds. Initially, Downey Jr. found a few bit parts in films like:

• Baby It's You (1983)
• First Born (1984)
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (1984)
• Deadwait (1985)

It wasn't until his starring role in The Pick-Up Artist thaat directors in Hollywood began taking notice of the 23 year old's acting abilities.

Less Than Zero Becomes True Life

In 1987, Robert Downey Jr. won a co-starring role in the critically acclaimed film Less Than Zero, starring alongside 1980's movie mainstays Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz and James Spader. In the film, Downey Jr. plays the role of Julian Wells, a young 20-something with a serious drug abuse problem. The role of an addict would soon take hold in real life, as Robert Downey Jr. became an addict himself.

Addiction

Robert Downey Jr. entered rehab for the first time in 1987, the same year Less Than Zero was released. After successfully completing his rehab program, Downey Jr.'s career was back on track and he earned an Oscar nomination for his work in the film Chaplin in 1992. His career was a success, but his personal life was failing as his drug addiction resurfaced - resulting in three drug related arrests in 1996. As a result of his arrests, he was sentenced to three years probation, which he repeatedly violated.

In 1997, Robert skipped out on his court ordered drug test and as a result, spent four months in jail. A short time later, after missing another mandatory drug test, he had finally blown all of his chances and an L.A. county judge sentenced the actor, and now father and husband, to one year in prison.

After his release, the actor began slowly repairing his heavily damaged career and landed a recurring role on the popular show Ally McBeal. The success and critical praise he garnered for the role was short-lived, as he was once again arrested twice for drug possession. He was subsequently written out of the hit show.

During his days of drug addiction, Robert Downey Jr. lost more than his career. The woman he loved (Sarah Jessica Parker) at the time left him after a seven year relationship. Soon after that ended, he met the woman who would be his first wife, Deborah Falconer, who, along with their son Indio, left him in 2004.

Recovery

Soon after his arrests in the late 1990's, Downey Jr. once again began repairing his career and personal life. He met current wife Susan in 2004 and the couple married in 2005. The actor now credits his wife Susan, son Indio and hard work for staying off drugs.

The once young actor written off by Hollywood as a casualty of the Hollywood partying lifestyle has also steered his career back on the right track with the hugely successful film Iron Man, grossing over $200 million, and ''Tropic Thunder and The Soloist, set for release in August and November 2008, respectively.