History Creator / RobertDowneyJr

-->"Possibly the worst action movie of all time, and that's just not good for the maintenance of a good spiritual condition. You've had a traumatic year, you've been practically suicidal -- what do you think would be really healing for you? How about like twelve weeks of running around as Johnny Handgun? I think that if you talk to a spirit guide, they would say, 'That'll kill you.' ...I thought maybe there was something I was missing, and what I really needed to do was to be in one of those films that I love taking my kid to. It would end up being really depressing. I'd rather wake up in jail for a TB test than have to wake up another morning knowing I'm going to the set of ''US Marshals''".

* ScullyBox: He's just 5' 8'' (1,74 m), so his superhero movies at times require him to wear high heels (as even his love interest co-star Creator/GwynethPaltrow [[http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/images/celebritology/08/gwyn_morph.jpg can tower over him]] -- [[http://www.buzznet.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/04/msg-136692078643.jpg though when both have proper shoes...]]).
* SoMyKidsCanWatch: Downey's teenage son is a fan of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', so he called the show's production staff and asked if he could be involved in making an episode. The result of that was Downey guest-starring on the episode in which Peter starts a pro-obese men advocacy group and Lois finds out that she has a long-lost brother who was put in a mental hospital [[spoiler:after seeing his mom giving a blowjob to Jackie Gleason, which triggered Patrick's murderous hatred for fat men]].
* StarMakingRole:

%% Per Administrivia/CreatorPageGuidelines, only tropes associated to a creator's works are allowed on this wiki's pages, and tropes that only apply to the creator's personal life as if the creator is a fictional character are not allowed. Please do not apply tropes about the creator's personal life as if they are a fictional character.

** ''Film/{{Iron Man|1}}'' (2008) [[note]]Oddly enough, in the [[VideoGame/IronMan1 video game based on the movie]], he voiced Tony Stark while Creator/StephenStanton voiced Iron Man.[[/note]]

** ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' (2019) [[note]]Via archive footage from ''Captain America: Civil War''.[[/note]]

* ''Film/TheNiceGuys'' (2016) as Sid Shattuck [[note]]Uncredited cameo.[[/note]]

--> "Possibly the worst action movie of all time, and that's just not good for the maintenance of a good spiritual condition. You've had a traumatic year, you've been practically suicidal -- what do you think would be really healing for you? How about like twelve weeks of running around as Johnny Handgun? I think that if you talk to a spirit guide, they would say, 'That'll kill you.' ...I thought maybe there was something I was missing, and what I really needed to do was to be in one of those films that I love taking my kid to. It would end up being really depressing. I'd rather wake up in jail for a TB test than have to wake up another morning knowing I'm going to the set of ''US Marshals''".

* CareerResurrection: One of the biggest examples of this in modern Hollywood. In the mid to late 90s, Downey was a notorious drug addict and was frequently arrested. In 1996, an intoxicated Downey was found at his neighbor’s house passed out. He was later sentenced to 3 years in prison in 1999 but only spent 1 year at the California State Substance Abuse Facility in Corcoran. After being arrested one last time in 2001, he was later sent to rehab again, finally quitting drugs in 2003. Downey's turns in critically lauded films such as ''Film/KissKissBangBang'', ''Film/AScannerDarkly'', and ''Film/{{Zodiac|2007}}'' returned him to the realm of respected actors, but his appearance in ''Film/IronMan1'' cemented him as an A-lister, to the point where the general public forgot about his controversies.
* TheCastShowoff: Downey writes music, sings and plays the piano quite well. As a result, this leads to some delightful showoff moments, including:

* MetaCasting: Downey practically ''is'' Tony Stark, and really most of his later roles have been about talented men dealing with substance abuse problems. The Burger King reference in ''Film/IronMan1'' alludes to the moment when he realized he hit rock bottom and had to do something to fix his life.

** Debatable as it is, his role as the titular character of ''Film/{{Chaplin}}'' was his earliest, earning him his very first Academy Award Nomination in 1992.

*** He also did it ''for'' Iron Man. Before the movie came out, Tony Stark was not considered one of the better Marvel heroes. He wasn't as strong as [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]] or [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], and [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] was smarter; even [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] was at least on par with him. He also had a plain personality (aside from his occasional playboy moments, and even those were few and far between, and more frequent in the '60s), and was involved in some [[ComicBook/CivilWar very questionable]] [[Comicbook/WorldWarHulk story arcs]]. Downey Jr.'s portrayal not only revitalized interest in the character, but finally gave him a distinct personality.
* ThrowItIn: '''Endlessly.''' Examples from ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'':
** As Creator/JossWhedon noted, the "That man is playing ''Galaga''!" line was ad-libbed, and worked so well that Whedon decided to dub in an image of ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}'' on "that man's" console as the scene's punch line.
** Reportedly, Tony's "Let's just not come in tomorrow" speech was improvised, as was Tony's taunt towards Thor: [[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe "Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?"]]
** The scene with Tony eating blueberries wasn't scripted; RDJ had a habit of squirreling food away around the set, and was hungry when they were filming the scene.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[Film/TropicThunder A dude who plays dudes.]]]]

* ''Film/TheNiceGuys'' (2016) as Sid Shattuck (uncredited cameo)

After one last stay in a court-ordered drug treatment program, Downey finally achieved lasting sobriety in 2003 and his career began to take off again. He appeared in semi-independent films such as ''The Singing Detective'', ''Film/AScannerDarkly'' and ''Film/KissKissBangBang''. He also had supporting roles in the mainstream films ''Film/{{Gothika}}'', ''Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck'' and ''Film/{{Zodiac|2007}}''. In 2004, Downey released his debut studio album ''The Futurist'', although he was involved with music a little earlier; that's him walking around in the Music/EltonJohn video for "I Want Love."

* ''Literature/MrWillowbysChristmasTree'' (1995) as Mr. Willowby.

In the late 90s, Downey was frequently arrested on drug-related charges and went through several drug treatment programs, but had difficulty staying sober. In 1999, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison, although only served a year. After being released from the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in 2000, Downey joined the cast of the hit television series ''Series/AllyMcBeal'', playing the new LoveInterest of Calista Flockhart's title character. His performance was praised and he was nominated for an Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a miniseries or TV film, but his character was written out when Downey was fired after two arrests in late 2000 and early 2001.

* ''Film/{{Chef}}'' (2014) as Marvin

----

After one last stay in a court-ordered drug treatment program, Downey finally achieved lasting sobriety in 2003 and his career began to take off again. He appeared in semi-independent films such as ''The Singing Detective'', ''Film/AScannerDarkly'' and ''Film/KissKissBangBang''. He also had supporting roles in the mainstream films ''Film/{{Gothika}}'', ''Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck'' and ''Film/{{Zodiac}}''. In 2004, Downey released his debut studio album ''The Futurist'', although he was involved with music a little earlier; that's him walking around in the Music/EltonJohn video for "I Want Love."

* ''Film/{{Zodiac}}'' (2007) as Paul Avery

* CareerResurrection: One of the biggest examples of this in modern Hollywood. In the mid to late 90s, Downey was a notorious drug addict and was frequently arrested. In 1996, an intoxicated Downey was found at his neighbor’s house passed out. He was later sentenced to 3 years in prison in 1999 but only spent 1 year at the California State Substance Abuse Facility in Corcoran. After being arrested one last time in 2001, he was later sent to rehab again, finally quitting drugs in 2003. Downey's turns in critically lauded films such as ''Film/KissKissBangBang'', ''Film/AScannerDarkly'', and ''Film/{{Zodiac}}'' returned him to the realm of respected actors, but his appearance in ''Film/IronMan1'' cemented him as an A-lister, to the point where the general public forgot about his controversies.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (2008-2019) as [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark / Iron Man]]:

Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. The son of [[Film/PutneySwope film director Robert Downey Sr.]], Downey made his screen debut at the age of 5 when he appeared in one of his father's films, ''Film/{{Pound}}'' (1970), and has worked consistently in film and television ever since.

Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. Downey made his screen debut at the age of 5 when he appeared in one of his father's films, ''Film/{{Pound}}'' (1970), and has worked consistently in film and television ever since.

** In [[CareerResurrection a weird way]], ''Film/IronMan1'' was also this for him. He had a popular career and was well-known before, but after his legal and substance abuse problems throughout the mid-late 1990s to early 2000s, he had become practically untouchable and was seen as something of a has-been and a tabloid fixture. Then he was hired to play Tony Stark, and since then he has been one of the highest-earning actors in the world, and is practically inseparable from the role to the point where people now know him as Tony Stark than his addictions and arrests.

** In [[CareerResurrection a weird way]], ''Film/IronMan1'' was also this for him. He had had a popular career before it, but after his legal and substance abuse problems he had become practically untouchable and was seen as something of a has-been. Then he was hired to play Tony Stark, and since then he has been one of the highest-earning actors in the world, and is practically inseparable from the role.
*** He also did it ''for'' Iron Man. Before the movie came out, Tony Stark was not considered one of the better Marvel heroes. He wasn't as strong as [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]] or [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], and [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] was smarter; even [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] was at least on par with him. He also had a bland, unmemorable personality (aside from his occasional playboy moments, and even those were few and far between, and more frequent in the '60s), and was involved in some [[ComicBook/CivilWar very questionable]] [[Comicbook/WorldWarHulk story arcs]]. Downey Jr.'s portrayal not only revitalized interest in the character, but finally gave him a distinct personality.

* CareerResurrection: Downey's turns in critically lauded films such as ''Film/KissKissBangBang'', ''Film/AScannerDarkly'', and ''Film/{{Zodiac}}'' returned him to the realm of respected actors, but his appearance in ''Film/IronMan1'' cemented him as an A-lister. Prior to this, he was practically unemployable as his drug problems made him very difficult to insure.

Between 1996 and 2001, Downey was frequently arrested on drug-related charges and went through several drug treatment programs, but had difficulty staying sober. After being released from the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in 2000, Downey joined the cast of the hit television series ''Series/AllyMcBeal'', playing the new LoveInterest of Calista Flockhart's title character. His performance was praised and he was nominated for an Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a miniseries or TV film, but his character was written out when Downey was fired after two arrests in late 2000 and early 2001.

After one last stay in a court-ordered drug treatment program, Downey finally achieved lasting sobriety and his career began to take off again. He appeared in semi-independent films such as ''The Singing Detective'', ''Film/AScannerDarkly'' and ''Film/KissKissBangBang''. He also had supporting roles in the mainstream films ''Film/{{Gothika}}'', ''Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck'' and ''Film/{{Zodiac}}''. In 2004, Downey released his debut studio album ''The Futurist'', although he was involved with music a little earlier; that's him walking around in the Music/EltonJohn video for "I Want Love."

In 2008, Downey started playing the Creator/MarvelComics superhero [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark / Iron Man]] in the adaptation ''Film/IronMan1'', which kickstarted the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. His lauded interpretation of the role turned that grade-B comic book character into a pop-culture icon, defined the tone of the MCU, made him its biggest star and practically became his most iconic role. Not counting Creator/SamuelLJackson's ComicBook/NickFury, Tony Stark/Iron Man is the superhero that has appeared in the biggest number of films in that setting. And somehow, playing a SuperHero with undeniable talent and a substance abuse problem seemed to be natural for him. He also went on to redefine Literature/SherlockHolmes for the big screen in Creator/GuyRitchie's film series, with martial arts, dry wit and quirkiness combined with Ritchie's flair for slow motion and detailing flashbacks.

** ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' (2008)[[note]]In TheStinger.[[/note]]

*** He also did it ''for'' Iron Man. Before the movie came out, Tony Stark was not considered one of the better Marvel heroes. He wasn't as strong as [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]] or [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], and [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] was smarter; even [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] was at least on par with him. He also had a bland, unmemorable personality (aside from his occasional playboy moments, and even those were few and far between, and more frequent in the '60s), and was involved in some [[ComicBook/CivilWar very questionable]] [[Comicbook/WorldWarHulk story arcs]]. Downey Jr.'s portrayal not only revitalized interest in the character, but finally gave him a distinct personality.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (2008-2019) as [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark / Iron Man]]:

Downey, Jr. had roles in a series of coming-of-age films associated with the Creator/BratPack. He was cast to read one of the letters in the 1987 film ''Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam'' before his rise to fame. ''Film/LessThanZero'' is particularly notable, not only because it was the first time Downey's acting would be acknowledged by critics, but also because the role pushed Downey's already-existing drug habit one step further. After ''Zero'', Downey started landing roles in bigger films, such as ''Film/AirAmerica'' and ''Film/{{Soapdish}}''. These higher-profile roles eventually led to his being cast as Creator/CharlieChaplin in the 1992 {{biopic}} ''Film/{{Chaplin}}'', for which he gained an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for Best Actor.

*** He also did it ''for'' Iron Man. Before the movie came out, Tony Stark was not considered one of the better Marvel heroes. He wasn't as strong as [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]] or [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], and [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] was smarter; even [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] was at least on par with him. He also had a bland, unmemorable personality (aside from his occasional playboy moments, and even those were few and far between, and more frequent in the '60s), and was involved in some [[ComicBook/CivilWar very questionable]] [[Comicbook/WorldWarHulk story arcs]]. Downey Jr.'s take on the character not only revitalized interest in the character, but finally gave him a distinct personality.

* WagTheDirector: The MCU was supposed to further explore Tony Stark's alcoholism (as seen in ''Film/IronMan2'') but he nixed the idea, saying that it would have caused him to revisit a mindset that he'd worked hard to overcome. Tony's story arc was reworked to have him deal with PTSD and a never-ending need to be Iron Man at the expense of everything else. Given the fact that the original idea is exactly what happened on the film ''Film/LessThanZero'', and that role caused Downey to go from habitual user to full addict, it's probably for the best that Downey nixed it. And considering how Tony Stark's character got fully fleshed out and became so beloved, it seemed to have turned out for the better.

During the [[TheEighties 1980s]], he was a cast member on the NBC sketch show ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' [[note]]incidentally, Robert Downey, Jr. has an uncle named Jim Downey, who was on the show as a writer (one of the longest-running writers on the show, next to Rob Smigel and Lorne Michaels himself) and a one-season cast member during the show's fifth season from 1979 to 1980. Jim Downey only had one recurring character (Arthur Grayson, of the Grayson Moorehead Securities fake commercials in the mid-1990s) and two celebrity impressions (Dave Powers and George Bush, Sr. [back when Bush, Sr. was running for vice president to Ronald Reagan])[[/note]] during its 1985-1986 season [[note]]a season often cited as one of the worst in the show's history due to the young, inexperienced cast hired and the frustrated writers who couldn't work with them[[/note]]. Downey Jr.'s (who was credited as "Robert Downey" during his time on his show) recurring characters included Jimmy Chance (a pretentious movie critic) and Rudy Randolph III (son of Rudy Randolph Jr., played by Randy Quaid[[note]][[TheDanza whose real name, coincidentally, is Randall Rudy]][[/note]], the owner of an HonestJohnsDealership that sells flood-damaged furniture, clothes from foreign dictatorships, and stolen Rolls Royces). Downey Jr.'s celebrity impressions included Elvis Presley, Sean Penn, George Michael, John Cougar Mellencamp, John Oates[[note]]with Anthony Michael Hall as Daryl Hall[[/note]], Paul Simon[[note]]with Anthony Michael Hall as Art Garfunkel[[/note]], and Julian Lynch. Downey, Jr. is also one of three season 11 cast members (joining Jon Lovitz[[note]]who hosted a season 23 episode with musical guest Jane's Addiction[[/note]] and Damon Wayans[[note]]who hosted a season 20 episode with musical guest Dionne Farris, and special appearance by his ''In Living Color'' co-star, David Alan Grier[[/note]]) to come back and host ''SNL'' [[note]]Downey, Jr. hosted during the show's 22nd season with musical guest Fiona Apple. His episode is notable because this was around the time Downey, Jr.'s drug problems were headline news and he took a week off from rehab just to host. There were a couple of sketches that addressed/made fun of it: Downey, Jr.'s monologue showed how he spent his summer vacation, which included scoring drugs from dealers, getting arrested, and having a "hot summer romance" with his cellmate, and a 1970s cop show parody where Downey, Jr. plays a cop who rants about how drug abusers shouldn't be forgiven for what they do to themselves, including ones who happen to be movie stars[[/note]]

** ''Film/{{Iron Man|1}}'' (2008) [[note]]Oddly enough, in the video game based on the movie, he voiced Tony Stark while Creator/StephenStanton voiced Iron Man.[[/note]]

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (2008-2021) as [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark / Iron Man]]:

** ''Film/{{Black Widow|2021}}'' (2021) [[note]]Through a repurposed DeletedScene from ''Civil War''[[/note]]
** ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If...?]]'' (2021)