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3%%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.
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6[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rdj.jpeg]]
7[[caption-width-right:300:[[Film/TropicThunder A dude who plays dudes. Sometimes disguised as other dudes.]]]]
8
9->''"Truth is... I am Film/IronMan1."''
10-->-- '''Tony Stark'''
11
12[[Film/TropicThunder You know who he is.]]
13
14Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965 in New York City, New York) 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.
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16During the [[TheEighties 1980s]], he was a cast member on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and 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.
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18In 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 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Film, but his character was written out when Downey was fired after two arrests in late 2000 and early 2001.
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20After 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 ''Film/TheSingingDetective'', ''Literature/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."
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22In 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. In 2015, the state of California pardoned his 1996 drug and weapons arrest.
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24''Film/TropicThunder'', in which he played Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus who is overly engrossed in his role as an African-American soldier, earned him his second Oscar nomination, in the category of Best Supporting Actor, which he lost to Creator/HeathLedger (but not before being lauded by Creator/CubaGoodingJr as the only man crazy enough -- and good enough -- to do {{blackface}} in the 21st century).
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26Downey would eventually win his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Admiral Lewis Strauss in the 2023 biopic, ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}.'' He openly states it is the "best film [he's] ever been in."
27----
28!! Selected filmography:
29* ''Film/TuffTurf'' (1985) as Jimmy Parker
30* ''Film/WeirdScience'' (1985) as Ian
31* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (1985) {{as himself}}
32* ''Film/BackToSchool'' (1986) as Derek Lutz
33* ''Film/LessThanZero'' (1987) as Julian Wells
34* ''Film/JohnnyBeGood'' (1988) as Leo
35* ''Film/ChancesAre'' (1989) as Alex Finch/Louie Jeffries
36* ''Film/AirAmerica'' (1990) as Billy Covington
37* ''Film/SoapDish'' (1991) as David Seton Barnes
38* ''Film/{{Chaplin}}'' (1992) as Creator/CharlieChaplin
39* ''Film/HeartAndSouls'' (1993) as Thomas Reilly
40* ''Film/ShortCuts'' (1993) as Bill Bush
41* ''Film/NaturalBornKillers'' (1994) as Wayne Gale
42* ''Film/OnlyYou'' (1994) as Peter Wright
43* ''Film/RichardIII'' (1995) as Earl Rivers
44* ''Film/HomeForTheHolidays'' (1995) as Tommy Larson
45* ''Literature/MrWillowbysChristmasTree'' (1995) as Mr. Willowby
46* ''Film/{{Restoration|1995}}'' (1995) as Dr. Robert Merivel
47* ''Film/{{One Night Stand|1997}}'' (1997) as Charlie
48* ''Film/TheGingerbreadMan'' (1998) as Clyde Pell
49* ''Film/USMarshals'' (1998) as John Royce
50* ''Film/{{Bowfinger}}'' (1999) as Jerry Renfro
51* ''Film/{{Black and White|1999}}'' (1999) as Terry Donager
52* ''Film/WonderBoys'' (2000) as Terry Crabtree
53* ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' (2000) as Larry Paul
54* ''Film/{{Gothika}}'' (2003) as Pete Graham
55* ''Film/TheSingingDetective'' (2003) as Dan Dark
56* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' (2005) as Patrick Pewterschidmt
57* ''Film/KissKissBangBang'' (2005) as Harry Lockhart
58* ''Film/GoodNightAndGoodLuck'' (2005) as Joseph Wershba
59* ''Film/TheShaggyDog'' (2006) as Dr. Kozak
60* ''Film/AGuideToRecognizingYourSaints'' (2006) as Dito Montiel
61* ''Literature/AScannerDarkly'' (2006) as James Barris
62* ''Film/FurAnImaginaryPortraitOfDianeArbus'' (2006) as Lionel Sweeney
63* ''Film/{{Zodiac|2007}}'' (2007) as Paul Avery
64* ''Film/CharlieBartlett'' (2007) as Principal Nathan Gardner
65* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (2008 -- 2019) as [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark / Iron Man]]:
66** ''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]]
67** ''Film/{{The Incredible Hulk|2008}}'' (2008)[[note]]In TheStinger.[[/note]]
68** ''Film/IronMan2'' (2010)
69** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' (2012)
70** ''Film/IronMan3'' (2013)
71** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' (2015)
72** ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' (2016)
73** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' (2017)
74** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' (2018)
75** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' (2019)
76** ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' (2019)[[note]]Via archive footage from ''Captain America: Civil War''.[[/note]]
77* ''Film/TropicThunder'' (2008) as Kirk Lazarus / Sgt. Lincoln Osiris
78* ''Film/TheSoloist'' (2009) as Steven Lopez
79* Creator/GuyRitchie's ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'' series as Literature/SherlockHolmes
80** ''Film/{{Sherlock Holmes|2009}}'' (2009)
81** ''Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows'' (2011)
82* ''Film/DueDate'' (2010) as Peter Highman
83* ''Film/{{Chef|2014}}'' (2014) as Marvin
84* ''Film/TheJudge'' (2014) as Hank Palmer
85* ''Film/TheNiceGuys'' (2016) as Sid Shattuck[[note]]Uncredited cameo.[[/note]]
86* ''Film/{{Dolittle}}'' (2020) as Dr. John Dolittle
87* ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'' (2023) as Lewis Strauss
88* ''Series/TheSympathizer'' (2024)
89
90!!Robert Downey, Jr. and his works provide examples of:
91%%As with all Creator/ pages, trivia tropes about the creator specifically are to be posted here, not a Trivia/ page, as they technically are InUniverse in the case of the person's career.
92%%However: As with all Creator/ pages, items that could go on a specific work's trivia page go there, not here.
93* AddictionDisplacement: Has cited kung fu as his anti-drug.
94* CareerResurrection: One of '''the''' most famous tales of career resurrection ever. Downey's drug addiction (and frequent arrests as a result thereof) in the 90s caused his career to stall. In the mid-2000s, he acted in critically lauded films such as ''Film/KissKissBangBang'', ''Literature/AScannerDarkly'', and ''Film/{{Zodiac|2007}}'' and returned to the realm of respected actors, but his appearance in ''Film/IronMan1'' cemented him as an A-lister. In 2024, he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}''.
95* TheCastShowoff: Downey writes music, sings and plays the piano, which is sometimes utilized in his roles.
96** Downey performed his own compositions in the movies ''Friends and Lovers'' and ''Two Girls and a Guy.''
97** The song played during the ending credits of ''Film/KissKissBangBang'' is a Downey original from his 2004 music album ''The Futurist''.
98** Downey's acclaimed musical performances on ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' include a version of Music/JoniMitchell's song "River" and a duet version of the song "Every Breath You Take" with Music/{{Sting}}.
99* CoveredInGunge: He got slimed during the 2021 [[UsefulNotes/KidsChoiceAward Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards]].
100* CreatorBacklash: He '''hated''' doing ''Film/USMarshals''.
101-->"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 ''U.S. Marshals''".
102* HarpoDoesSomethingFunny: A noted ad-libber, Downey was vital in making the largely unscripted ''Film/IronMan1'' as funny as it was. Also notable is that though Creator/JossWhedon is the one who came up with Tony's quip to Thor about "Shakespeare in the Park," Downey is the one who decided to start taunting Thor about "weareth(ing his mother's) drapes."
103* MetaCasting: Several 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.
104* MoneyDearBoy: He admitted he's probably not going back to his indie roots anytime soon, because most of what he's participated in was poorly-promoted, mediocre, and inexperienced.
105* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Just listen to his ''bizarre'' accent in ''Film/{{Dolittle}}'', which is mean to be Welsh, but dips in and out of Scottish, Irish, Afrikaner and Spanish.
106* PromotedFanboy: He's a fan of the ''Iron Man'' comic series, even [[http://screenrant.com/marvel-comics-iron-man-riri-williams-robert-downey/ responding positively]] to the decision to give Iron Man an AffirmativeActionLegacy successor. He also once watched ''The Matrix'' with his wife (who is also a Hollywood producer) and simply said, "I could do that." And thus set the plan in motion to headline a blockbuster action film after putting his old habits behind him for good.
107* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: He was fired from ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' because of his drug problems.
108* RomanceOnTheSet: Met his current wife, Susan Levin, who was an associate to producer Joel Silver, while making ''Film/{{Gothika}}''.
109* 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...]]).
110* 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.]]
111* StarMakingRole:
112** His role as the titular character of ''Film/{{Chaplin}}'' earned him his very first Academy Award Nomination in 1992.
113** Since Downey was considered a liability by production companies, Mel Gibson personally wrote and paid the insurance bond for Downey so he could star in ''Film/TheSingingDetective''.
114** 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 to the point of being considered a liability by film studios 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.
115* TookALevelInBadass: As part of his rehab program, he began practicing Wing Chun Kung Fu. He makes use of it in the Sherlock Holmes films, and has even used a training pole in ''Iron Man 3''.
116* TypeCasting: Oddly, Downey playing brilliant and dedicated yet deeply flawed heroes with a history of substance abuse ([[Film/IronMan alcohol]], [[Film/SherlockHolmes2009 cocaine]]) is what revived his career.
117* 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-blown 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.
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