Iron-Clad Facts About Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. has had many ups and downs (no pun intended) during his career. Regardless of where he’s at, though, he has always been one of the more interesting people in Hollywood.
These 43 facts will help shed light on this charismatic and sometimes controversial film star.
Robert Downey Jr. Facts
1. Born Into Hollywood
Both of Downey’s parents were well-known actors. Robert Downey Sr. is a long-time actor and filmmaker, while Elsie Ford was an actress who frequently appeared in Downey Sr.’s films. Downey Jr.
would also appear in his father’s films during his youth before beginning his career proper.
2. I’ve Had Better Days
The 1985-1986 season of Saturday Night Live featured a young Robert Downey Jr. among its cast. Not only was the season lambasted, but Downey was ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the least successful performers in the history of SNL. To their credit, they blamed the show for wasting Downey’s talent, but there’s a reason why Downey rarely talks about his days on SNL.
3. The Right Method
One of Downey’s big successes in the early part of his career was the 1992 film Chaplin, for which he was nominated for an Oscar. His dedicated preparation to playing the legendary Charlie Chaplin has been well noted. He watched all of Chaplin’s films, he learned to play the violin left-handed, hired a coach to help him imitate Chaplin’s walk and posture, and he even managed to persuade the Museum of the Moving Image to let him try on one of Chaplin’s original costumes. According to Geraldine Chaplin (who played her own grandmother in the film), she was so struck by how similar Downey looked to her father when she first saw him in costume that she had to take a moment to collect herself.
