Robert John Downey Jr.Β (born April 4, 1965), also known asΒ RDJ, is an American actor. A son of a filmmaker, Robert Downey SrΒ and one of theΒ highest-grossing actors of all time,Β his filmsΒ as a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide. In 2008, Downey was named byΒ Time magazine as one of theΒ 100 most influential people in the world, and from 2013 to 2015, he was listed byΒ ForbesΒ asΒ Hollywood'sΒ highest-paid actor. He is the recipient ofΒ numerous accolades, including anΒ Academy Award, anΒ Emmy Award, threeΒ Golden Globe Awards, twoΒ BAFTA Awards, and threeΒ Screen Actors Guild Awards.
At the age of five, Downey made his acting debut in his fatherΒ Robert Downey Sr.'s 1970 filmΒ Pound. He subsequently worked with theΒ Brat PackΒ in the teen filmsΒ Weird ScienceΒ (1985) andΒ Less than ZeroΒ (1987). Downey's portrayal ofΒ Charlie ChaplinΒ in the 1992 biopicΒ Chaplin earned him aΒ BAFTA Award for Best ActorΒ and his firstΒ Academy AwardΒ nomination. Following a stint at theΒ Corcoran Substance Abuse Treatment FacilityΒ on drug charges, he joined the TV seriesΒ Ally McBealΒ in 2000. He won aΒ Golden Globe AwardΒ for the role. Downey was fired from the show in 2001 in the wake of additional drug charges. He stayed in a court-ordered drug treatment program and has maintained his sobriety since 2003.
Downey made his acting comeback in the 2003 filmΒ The Singing Detective, afterΒ Mel GibsonΒ paid his insurance bond, and went on to star in the black comedyΒ Kiss Kiss Bang BangΒ (2005), the thrillerΒ ZodiacΒ (2007) and the action comedyΒ Tropic ThunderΒ (2008). He also playedΒ Sherlock HolmesΒ inΒ Guy Ritchie'sΒ Sherlock HolmesΒ (2009), which earned him his second Golden Globe, and inΒ its 2011 sequel. Downey gained global recognition for starring asΒ Iron ManΒ in tenΒ Marvel Cinematic UniverseΒ films, fromΒ Iron ManΒ (2008) toΒ Avengers: EndgameΒ (2019).
Downey received acclaim for his role inΒ Christopher Nolan'sΒ OppenheimerΒ (2023), winning anΒ Academy Award, aΒ Golden Globe, and aΒ BAFTA AwardΒ for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal ofΒ Lewis Strauss. He was nominated for aΒ Primetime Emmy AwardΒ for playing multiple characters in the black comedy miniseriesΒ The SympathizerΒ (2024). He made hisΒ BroadwayΒ debut that year, playing the title role inΒ Ayad Akhtar'sΒ McNeal.
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