The Stunning Transformation Of Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. is best known around the world today as the Marvel Cinematic Universe hero Iron Man — aka billionaire playboy Tony Stark — but the famous and talented actor has quite the backstory. In fact, it's a story that rivals that of Tony Stark himself. From his troubled childhood to his battles with addiction, and his climb back to the top, this father of three has seen it all and managed to come back to become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. Even if you think you know his history, you'll probably be surprised by parts of the stunning transformation of Robert Downey Jr.

As a teen, Robert Downey Jr. started attending the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center just as his parents' marriage broke down. After they split, his father moved to California and for several years, Downey Jr. bounced between the east and west coast until finally settling in with roommate, Kiefer Sutherland, in Hollywood for three years.

After taking on theater roles in off-Broadway shows, he was hired as part of a fresh, younger crew on Saturday Night Live. While the entire season was panned, Downey Jr., who was barely 20 at the time, was singled out by Rolling Stone as the worst SNL cast member in the history of the show.  

Fortunately, while he narrowly missed being cast as Duckie in Pretty in Pink, he had other projects on the horizon and found his way into lighthearted '80s classics such as Weird Science, Back to School, and The Pick-Up Artist.

During an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, Sarah Jessica Parker discussed seeing Robert Downey Jr. so long after their eight-year relationship ended and explained, "It was really nice. It was surprisingly not weird [to get together]. I guess you spend so many years with someone ― we were 18 when we met ― and fundamentally we're sort of the same. I think the difference is he has a family and a wife and obviously his career is a massive thing, but I think his true nature — it was completely familiar."  

When Downey Jr.  was asked about the downfall of their romance, he openly admitted, "I was so selfish. I liked to drink, and I had a drug problem, and that didn't jibe with Sarah Jessica, because it is the furthest thing from what she is. She provided me a home and understanding. She tried to help me. She was so miffed when I didn't get my act together."

Eventually, Downey Jr. moved on. After just 42 days of dating, he married singer/actress, Deborah Falconer, in 1992. Two years later, the couple welcomed their son, Indio Falconer Downey. Unfortunately, Downey Jr.'s stints in rehab and jail led to their divorce in 2004, with Falconer claiming custody of their son.

Unexpectedly in 2000, after just a year in prison, Robert Downey Jr. was released early after a judge determined that he had spent enough time behind bars. He posted $5,000 in bail and, a week later, was cast as a love interest on the hit show Ally McBeal.  

Not surprisingly, his performance was acclaimed and he was not only nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category but actually won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a mini-series or television film. Unfortunately, Downey Jr. felt the praise was undeserved and said, "It was my lowest point in terms of addictions. At that stage, I didn't give a [expletive] whether I ever acted again."

Despite the fact that he was arrested over the 2000 Thanksgiving holiday weekend in his hotel room for drug possession, Ally McBeal producers planned to extend his appearances on the show since he had boosted the sagging ratings so much.

Finally, after so many years of cycling through the system, Robert Downey Jr. became stable enough to work again. He sat down with Oprah Winfrey in 2004 and explained, "When someone says, 'I really wonder if maybe I should go to rehab?' Well, uh, you're a wreck, you just lost your job, and your wife left you. Uh, you might want to give it a shot." Facing the possibility of more jail time, he decided he couldn't do it anymore and concluded, "It's not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems...what's hard is to decide to do it."  

Understandably, casting agents were wary, so his first real job after completing rehab was to lip-sync to Elton John's single, "I Want Love" in his music video. As a follow-up, Mel Gibson, with whom he had been close since they co-starred in Air America cast him in The Singing Detective after having to pay his insurance bond.

After that, the roles started coming in and, over the next few years, he appeared in Gothika (with producer Joel Silver withholding almost half of Downey Jr.'s salary until the film wrapped), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Goodnight and Good Luck.

Having co-starred in Air America, Robert Downey Jr. had become close friends with fellow actor Mel Gibson. When Downey Jr.'s drug history made him, basically, uninsurable, Gibson was in his corner. 

When Gibson made headlines for making anti-Semetic statements during a 2006 DUI arrest, Downey Jr. reminded people that nobody's perfect and explained, "He was one of the first people to call and offer the hand of friendship. He just said, 'Hey, welcome to the club. Let's go see what we can do to work on ourselves.'"

When Downey Jr. was recognized for his life's work at the 25th American Cinematheque Awards, he asked Gibson to be the presenter. During his acceptance speech, Downey Jr. said, "I humbly ask that you join me — unless you are completely without sin, and in which case you picked the wrong [expletive] industry — in forgiving my friend his trespasses, offering him the same clean slate you have me and allowing him to continue his great and ongoing contribution to our collective art without shame."

As Iron Man and Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Robert Downey Jr. and Terrence Howard were amazing. The chemistry between them was phenomenal and the movie absolutely exploded at the box-office. When it was revealed Howard was being replaced by Don Cheadle for Iron Man 2, many were shocked.  

Howard, who went on to become the star of FOX's hit show Empire, alleged, "It turns out that the person that I helped become Iron Man, when it was time to... re-up for the second one took the money that was supposed to go to me and pushed me out. We did a three-picture deal... They came to me (for) the second and said, 'We will pay you one-eighth of what we contractually had for you, because we think the second one will be successful with or without you.' And I called my friend that I helped get the first job, and he didn't call me back for three months."

In response, Downey Jr. said, "I had nothing to do with that decision. I love Terrence very very much. That's all I'll say because I haven't talked to him yet... It's one of those situations where I still don't quite know what happened or why."

Fortunately, it seems the men have mended their relationship and are "all good."

After years of sobriety and hard work, Robert Downey Jr., along with 91 other people, received a pardon for his past crimes by California Governor Jerry Brown on Christmas Eve 2015. The decision was made due to the fact that many of his offenses are no longer considered felonies under California law and he has "lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen" in the years since his last arrest.  

Of his time in lockup, Downey Jr. explained, "Job one is get out of that cave. A lot of people do get out but don't change. So the thing is to get out and recognize the significance of that aggressive denial of your fate, come through the crucible forged into a stronger metal. Or whatever. But I don't even know if that was my experience. It's funny: five years ago, I would've made it sound like I'm conscious of my own participation in seizing the similarities. But so many things have become less certain. I swear to God. I am not my story."

Despite the fact that it was his own father who introduced him to drugs, Robert Downey Jr. clearly loved him. During an interview with Vanity Fair, he was asked about his dad and his face lit up before saying, "If you recall, the first round of really cool head-shop T-shirts — forget the Scott Baio tuxedo shirt — I'm talking about the Superman logo. I remember walking around the Village with my dad wearing a Superman shirt. We also had a prop king's chair, a throne, that he would sit in... he was a big guy, tall, dark, handsome—all that stuff."  

Downey Jr. has also described his father as being "revered," and added, "I mean, I grew up with people saying, 'Hey, that's Bob Downey's kid' — and understandably so... He was a great innovator and a heck of a filmmaker."