Robert Downey Jr.'s Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Ally McBeal Larry Paul

Main Movie Roles

BIOGRAPHY:

Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) in Greenwich Village, New York City. He's the son of underground filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.

His first part in a movie was in his father's Pound (1970), in which 5-year-old Downey played a puppy. When he was 20 years old, he joined Saturday Night Live (1985) for one season. After that, he went to Hollywood. In 1987, he got the leading role in director James Toback film The Pick-up Artist (1987), co-starring with Molly Ringwald. The same year, he played drug addict Julian Wells in the movie Less Than Zero (1987).

In 1992, he played Charles Chaplin in Sir 'Richard Attenborough's film Chaplin (1992). For his astonishing performance, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In the year 2000, he guest-starred in the comedy series Ally McBeal (1997), where he portrayed the attorney Larry Paul, who became Ally's love interest. For that performance, he won the Golden Globe for "best supporting actor in a comedy series". On Ally McBeal (1997), Downey got to show that he can sing as well as act, when he sang Joni Mitchell's "River," Chances Are as a duet with Vonda Shepard, and "Every Breath You Take" together with Sting. He released one song of his own, "Snakes," on the Ally McBeal (1997) album "For Once in My Life," and a full album of his own work entitled "The Futurist" in 2005.


TRIVIA:

• (August 1996) During traffic stop for speeding, he was arrested for drunk driving, possession of heroin, and possession of an unloaded pistol in his pickup truck. This was his first reported brush with the law at age 31. He was given a suspended prison sentence of 3 years, and granted probation with requirements of random drug testing and drug counselling.
• Downey enjoyed working with the director of the 'Elton John' (qv) music video--contemporary artist 'Sam Taylor Wood' (qv)--so much that he suggested that they work together again on an art piece. The result was an art video called "Pietà," made in the manner of Michelangelo's famous Pietà sculpture in Rome. It was included in 'Sam Taylor Wood' (qv)'s exhibition "Mute" at the White Cube 2 art gallery in London, November 23 to January 12, 2002.
• Ranked #60 in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world (2008).
• According to an interview he gave to Newsweek in February 2009, when Downey went to Japan for their opening of _Iron Man (2008)_ (qv), he was detained on entry because Japanese authorities ran his passport and found it linked to "some incredible criminal activity" (namely Downey's multiple arrests and incarcerations on drug-related charges in the 1990s and 2000s). For failing to disclose these convictions, Downey was interrogated for six hours and was almost barred from entry into Japan. It was finally decided that he could enter Japan for the Iron Man premiere but he is never to be allowed into Japan again.
• Names 'Peter O'Toole (I)' (qv) as his favorite actor.
• Gave life to the same character (Tony Stark) in two movies in the same year (_Iron Man (2008)_ (qv) and _The Incredible Hulk (2008)_ (qv)) produced by the same studio (Marvel Studios).
• Met wife 'Susan Downey' (qv) on the set of _Gothika (2003)_ (qv).
• (17 October 1997) Probation revoked after continued drug use.