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:

• (15 March 2001) Downey's attorneys advised the judge that they could not reach a plea bargain in his November 2000 drug arrest.
• He took daily drug tests during the filming of _Two Girls and a Guy (1997)_ (qv).
• On the set of _A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)_ (qv) he took co-star 'Adam Scarimbolo' (qv) under his wing.
• Met wife 'Susan Downey' (qv) on the set of _Gothika (2003)_ (qv).
• (August 1996) Remanded to a secure drug rehabilitation center.
• Claims that his father is the one who introduced him to drugs, by offering him a marijuana joint when he was 8.
• 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).
• Starred in 'Elton John' (qv)'s music video for the song "I Want Love." Downey was let out of rehab for one day in late July specifically to shoot the video (which was filmed in one long continuous take at Greystone Manor in Beverley Hills.) It was Downey's first work since being fired from the TV show _"Ally McBeal" (1997)_ (qv) in April 2001.