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:

• Lived with 'Sarah Jessica Parker' (qv) for 7 years during the 1980s.
• Ranked #60 in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world (2008).
• He is of Irish and Russian-Jewish ancestry from his father's side and German-Jewish and Scottish descent from his mother's side.
• Parents divorced when he was 11.
• 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.
• (24 April 2001) Arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance in Los Angeles after he was found wandering in an alley. He was fired from the TV series _"Ally McBeal" (1997)_ (qv) by producer 'David E. Kelley (I)' (qv) after the arrest.
• In a symbolic attempt to bury his decadent 1980s Brat Pack image and begin a new phase of his life and career after filming _Chaplin (1992)_ (qv) in 1991, he (literally) buried the clothes that he wore in 1987's _Less Than Zero (1987)_ (qv) in the backyard of his house.
• Before he starred as _Iron Man (2008)_ (qv), Downey had done films with three of the actors who played Batman: with 'George Clooney' (qv) in _Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)_ (qv); with 'Val Kilmer' (qv) in _Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)_ (qv); and with 'Michael Keaton' (qv) in _Game 6 (2005)_ (qv).