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:

• 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).
• Attended Stagedoor Manor.
• At the age of 10, while living in London, Robert attended the Perry House School in Chelsea and studied classical ballet.
• (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.
• Once worked as a piece of living art in a SoHo nightclub in New York City.
• Childhood friend of Richard Hall aka 'Moby (I)' (qv).
• Signed on to voice "The Devil" in the animated television series _"God, the Devil and Bob" (2000)_ (qv). Shortly thereafter, Downey was jailed, so he was replaced by 'Alan Cumming' (qv).
• (17 October 1997) Probation revoked after continued drug use.