Movies.ie presents ten things you never knew about Hollywood’s prodigal son Robert Downey Jr.
He is Hollywood’s prodigal son. Jail, drugs, rehab – not too long ago Robert Downey Jr’s record was a glittered as Amy Winehouse’s. But in a remarkable comeback, the now cleaned up Downey Jr. is starring in hit after hit from Iron Man, to Charlie Bartlett and now Tropic Thunder (with The Soloist soon to follow).
To celebrate Downey Jr. funniest role in years, Movies.ie presents ten thing s you didn’t know about Robert Downey Jr.
1. His father Robert Downey Sr. was an actor, writer, cinematographer and cult filmmaker.
2. A five-year-old Downey Jr. made his big screen debut as a puppy in his father’s 1970 movie Pound.
3. At the age of ten, Robert studied classical ballet while living in London.
4. Robert dropped out of high school to pursue his acting career at the age of 17.
5. Before becoming an actor Downey Jr. worked as a piece of living art in a Soho nightclub in New York City.
6. During the ‘80s he lived with Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker.
7. Robert allegedly shocked the cast of 1985 movie Weird Science when he defecated in star Kelly LeBrock’s trailer.
8. After 3 violations of “probation” for drug and alcohol abuse in a three year span of time since he was spared a prison sentence and placed on probation, Malibu Judge Lawrence Mira stated that he was out of options and that he was sentencing Downey to prison to save his life. The Judge invoked the 3 years sentence in state prison that had been suspended in 1996. Downey, Dept of Corrections # P50522, spent 2 weeks in a state prison Reception Centre at Wasco, California for orientation, and on 8/25/99 he was transferred to a Dept of Corrections prison named “SATF” (Substance Abuse Treatment Facility) for drug dependent prisoners in Corcoran California.
9. He starred in Elton John’s music video for the song “I Want Love.” Downey was let out of rehab for one day specifically to shoot the video It was Downey’s first work since being fired from the TV show “Ally McBeal” in April 2001.
10. He met his current Susan Downey on the set of Gothika (2003). Sting and Billy Idol performed at their wedding.
See Downey Jr. in ‘Tropic Thunder’ – in cinemas from Friday, September 19th. Click play to watch the trailer below: