Biography
Robert Downey Jr. is, frankly, lucky to be alive. After making his screen debut in 1970 at the age of 5 (in a film directed by his underground filmmaker father – he played a puppy) he began the long and extraordinarily rocky road to adult stability and a thriving career.
Robert Downey Jr. in 2008
By the 1980’s the young actor was making coming of age films, had a single year stint as a SNL cat member and had already nurtured a full blown drug habit. By the mid-90’s that habit had resulted in jail time, public humiliation and countless efforts at rehab, all of which failed. During these years he also starred in Chaplin as Charlie Chaplin, garnering an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and won an Emmy for his appearance on the TV show Ally McBeal opposite Calista Flockhart. Despite the popularity of the character and Downey’s obvious talent and charm, he was written out of the show in 2000 because he could not stay clean. Between 1996 and 2001, Downey was in the news far more often for drug offenses than for acting roles. He was spiraling the drain.
After a Palm Springs arrest in 2001 he was offered yet another shot at rehab. This time he took it. Downey emerged clean and ready to work, with only one problem – no one could hire him because no company would insure a project in which he was involved. With the help of former co-star Mel Gibson (the two starred in Air America in 1990), who paid his insurance bond, he was able to complete The Singing Detective in 2003. And that was the beginning of a truly triumphant comeback.
Not every film Downey has touched has been golden, for sure. He starred in duds like The Shaggy Dog, but also in well received small movies like Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang and the big budget David Fincher film Zodiac.
Of course the movie that solidified Downey as a superstar was Ironman (2008). It didn’t hurt that the same summer saw the release of Tropic Thunder, for which he would receive his second Academy Award nomination. In one season he became one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood. Starring roles in Sherlock Holmes and Ironman 2 as well as the lead in the drama The Soloist followed and in 2010 Downey and his wife Susan formed their Team Downey production company. Their first project is slated to be the Steve McQueen scripted Yucatan.
Downey lives in California with his wife Susan. He has one son, Indio Falconer Downey, born in 1993 with his then-wife Deborah Falconer. He’s an accomplished singer and is known to be something of an ass. Which he readily admits.
–S. Millinocket
Photo by Edgar Meritano
Posts
Awards Show Manic Depression
Oscars and Globes make me bipolar Why, you ask? I’ll tell you. It’s the hosts. Back and forth and up and down – I’m happy, I’m sad, I’m…dizzy. But it looks like the dust has settled for the main shows this year – the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes both have hosts. But how [...]
Ben Stiller presents…Submarine
Ben stays away from the camera for new indie comedy I think I will always associate Ben Stiller most strongly with Tropic Thunder. It’s just so wrong in so many ways, but I laughed like a fool through the entire thing. I’ve certainly liked other BS movies – Night at the Museum, Something About Mary, [...]
Ben Affleck Does Harlan Coben
Why this book? Come on, people! Ben Affleck is going to direct a movie based on the Harlan Coben book Tell No One. That would seem like relatively harmless news, right? Wrong! I love Harlan Coben, I’ve read many of his books. Only one of them has been made into a movie before. Guess which [...]
New on Netflix – March 22nd and March 29th
You Want Movies? We Got Movies! A big haul for these two weeks! Some great, some good, some sucky. Something for everyone! You can find more 2011 Netflix release dates at Everything Netflix, now let’s take a look and see what’s coming our way in the next two weeks. March 22nd Due Date (comedy, [...]
Dissecting Oscar
Love it? Hate it? Let’s dig in! Anne and James Okay, let’s start with our hosts, Anne Hathaway and James Franco. In an attempt to make the broadcast more relevant to a younger demographic, we got young, supposedly hip hosts. While I suspect abject failure in attracting younger viewers, I didn’t think the [...]
Prepping for Oscar – The Movies
From 5 to 10, more to love… Now that we’re mere days from Oscar, let’s take a look at the movie nominated for Best Picture. Since last year’s switch from 5 nominees to 10, things have gotten a little more interesting. It isn’t like any more have a chance of winning, but I like the [...]
New on Netflix – February 22nd and March 1st
Something to watch while waiting for Oscar? Well, we’re into the season of thaw and freeze, taunts of spring and nasty reminders of a lot more winter to come. It seems like studios don’t much like this time of year either – they aren’t bringing out a whole lot for our viewing pleasure. but like [...]
Prepping for Oscar: The Hosts
Let the countdown begin… I’ve never been shy about my love for Oscar. And ’tis the season to indulge in Oscar PDA all over the place. The gowns, the stars, the movies – the whole shebang is a glorious indulgence in self-congratulatory excess and it’s fabulous! There are lots of cynics out there (I know [...]
The Golden Globes Were Sunday. Whoopee.
Don’t let my enthusiasm overwhelm you. Sure, I’m supposed to be the Movie Lady. I’m supposed to Love Movies. I’m even supposed to Write About Movies. And I am, I am and I do. But I have no love for the insipid Golden Globe Awards. Or most other awards shows, for that matter. This time [...]
Vote on Who Should Play Mitch Rapp
This is your chance to be heard! We’ve gathered the comments from Eric Bana to Gerard Butler to George Clooney (Clooney?). Vote on who should play Mitch Rapp!
RDJ Makes My Day in “Due Date”
Profanity,Vulgarity and Violence. I love it. I freely admit to being a movie theater slacker. I almost always see movies on DVD. Theaters are expensive and you can’t go exactly when you want and you can’t back up and watch the funny scenes over and over and you can’t take a potty break and waaaaaaaah! [...]
New on Netflix – November 2nd and November 9th
It’s that time again! Time to check out what’s new on DVD and what’s new over at Netflix. As we know, the two aren’t always the same anymore, with delays on some Netflix releases and even an occasional Netflix scoop. Let’s see what’s up for the next couple of weeks. November 2nd Splice (sci-fi thriller, [...]
“Family Circus” Comic to Become Live Action Feature Film
Oh, how I wish I were kidding… So. What happens when you mix inept studio execs with a stale, unfunny comic strip? Those of you who said “Marmaduke the Movie” are right! And since that was such a miserable failure, what should that very same studio do? Learn from their mistakes and if they [...]
Can New TV Series Best Edward Norton Hulk Flick?
ABC plans to resurrect the Green One So rumor has it that ABC is going to produce an Incredible Hulk TV series. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “This was already a TV series, and a movie, and another movie, and a few more movies”. You are correct. When I was a wee lass The [...]
Coming Around to Colin Farrell
Warming up to a former bad boy It’s no secret that I heart Robert Downey, Jr. He’s my contemporary and I appreciate his brand of witty banter. He’s also hott. But I have a whole host of actors to whom I am fairly devoted and they aren’t all pretty boys. Fine, RDJ and Johnny Depp have [...]
Robert Downey, Jr. and Steve McQueen Team Up For “Yucatan”
50 years in the making, Yucatan inches forward Once upon a time, waaay back in the last millennium, superstar Steve McQueen wanted to make a movie. Oh, yes, he made lots of movies, but this one was his idea, his project and he was going to be the star. But somehow, despite copious notes dating [...]
Cry Me a River, Lindsay Lohan is Going to Jail
Actress gets exactly what she deserves In the latest installment of Hollywood Eats Its Young, Lindsay Lohan is headed to the clink. Her crime? Ignoring the terms of her probation on a litany of drug and alcohol related offenses. 90 days in the slammer followed by mandatory inpatient rehab. Sweet. The court refused to address her [...]
Iron Man 2 – RDJ Just Made My Day
I got Robert Downey Jr. for Mother’s Day! Fine, I know it isn’t Friday and I didn’t see this movie on a Friday. So this is a Sunday Afternoon Movie instead. A little change-up is good. I don’t ask for much on Mother’s Day. I just want to be waited on, fed high calorie, low nutrition food [...]
Robin Hood in France – HSX Today
After a discussion of artists trying movie and music, we try to understand why Robin Hood is going to Cannes. See the trailer here.
Stephanie Plum Movie Coming – HSX Today
Forget Joss Whedon, hard as that is to do. We have inside scoop from Janet Evanovich about Stephanie Plum on film
Happy Birthday RDJ!
Spend a little time with Robert Downey Jr. You know you want to.
Sherlock Holmes Not Out on Netflix Yet…Release Date Reminder
Find out when you can get Sherlock Holmes on Netflix.
The Blind Side Not Out on Netflix? I’ll Tell You Why…
Read the reason for Netflix delayed release of The Blind side and find out the actual release date.
The Oscars are on……NOW!
Pre-Game warm-up No Oscars are complete without some sort of pre-show fawning. Usually it’s a D-List television personality in a horrible outfit telling everyone that they look wonderful (even if – actually especially if – it’s a lie). We’re supposed to be “getting to know” the stars by hearing them give canned mini-interviews and being sort [...]
George Clooney Charms My Pants Off
Aging Men – from Clooney to Sherlock – Storm Hollywood I know we all remember the young George Clooney – hot teen idol, starring in all the romantic comedies and lighting up Hollywood with his buff abs and beautiful young face. What? You don’t remember that guy? Good – if you did I would be [...]
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are gay? Did I miss something in Sherlock Holmes?
I’m confuzzled. I’ve seen Sherlock Holmes and it appears that others are seeing a different movie, one which is replete with homosexual nuance between Holmes and Watson. Huh? I didn’t see a whole lot of sexual overtones (or undertones) period. There was definitely chemistry between Holmes and his nemesis/girlfriend Irene Adler, but the movie was overall rather [...]
Sherlock Holmes Steals Me From George Clooney
Sue waxes rhapsodic over the trailer for Sherlock Holmes and it isn’t only because she’s got a crush on Robert Downey, Jr.
I Heart Indies
Sue hearts indie films. Read about the surprising thing that defines an indie and why she loves independent movies.
Hollywood Eats Its Young
ER’s Sam Jones is arrested on drug charges, joining a long line of Hollywood celebrity young. Sue explains why and how to stop the tragedy.
Downey Joining "Soloist", "Illustrated Man" Returns, and Other Developments
– Robert Downey Jr. has agreed to star in The Soloist opposite Jamie Foxx. The fact-based drama will feature Downey as Steve Lopez, a newspaper columnist who discovers Foxx’s character, a onetime violin prodigy who’s now a homeless schizophrenic. The screenplay by Susannah Grant is based on the columns by Lopez, whose book will be [...]
