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Considered one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, Robert Downey Jr. shot to fame after his role in Iron Man, causing a stir in demand for autographed Robert Downey Jr memorabilia among fans and collectors. However, the actor didn’t have a smooth ascension to fame, battling substance abuse and hitting rock bottom. His heroic tale of becoming Iron Man and a mega movie star is inspirational.
Iron Man’s Alter Ego: The Journey of Robert Downey Jr. from Addiction to Stardom
Born in New York City in 1965, Downey Jr. was surrounded by drugs from a young age, with his father encouraging him to smoke marijuana with him when he was eight years old. By the early 80s, Downey Jr. left for New York to pursue a career and landed a spot in “The Brat Pack.” His career started taking off after he joined “Saturday Night Live” and landed a leading role in “The Pick-Up Artist.”
In 1992, Robert Downey Jr. received an Oscar nomination for his stellar performance in Richard Attenborough’s biopic “Chaplin.” Although it looked like things were working for the actor, it was completely different behind the curtains. Throughout his 20s and 30s, he spent his time outside acting, looking for drug dealers, and consuming alcohol.
By 1995, things started getting worse when he was on heroin and cocaine, leading to several arrests and time in rehab. In 1996, his life spiraled after police arrested him multiple times for drug-fueled behavior.
During the next few years, he went in and out of rehab centers in California. In 1999, the court sentenced him to 36 months in state prison, but after 12 months, he received parole. However, after leaving prison, he got arrested multiple times within eight months before the court ordered him to spend six months in Wavelengths International, an addiction treatment center.
At this point, the actor lost everything. His wife packed up her bags and took their son. He was in massive debt and got fired from the show Ally McBeal. When he hit rock bottom, he realized that he needed to do something about his substance abuse, and it was time for recovery.
Following rehab, his career slowly started gaining momentum with “Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang” and the box office hit “Zodiac.” While working on the 2003 movie “Gothika,” he fell in love with the film’s producer, Susan Levin, and it was at this point he fully committed to becoming sober.
In 2005, the two got married, and by 2008, his career took off after he received an offer to play the eccentric billionaire Tony Stark in Marvel’s Iron Man. The role made him a mega-star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was the breakthrough the actor needed after battling decades of substance abuse, propelling his career to new heights.
These days, the actor spends a quiet life. When he’s not acting, he spends time with his wife and two children in Malibu and practices Eastern martial arts and Yoga.
Activist Robert Downey Jr. Is Making the World a Better Place
Robert Downey Jr. is also an activist who founded FootPrint Coalition, which adopts environmental technologies to advance human systems toward a sustainable and better environment.
FootPrint Coalition makes investments and provides grant funding towards accelerating groundbreaking technologies and creating content to encourage the global audience to take steps to address the world’s largest environmental challenges.
Feeling Inspired? Show Your Love by Owning Robert Downey Jr. Memorabilia
From exclusive autograph on an Iron Man photo to Robert Downey Jr. autograph on Chaplin, hand-signed movie scripts, and more, browse our collectibles to see what’s in stock!