Robert Downey, Jr.: Will 'Iron Man' (Tony Stark) Remain Strong for the Last Film in the Trilogy

"You can make miraculous recoveries from seemingly hopeless situations if you put your mind to it and you have enough support. I think it's about the process of maturing." That is how Robert Downey, Jr., described his past life on February 20th, 2003.

Called "one of the most versatile, attractive and gifted actors in America today," by Philip French (Guardian.co.uk ) Downey starred as Tony Stark in the "Iron Man" franchise in 2008. A sequel followed in 2010 and "The Avengers, Iron Man" is in pre-production for 2012. Also rumored to be in pre-production is "How to Talk to Girls." Meanwhile, "Due Date," (sort of a "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" comedy rip-off with Zach Galifianakis), a comedy, played to audiences this past summer.

Downey's film,"Iron Man" shattered most 3-day opening takes back in 2008, grossing $101 million over the Friday to Sunday first weekend in May. It was the Number Two debut for a non-sequel, behind "Spiderman's" $114.8 million take and "X-Men: The Last Stand's" $102.8 million. When you factor in the $96 million the film made overseas, EW.com reports that its worldwide total was $201 million in 5 days, an astounding figure.
Considering that Jon Favreau, who directed the film, had never had a film that made more than $173.4, total, the film's widespread critical approval and appeal, crossed over from the normal teen demographic. It attracted 71% of men and 64% of the audience over 25 . That's an amazing feat -- especially in a movie year that saw the box office drop 13% from the same period in 2007.

It is safe to say that Favreau did not see Robert Downey, Jr., making the short list of actors who could play Tony Stark of "Iron Man." Favreau was quoted this way: "Downey wasn't the most obvious choice, but he understood what makes the character tick. He found a lot of his own life experiences in Tony Stark."

Robert Downey, Jr. had seen what "Spiderman" did for Toby McGuire and what "Pirates of the Caribbean" meant to Johnny Depp, and he wanted in on the action. Downey told Favreau, "With your permission, I'm going to make it to that short list. If there's a screen test, I'll blow those other clowns out of the water." And he did -- only the second time he has ever tested for a role (the first was "Chaplin," for which he was Oscar-nominated.)
Downey works with an intensity that is rivaled only by the way he has lived his life. He is the son of an underground filmmaker (Robert Downey, Sr.) who offered him his first marijuana joint at age 8, and a mother, Elsie (nee Ford) Downey, a singer and dancer.

Downey says, "I know very little about acting. I'm just an incredibly gifted faker." However, he did attend the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York. He also dropped out of Santa Monica High School at 17, in 1982.

Born April 4, 1965 at 1:10 p.m. in Greenwich Village, New York City, Downey lived the life of a vagabond, living with his parents in New York's Greenwich Village where he was born; Santa Monica, California, where he moved to live with his father after his parents' divorce when he was 13 (some sources say 11); Paris; Woodstock (NY); and London, where he studied classical ballet at age ten.

"Time" Online writer Rebecca Winters Keegan ("Time" Online) said, in an article entitled "Robert Downey, Jr.: Back from the Brink") that Downey seems to have "a lifelong yearning for domesticity" stemming, says Keegan, from his "nomadic youth."

Whatever the reason for Downey's fall, he fell long and hard.

He has been quoted as saying, "I've always felt like such an outsider in this industry because I'm so insane, I guess... I'm not used to feeling like I belong where I am."

Downey said that he really thought he was going somewhere after filming "Chaplin" in Switzerland, but, for 17 years, he says, he did not go where he thought he should have. He did turn in some solid performances in supporting roles, including: "Natural Born Killers" as Wayne Gale in 1994; "In Dreams" as Vivian Thompson in 1999; "Wonder Boys" as Terry Crabtree in 2000; "Gothika" as Pete Graham in 2003; "Kiss! Kiss! Bang! Bang!" as Harry Lockhart in 2005; "Good Night and Good Luck" as Joe Wershby in 2005; "A Scanner Darkly" as James Barris in 2006; and his role as Paul Avery, a down-and-out newspaper reporter, in David Fincher's ("Seven") "Zodiac" 2007 film.

The problem with the good work that Downey was doing during those years is that he was also doing drugs. Downey had a very bad and very public period of drug abuse, which earned him notoriety and caused great problems for directors seeking to cast him. They could not get their films bonded because of Downey's offset antics.

Although Downey has been "clean" since 2001, he spent almost a year in Corcoran, California's Department of Corrections as #P50522, after he broke parole three times in three years.

When Downey broke parole, it was usually quite newsworthy. Found driving down Santa Monica Boulevard, nude, in his Porsche, throwing imaginary rats out the window. Caught speeding, drunk, in possession of heroin and in possession of an unloaded pistol (.357 Magnum) in a pickup truck in August, 1996, after which he was sent to drug rehab, Failed to show up for a couple of mandatory drug tests, which caused his probation to be revoked in December of 1997. Did 180 days of jail time for that. In August (2nd) of 2000, he was bailed out on $5,000 bond for a drug violation. (Bail on a later offense rose to $15,000). There was a mini-scandal March 31, of 1998 when he was let out of jail to work on a movie. That same year, in February, he was beaten badly by an inmate (some sources say three inmates), smashed in the nose. Downey says he had to hang left-over prison luncheon meat high enough in his cell so that the rats couldn't get at it. One of Downey's ex-cellmates, Charles Bell, sued him in 2003 for defamation of character, after Downey described Bell as "a recovering pimp who talks to satellites."
The infamous "Goldilocks incident," in which a drugged-up Downey wandered into a neighbor's Malibu home and fell asleep on a child's bed was his third probation violation in three years. That sent him to prison.

Downey completed 16 films in 5 years, starting with an Elton John video in which he lip-synched the words to a song entitled, "I Want Love." He was even invited to open for "Duran, Duran" in 2005 on tour, but film commitments prevented it. It became standard practice for directors, such as Joel Silver who directed "Gothika" to withhold 40% of Downey's salary against completion of the project, since Downey's previously erratic behavior offscreen jeopardized a film's completion.

It was on "Gothika" that Robert met his now-wife Susan, a producer, whom he married two and one-half years ago in the Hamptons (Amagansett, New York) in a Jewish ceremony at which Sting and Billy Idol both performed. Robert proposed to Susan on her thirtieth birthday

When "Iron Man" opened to critical acclaim and commercial success, the planned trilogy based on the Tony Stark character began to pick up speed. Robert Downey, Jr. is taking his commitment to his career very seriously, this time. He has been substituting the practice of Wing Chun Kung Fu for the illegal substances that once ruled his life. He has a full-time companion who keeps him from the self-destructive behaviors that have robbed him of realizing his full potential, in a sense, saving Robert Downey, Jr. .from himself.

"Iron Man" director Jon Favreau said, of Downey: "He's somebody who's had it, lost it, and now has it again, and it's like a pit bull who's got his jaws on a chew toy. Nothing will take this away from him."