It is the 1960s. Imagine being the son or daughter to a filmmaker and an actress. As you grow up, you become exposed to drugs and alcohol that lead you into a downward spiral. Robert Downey Jr was born in Greenwich Village, New York. Greenwich Village is a neighborhood area on Manhattan Island where many aspiring artists and writers have lived.1 His parents constantly had friends over to their house for occasional gatherings, and most of those who came were actors and actresses who were considered hippies by many. There was mass distaste for hippies at the time, due mainly to their drug use, which they claimed was for creativity; thus, this negative view on the hippies eventually affected Downey and his family, given that drugs were easy to access with the coming and going of party guests. When he was only eight years old, Junior was offered some Marijuana by his father, and he did not realize the mistake he was making until it was too late.
By the time Robert was eight years old, he had witnessed drugs and alcohol as part of his normal childhood. He later understood it as a necessity within his family, only because his parents were constant users.2 Later, during his time as a young actor, he started to struggle with drug abuse and alcohol issues. In the film Less Than Zero, he played a crackhead character named Julian, and during the filming of the movie, he completed a treatment in rehab.3 When he played Charlie Chaplin in the film Chaplin, he received a lot of praise for it, however, he was still struggling with his emotions by using unhealthy coping mechanisms, particularly drugs. He met his first love, Deborah Falconer, in 1992. Deborah was also a drug addict, but she was not as heavily addicted to drugs as he was. They began to develop a connection, but during their first date, Robert’s family came in to stage an intervention. He was confronted about his drug abuse and they demanded that he seek treatment.4
In the mid 90’s, he changed his life by switching his addiction to heroin, leaving marijuana and cocaine in the past. This heroin was black-tar heroin, produced in Mexico. It was very addictive for drug users. In 1995, he played a gay son in the film Home for the Holidays, and he later admitted that he was high throughout the entire filming process. Director Jodie Foster wrote a letter to him to urge him to seek help, but Downey ignored the advice, since he convinced himself the drug abuse situation was under control. His heroin addiction affected his work life when he showed up late to the set or fell asleep; it also altered his appearance.5 Later, he got into trouble in 1996, when he was arrested. On June 23, 1996, he was pulled over for speeding and was under the influence. The police searched his car and found cocaine, heroin, and a handgun. He posted a bail bond of ten thousand dollars, and was released at night. On July 16, 1996, he was under the influence of drugs, again, but alcohol was involved. He had tried to go home that night, but he ended up at his neighbor’s home instead. He was then charged with being under the influence of a controlled substance and with trespassing. At the end of July in 1996, Robert Downey Jr appeared underweight and tired as he stood before Judge Lawrence Mira in his prison jumpsuit with his family and wife in the court room. It was at that moment that he became determined to beat his drug addiction after realizing that his drug issue was indeed horrible. His fans hoped that Robert’s sentence of several months in a supervised rehab facility the entire time with frequent drug tests and three years of probation would help save his career. He was unable to control himself with his addiction. When he was in the courtroom in 1999, he told the judge, “It’s like I have a loaded gun in my mouth and my finger’s on the trigger. And I like the taste of gunmetal.”6
The experience he had with heroin couldn’t compare to other addicts who were abusing different drugs like he did. While he recovered, he would experience cravings an addict would experience which felt overwhelming.7 He then took two years off from acting to focus on rehab. During his time in rehab, he spent some time thinking about his life. He thought about his personal background and past experiences. Then, he found a clear perspective on his life. He realized that he grew up feeling rebellious and that he had no idea what to do with himself, but knew he wasn’t happy with what life threw at him. At the end of rehab, he found positive outlets for his energy and rebellious nature.8
He tried to get more roles in different films, but that meant the producers had to pay more for insurance because of the risk he posed. This was specially difficult for him because he could not work without insurance, and what made it worse is that he could not get any without proving his reliability as an actor.9 In an interview in 2003, he said, “I’m less of an insurance risk than anybody I am going to work with for the next while because I am aware of my limitations.” After he said this, he lost a role in a Woody Allen film.10 Then things changed when he met with his friend, Mel Gibson. Gibson previously worked with Downey on a film known as Air America when Downey had alcoholism issues. They also worked together in a film when Mel Gibson played a psychiatrist and he helped Robert come back to the silver screen.11 Mel Gibson helped Robert come back to the film life. Gibson offered a starring role to Downey in a film he was producing known as The Singing Detective, and agreed to pay for Downey’s insurance policy out of pocket. After a long battle with drugs and alcohol, things were starting to go great. He received help in rehab and support from his wife and his friend Mel Gibson.12
In the award ceremony, Downey Jr paid tribute to their friendship and said, “when I couldn’t get sober, Mel helped me. He gave me food and roof when I needed the most and in return, he just asked me to do the same for another person.”13
Time passed and Robert Downey Jr did not suffer from a relapse, since he was building up his reputation from scratch. Between 2005-2007, he broke out ten different film performances, including a role in 2007 where he played a constant drinking journalist on the hunt of the killer in the Zodiac film. The best outcome from his new life was that he was able to spend more time with his son and appreciated the fact that he achieved a normal family life. “I feel like because I’ve finally gotten out of my own way, I can enjoy my reputation. Because for all intents and purposes, what I should be right now is this never-do-well, embittered, unemployable guy arguing with some hooker outside a Malibu hotel scrambling for a syringe, but I’ve got it really good.”14
He became Iron Man, a teacher, a doctor, and many more roles from numerous films. He smiles at the success he has earned from acting, such as winning Academy awards within the past couple of years. Despite the impact drugs had on him, he overcame them. Currently, he’s full of life after just starring in Dolittle, doing a YouTube documentary, and still thriving with his wife and kids.15
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom, Robert Downey Jr (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 11. ↵
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom, Robert Downey Jr (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 16. ↵
- A. Petruso and Laura Avery, Newsmakers 2007 Cumulation (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2008), 151. ↵
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom, Robert Downey Jr (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 35. ↵
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom, Robert Downey Jr (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 39. ↵
- Todd Howard, Recovering from Heroin Addiction (San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2011), 81. ↵
- Todd Howard, Recovering from Heroin Addiction (San Diego, CA: Lucent Books 2011), 81. ↵
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom Robert Downey Jr (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 57. ↵
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom Robert Downey Jr, (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 60. ↵
- A. Petruso and Laura Avery, Newsmakers 2007 Cumulation (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2008),15. ↵
- St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, 2013, s. v. “Downey, Robert Jr (1965-)” by Janet Mullane and Thomas Riggs, 157. ↵
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom Robert Downey Jr (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 60. ↵
- Ankita Mehta, “Robert Downey Jr. Asks Hollywood ‘Forgive My Friend’ Mel Gibson,” International Business Times, Winter 2011. https://www.ibtimes.com/robert-downey-jr-asks-hollywood-forgive-my-friend-mel-gibson-323691. ↵
- Laurie Collier Hillstrom Robert Downey Jr (Detroit, MI: Gale, 2011), 65. ↵
- Isobel Asher Hamilton, “YouTube’s new documentary demystifying artificial intelligence features Robert Downey Jr. and an AI baby,” Business Insider, December 20, 2019. https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-ai-documentary-series-hosted-by-robert-downey-jr-2019-12. ↵
78 comments
Mia Hernandez
I loved this article! Many people do not know about his past and how hard he worked to get to where he is today. It is shocking to know that his parents were the main cause of his downfall. They should have been the ones pushing him to become the best version of himself, not giving him drugs. Robert Downey Jr. is a great example of turning your life from negative to positive. Ultimately, it is up to you to choose the life you want to live and I believe he did that.
Matthew Fabela
I have to admit inserting one of the strongest quotes from his court hearing was a good move on the writer’s half, it was the difference between me reading about how far he was into his addiction vs me truly feeling how far deep he was. I’d never expected to read something like this about one of my favorite actors. I mean I remember hearing about it back in like 2014 but I was 12 then and didn’t really understand what I was being said.
Alyssa Vasquez
Reading about how badly drugs affected Robert Downey Jr’s life is crazy. He went through a dark patch in his life and needed a change, needed help. Once he did make that change, he became even bigger and has changed his life for the better. Reading more in depth of everything about him and his life. It’s hard to deal with that as a person and to be able to get the help you need shows a lot about you as a person and what you want to become.
Camille Kwan
The description used for Robert Downey juniors personal life as a young boy was spectacular. It was so eye opening to read that his parents were the ones who set him on this path. I learned that our conscience is formed by the people we are surrounded by and that’s how we learn right from wrong. Junior clearly was told that drugs were right and by the time he was able to make the decision on his own, he was already too addicted. Not only had junior fought through rehab and prison, but he had almost lost his family and dignity. Then Mel was thrown into his life like a saving angel. It was so inspiring how Mel took him under his wing instead of leaving him out in the cold.
Samson Pullattu
Hard drugs are no joke and this article only reinforces that. I cannot imagine all the suffering Downey experienced, being introduced to drugs at such a young age and embracing it for decades before realizing that it is wrong. It astounds me that something like drugs can be so addicting that you can watch as your life slip through your fingers because of it and still use it, which makes his recovery that much more significant.
Diego Oviedo
Robert Downey Jr story is inspiring, reason being because if you followed his life you’d know that he was going down a very dark hole but with help changed his life for the better. He went from a person needing to make a life changing situation to becoming the face of marvel and becoming an inspiration for not only children but for people of all ages. I want to point out the award ceremony when he payed tribute because it was a moment that showed everyone that offering aid is easy and can lead to astounding results. Robert D Jr has helped many communities to prosper, and this shows that he didn’t forget what it’s like to be in those situations. Many people don’t know of his past however I believe if they knew it would make them more inspired.
Marvin Barnes
This article highlighted many parts of Robert Downey Jr’s life that I have never heard about. It is crazy to think that one of the main faces of the marvel universe and the hero that children all around the world look up to, suffered from drug abuse and even has a criminal record. Being exposed to things such as drugs and alcohol in the household at a very young age probably had a major part in his path down addiction. When your own father offers you Marajuana as a child, it may be difficult to find a suitable role model. I was surprised his addiction was as extreme as it was. His acting roles were being affected by his addiction and he even moved on to harder drugs such as black tar heroin. Downy was headed down a dark path that many celebrities go through, yet thankfully he had someone there for him. Mel Gibson did a great thing by helping Downy overcome his addiction. Who knows where he’d be today without Mel intervening. We should all be thankful we didn’t lose a great actor to addiction and that he found a helping hand before it was too late. Not all addicts are as fortunate that’s why we must be hospitable and available to those in need.
Davis Nickle
These are the kinds of things I never expect to hear about, to think that somebody like Robert Downey Jr. would have any sort of criminal record is crazy even without the drug use. Its hard to think that he was ever in that state because of how much of an idol he is today, but we have to remember that celebrities are human too and sometimes they need help. They are not flawless and they struggle like everybody else. This was a very interesting article.
Yazmin Garcia
Robert Downey Jr. is one of my favorite actors ever since I watched the first Avengers movie. However, I never knew about his previous films prior to his Marvel character. It is crazy to think that the inspiring man he was today came from such a sad origin. It is appalling that his parents would expose him to drugs and alcohol at such a young age. But clearly Downey was the better man, sought help, and overcame this horrible addiction.
Melanie Fraire
Very well written article, I was aware of how his life wasn’t simple and how he faced many obstacles however I was unaware of how difficult they were for him and how he lost out on various rules due to his issues. It’s nice to see he managed to turn his life around which must’ve been difficult considering it’s all he knew from a very young age.