Robert Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor. Born in New York City, he is the son of director Robert Downey Sr. Having appeared in several small film roles from an early age, at 20 he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, but only appeared there for one season. He went on to star in The Pick-up Artist in 1987. The same year, he portrayed the drug-addicted rich boy in Less Than Zero, a role which came close to his later public life. In 1992 Downey starred as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, a role which garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. His other films include Only You, Natural Born Killers and lead role as a seventeenth-century doctor in Restoration, a film adaptation of Rose Tremain's novel of the same name.

In 2000, he became an acclaimed regular on the television series Ally McBeal, but was fired after a drug-related arrest in April 2001. Downey has had a public battle with drug addiction throughout his adult life. He has been in and out of prison and rehab centers several times.

On November 23, 2004, he released his debut musical album "The Futurist" on Sony Classical.

Drug addiction

On June 23, 1996, Robert Downey, Jr. was arrested for driving drunk and being in possession of Mexican Black Tar heroin, crack, cocaine and a .357 Magnum revolver.

A few weeks later, on July 20, Downey broke into a Malibu, California home and fell asleep in a child's bed. When he was arrested for trespassing, Downey claimed his limo driver dropped him off at the wrong address.

On November 6, Malibu Municipal Judge Lawrence Mira sentenced Downey to three years probation for weapons and drugs charges. However, just over one month later on December 8, 1997, Judge Mira sentenced Downey to six months in jail for violating parole. Eighteen months later, Downey returned to Corcoran State Prison to serve a three-year sentence for a parole violation again on July 16, 1999.[1]

After being released for good behaviour, Downey was arrested again in a Palm Springs, California hotel for cocaine and Valium possession and being under the influence of a controlled substance on November 25, 2000.

On April 24, 2001, he was arrested in Los Angeles for being under the influence of a controlled substance after he was found wandering in an alley.

Drug and Alcohol free

According to most recent interviews and photos Downey looks healthy and like he had really kicked his on-going drug-habbut. He works on a regular basis again as is evident with five movies slated for 2005 and one already announced for 2006.

Trivia

He plays characters that abuse, casually take or at least have drugs (and/or alcohol) in the following films:

• "Up The Academy" (in a scene where all the guys in the camp smoke hash)
• "Weird Science" (drinking heavily at a party)
• "Back To School" (drinking heavily at a few parties)
• "Natural Born Killers" (cocaine)
• "Home For The Holidays" (smoking pot)
• "Wonder Boys" (has a drug supply, but isn seen partake on camera)

External Links

Robert Downey Jr. at IMDB "Less Than Zero" (Cocaine)