Back from the brink of self destruction - Robert Downey Jr opens up about his life that reads more like a Hollywood script than normality. Craig Jones writes.
Rewind 25 years to a time of shoulder pads, synth music and Timmy Mallet, a time when laughter would have greeted the suggestion that 1980’s wild child, Robert Downey Jr, would one day become a settled family man with a starring role in a Hollywood movie franchise. Although in 2010, he is that guy, but to become this person the Iron Man-in-waiting has had to prove his iron will to overcome a life-long drug addiction that had blighted his career and left him unemployable.
Downey Jr can currently be seen on the silver screen, heroically defending the world in Iron Man 2 but in stark contrast to his cinematic persona, Robert, has spent much of his life the villain. In the 1980’s, he was a lovable hell raiser, part of the in-famous Brat Pack, but later in the 1990’s his antics turned much more serious with Downey Jr being frequently arrested for drugs offences and once even carrying a firearm under the influence, which resulted in him later spending time in prison.
The quick witted Downey Jr opens the door to his newly acquired home in California’s Venice Beach with the welcome: “I thought you guys from the clinic had forgot to come and check if I was still going clean this month.” Dressed in a casual grey Armani suit with the top buttons of his black shirt undone, accompanied with his trademark Tony Stark beard, he leads the way around his metallic spiral staircase up to the roof.
The 45-year-old reaches the summit like an explorer conquering his native Rocky Mountains, he sits down on a rickety wooden deck chair clenching a glass of freshly squeezed OJ, taking a breath, while the reflection of the mesmerising evening sunset glistens into his Ray Bans and he begins to discuss his past: “I was crazy when I first started getting big roles, I’d blow my fee on the lifestyle but do I regret it? How can I? It’s all part of the journey that has made me who I am today.” He continues and raises a cheeky, youthful smile as reminisces about his childhood: “Though it was very unlikely I was ever going to turn out normal after the upbringing I had.”
Downey Jr was born into a performing family, his Mother, Elsie, was an actress starring in many films directed by, Robert Downey Snr. At the age of 5, Downey Jr joined the family trade, voicing a puppy in his Father’s film, Pound. Downey Jr says: “Being born into that family I was only ever going to want to be an actor but my Dad didn’t shadow me from the dark side of the trade either.” It was Downey Snr, who introduced his son to the dark side, offering him marijuana at his 8th Birthday party, Downey Snr later said: “We thought it would be hypercritical to not have our kids participate in pot and stuff like that when we were doing it anyway.” As a result of his Father’s drug habits Downey Jr inadvertently struck a childhood friendship with Richard Hall, otherwise known as Moby, their parents would often socially take drugs together. Downey Jr and Moby remain close friends and often reminisce about the liberal parenting they experienced.
At the age of 13, Downey Jr’s parents divorced and he left his home of New York with his Father and moved to California. He attended Santa Monica College but dropped out at the age of 17. Downey Jr explains: “At that time in my life I just needed to get away from my Father and also I didn’t feel that I was ready for California. I needed to go home.” He returned to New York to chase his dream of becoming an actor, landing small parts in television shows, most notably on American institution, Saturday Night Live, but he still needed a part time job to support him. Many aspiring actors or actresses work as waiters or as barmen, Downey Jr chose petty crime, he laughs: “As I only wanted to be an actor I had no enthusiasm for a mediocre job in the mean time. So I probably did some shop lifting to get by, sorry let me remove probably, it’s not probable that I stole, I stole.” The always charming chancer Downey Jr, then jokes: “I did work for a time in a shoe shop, for which I was fired for stealing.”
In 1985, Downey Jr had earned notoriety in Hollywood’s Brat Pack, starring in John Hughes’ coming of age film, Weird Science. This was when the industry first got a glimpse of Robert’s rebellious nature, as rumour has it Downey Jr ruffled the feathers of some of his cast mates, in his own unique way, he explains: “Well some of the crew may tell you that on the set of Weird Science I broke into Kelly LeBrock’s trailer and defecated on the couch. As I apparently didn’t like her patronising the younger cast members, such as, myself.” He bursts into laughter, smiles and says: “Although that’s all a fabrication, a funny fabrication, but a fabrication none the less.”
Downey Jr’s questionable pranks turned sour, in the 1990’s, as Robert swapped the silver screen for Court TV. He was arrested in 1996, for possession of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded .357 Magnum handgun, while speeding down Sunset Boulevard. At this time, he had a season ticket to court, following frequent arrests for drugs offences. Downey Jr, ever the optimist, looks out upon the horizon focusing on the ripples disappearing along the majestic blue sea and says: “You could say I’ve been lucky, following my frequent appearances on Court TV, I found a new audience rather than those who just watched my movies.”
That was probably fortunate as Downey Jr went on to spend a substantial amount of time in the acting wilderness as the law tired of his appearances in court. In 1997, he spent 4 months in the Los Angeles County Jail and his persistent reckless behaviour resulted in him being sentenced to a three year prison term at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in 1999. Now having made it through the other side Robert has encouraged fellow stars suffering from substance abuse to seek therapy. He reveals: “Therapy is great, it just works, you go in, sit down and go, ‘It’s all his fault!’ And then you are broken down from there. Around 10 years ago I fell apart and now I feel fine.”
After spending nearly a year in the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, Robert was given early release after the positive progress he had made during therapy. His career also looked to be back on track, with Downey Jr landing a role in the hit television series Ally McBeal, playing the new love interest to Calisla Flockhart’s title character. Downey Jr earned critical acclaim and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Mini Series or TV Film, but things weren’t as merry as they seemed, Robert, removes his sunglasses and speaks frankly about his belief that his performance in the series was overrated: “Right, I’m going to be honest with you, I’d been released from rehab, far too early, I wasn’t clean. If anything that was my lowest point in terms of addictions. At that stage, I didn’t give a fuck whether I acted or not and to be honest, I don’t recall much of Ally McBeal.” Downey Jr was arrested three times while working on the show and the third occasion was the final straw, for the execs, who had his character written out, despite his appearances resurrecting the failing series.
Robert returned to rehab on his own accord and in, 2001, he was officially clean, his first job post-rehab was in, August of that year, lip-syncing the vocals on the Elton John music video, “I Want Love” . Robert received the gift of love soon after, on the set, of the 2003 film, Gothika, where he met his wife, Susan. Robert has a glee-like grin on his chiseled face, as he begins talking about his wife, then the woman herself comes out on to the roof to topping-up the now empty glasses while offering some of Robert’s favourite cupcakes (Which he gives a light-hearted frown and objection to).
What remains of the day’s sunlight is drawn towards 36-year-old, Susan, as if emphasising, her messiah-like role in putting Robert’s life back on the straight and narrow. Susan, unofficially known in Hollywood as The Miracle That Saved Robert Downey Jr ruffles her husband’s soft wavy black hair and explains her first impressions of the reformed drug addict, she says: “The main thing I remember about meeting him, was thinking, how strange he was.” Robert nods in acceptance, as his wife continues: “He’s completely eccentric but grounded. He’s someone who has lived so much yet has almost a Peter Pan kind of never-grow-up quality.”
Once married, the couple started their own film production agency, that allows them to often work together, most recently they worked on Guy Ritchie's
Sherlock Holmes. Susan laughs, as she issues a weighted threat: “It allows me to keep an eye on him. As I have only once gone to his Dark Side and seen Darth Vader, never again can Bob be that person.” Well they say behind every Iron Man there is a strong Iron Woman, Downey Jr covers his face as he shuffles uncomfortably in his deck chair, pauses, changing the subject: “So, should we talk about my Oscar nomination for Tropic Thunder?” Susan, sees this as a prompt to leave, pulling her tongue out at her husband, chuckling: “You do that dear.”
The film, Tropic Thunder, signified Downey Jr’s return to form, he received an Oscar nomination for his controversial role, playing method actor, Kirk Lazuras, where Robert had to black himself up. He defends the role: “Look, it’s satire, some people get it and others don’t but, hey I got an Oscar nomination.” He certainly did, losing in the category, Best Supporting Actor, to the deceased, Heath Ledger, for his role in The Dark Knight. Downey Jr, star of the Marvel comic book franchise Iron Man, praises Ledger’s performance but felt the film took itself far too seriously, he vents: “Lets get this right, Heath did an awesome job as The Joker role but the movie it’s self, well you’d need a diploma from Harvard to get the plot. I’m like, this is so fucking smart and high brow, I’m obviously just too stupid for that.” Before, stoking the flames of the superhero fire further, adding: “Batman’s just a cry baby anyway, fuck him and fuck DC comics.”
So, it’s fair to say, we won’t be seeing Playboy Billionaires Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark sharing the big screen any time soon, unless it’s the ultimate comic book hero grudge match, perhaps. Playing a superhero has finally made, Downey Jr, cool in the eyes of his 16-year-old son, Indio and his peers. Indio is a child from Downey Jr’s ill-fated marriage to actress, Deborah Falconer. Robert feels, he might not be as liberal a Father as Downey Snr, but Jr is by no means conservative, Indio, was recently studying the Renaissance and Iron Dad, decided a jaunt to Italy was in order, for Father and son. Downey Jr glows with pride, as he emotes: “He had to do an end of year project on the Renaissance, I had some free time, so I thought what the hell? I’ll take him to Italy! We visited Venice, Florence and Rome, it was unbelievably cool, man.” He compares himself to Downey Snr, explaining: “I might not have the same idea of fun as my pop but at the end I did let Indio off the chain a little to party.” Maybe young Indio is his Iron Dad’s son after all.
As the dark descends over the Southern Californian beach, Robert, begins to offer a refreshing opinion on where his acting profile currently stands, Downey Jr says: “I think you end up doing the stuff you were supposed to do at the time you were supposed to, I certainly have.” The rebellious New York boy has become a Californian man, finally settled, with Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes sequels coming in the not too distant future, Downey Jr, talking with his new found maturity looks up towards the stars twinkling in the night sky and concludes: “The lesson I have learnt in life is that you can make mistakes but be forgiven by the people that matter.”
