Robert Downey, Jr. A Rocky Path to Success

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Robert Downey, Jr., is the busiest man in Hollywood. His latest movie “Iron Man 2” opened on May 7, 2010, and made $128,122,480 in the first weekend. He’s also head of his own company, dad to a 16-year-old son, and working on the third installment of the “Iron Man” legacy.

He’s a classically trained ballet dancer, self-proclaimed “Jewish-Buddhist” and a workaholic. There’s more to this iron man than meets the eye.

His past sounds not unlike other celebrities these days. Born into the entertainment business (his father was a producer) Downey, Jr., acted in his first film at the age of five and remained in film and TV ever since. He even joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1980 but was fired because of poor ratings.

When his parents divorced he moved with his father to California but later dropped out of high school to move to New York to focus on his acting career.

In his early thirties he was arrested for possession of heroin and an unloaded handgun. After years of battling drug addiction and a few stints in jail, Downey, Jr., finally got clean after getting fired from the TV show “Ally McBeal.” After getting back on track, his career took off even further.

Downey, Jr., is an incredibly diverse actor and showcased his true dramatic and comedic talent when he stared as Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 film “Chaplin.” He received an Oscar Nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for that film.

These days he is dedicated to his family, staying sober, and continuing the growth of his “brand.” In the May 13 article of Rolling Stone magazine, Downey, Jr., said, “I’m at a point where nothing short of my best shot at righteous existence will do.”

He no longer takes drugs, drinks, or even pops an Advil when his joints are aching. He is dedicated to his craft and his body. This is noticeable in Guy Ritchie’s 2009 adaptation of “Sherlock Holmes,” in which Downey, Jr., plays an extremely buff and eccentric Holmes, the crime-solving genius of England. He received a Golden Globe award for that performance.

Robert Downey, Jr., has taken the rocky path to success, full of a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but he’s ended up exactly where he wants to be.

He has been praised by his co-workers for his amazing work ethic and has been part of People magazine’s most beautiful people.

At 45 he has three films in development right now, but he still manages to take his son Indio to Rome for vacation and go to couple’s therapy with his movie director wife, Susan. With such a busy schedule he still finds time to do the simple things in life.

This family man isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and thank goodness.

America needs its Iron Man.