Highlights
- Robert Downey Jr. made a remarkable comeback in Hollywood after a rough past, shining in recent movies and earning an Oscar nomination.
- His journey to sobriety was challenging, with few sticking by his side during his darkest moments, showing the reality of recovery.
- Downey credits his wife Susan for helping him turn his life around, emphasizing her crucial role in his process and their successful collaboration.
For over ten years, Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in the MCU, which marked his comeback to Hollywood after a very dark period of his life, which included jail time and a long struggle with addiction. With his recent work in a Nolan movie, he proved his versatility as an actor, and shut down anyone who ever doubted his talent.
RelatedWhy Robert Downey Jr. Went To Jail And The Dark Truth About His Experience
Acclaimed actor Robert Downey Jr. got himself into quite a bit of trouble and suffered the consequences when he was locked up.
Now, he's up for an Academy Award for his role in Oppenheimer, and this milestone has him, and the people who love him, reflecting on the long and difficult road that led to this beautiful moment.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Amazing Comeback After Prison Sentence
Robert Downey Jr. has been steadily collecting trophies this award season, and is now up for an Oscar for his role as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's hugely successful feature film Oppenheimer.
Although for over a decade now the actor has been on a steady rise, it hasn't always been like that. Robert Downey Jr. famously struggled with addiction, which not only put his life at risk multiple times but also landed him in jail for a few years in the late 90s.
It's been over 20 years now since he was sent to prison, and his life looks completely different. He's been happily married for years to producer Susan Downey, living on a farm and completely sober. His friends are so proud and happy for him, including actor Rob Lowe, who went to school with him, and recently spoke about his friend's Oscar nomination.
"I always thought I was going to be the first person in my Santa Monica history class to win an Oscar, turns out it's going to be Downey," he joked. "And I couldn't be happier."
Another friend said that "Downey's road to sobriety was a rocky one," and that many people abandoned him at his worst. "Not a lot of people stood by his side, it was a very small group, that's just the reality. It was a couple of dear friends. They love to put you up at the top to knock the s**t out of you and watch you crawl back up and give you a nice little entryway to get back in and a path to redemption."
Robert Credits His Wife For This Drastic Change
Robert Downey Jr. met his wife Susan Levin at a very delicate moment in his life. After his stint in prison, Robert was struggling to reinsert himself into showbusiness. When he finally landed a role in the movie Gothika in 2003, one of the producers was none other than Susan Levin. The pair quietly started dating while making the movie, and in 2005 they married.
They have collaborated in many movies together since Gothika, and together they founded their production company, Team Downey. In every acceptance speech, he makes sure to highlight how crucial she was in his process of turning his life around.
RelatedAsking Robert Downey Jr. About His Past During An Interview Is Not A Good Idea
Robert Downey Jr. took exception to one interviewer's line of questioning, as he kept pressing the actor about his past.
Susan gave him an ultimatum about getting serious about his sobriety. Apparently, he had a short slip-up after they finished their movie. "I did meet Darth Vader, for like a minute, right after the movie wrapped, and I said immediately, 'This isn't gonna work.' I made it clear that to stay with me, nothing could happen."
Robert was committed to her, and to getting better, and will forever be grateful for her support. As he jokingly said in his acceptance speech at the SAG Awards, "for 22 years, she has flawlessly portrayed a sane and rational individual who is happily married to an actor."
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