Robert Downey, Jr. Biography

Robert Downey, Jr.

actor
Born: 4/4/1965
Birthplace: New York City

Talented actor who has battled personal demons as he has worked to establish himself as one of Hollywood's finest actors. His portrayal of tormented star Charles Chaplin earned him an Academy Award nomination for best actor in Chaplin (1992). A versatile actor, he plays romantic leads (Only You, 1994; Heart and Souls, 1993; Friends and Lovers 1998) as easily as tortured souls Less Than Zero, 1987) and action heroes (U.S. Marshalls, 1998). He is believable in period dramas, as well, as seen in Restoration (1995). Downey received the Screen Actors Guild award for outstanding performance for a male actor in a comedy series for his work in Ally McBeal (2001). In the late 1990s, he battled addiction and served time in jail for incidents stemming from his dependency and for failing a drug test. Downey is the son of actor and director Robert Downey, Sr., and is married to the actress Deborah Falconer, with whom he appeared in Short Cuts (1993).