History of Robert Downey Jr. in Timeline
Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) is a highly successful American actor, with his films grossing over $14 billion worldwide. He was recognized as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2008 and was Forbes' highest-paid actor from 2013-2015. Downey Jr. has received prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in Hollywood.
1984: Started Dating Sarah Jessica Parker
In 1984, Robert Downey Jr. started dating actress Sarah Jessica Parker after meeting her on the set of Firstborn. They were both 18.
1991: Separation from Sarah Jessica Parker
In 1991, Robert Downey Jr. and Sarah Jessica Parker separated after eight years of dating, due to his drug addiction.
May 29, 1992: Marriage to Deborah Falconer
On May 29, 1992, Robert Downey Jr. married actress and singer Deborah Falconer after a 42-day courtship.
September 1993: Birth of Son
In September 1993, Robert Downey Jr. and Deborah Falconer had their son.
1996: Falconer Left Downey
In 1996, Deborah Falconer left Robert Downey Jr. due to the strain on their marriage from his repeated trips to rehab and jail.
1999: Downey seeks psychiatric advice while at Corcoran II
In 1999, while at Corcoran II, Robert Downey Jr. wrote a letter to psychiatrist Dr. Manijeh Nikakhtar seeking advice on his condition, revealing that he hadn't received a complete psychiatric evaluation and expressing his belief that he might be bipolar.
2000: Release of Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas
In 2000, Robert Downey Jr.'s remake of Joni Mitchell's "River" was included on the Ally McBeal tie-in album, Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas. His character, Larry Paul, performed the song in the Ally McBeal episode "Tis the Season".
April 2001: Downey's last arrest and decision to seek help
In April 2001, after his last arrest, Robert Downey Jr. faced potential prison time or court-ordered rehab and decided to commit to recovery, acknowledging his inability to continue his cycle of addiction.
2001: Duet of Every Breath You Take
In 2001, Robert Downey Jr. and Sting performed a duet of The Police's "Every Breath You Take" in an episode of Ally McBeal.
2001: Appeared in Elton John's "I Want Love" Music Video
In 2001, Robert Downey Jr. appeared in the music video for Elton John's song "I Want Love".
2001: Falconer Filed for Divorce
In early 2001, Deborah Falconer filed for divorce from Robert Downey Jr., citing "irreconcilable differences".
July 2003: Became Drug-Free
Robert Downey Jr. states he has been drug-free since July 2003, crediting his wife, family, therapy, and various practices for his sobriety.
2003: Gibson pays Downey's insurance bond for The Singing Detective
In 2003, Mel Gibson paid Robert Downey Jr.'s insurance bond for the film 'The Singing Detective', paving the way for Downey's comeback to mainstream films.
2003: Met Susan Levin
In 2003, Robert Downey Jr. met producer Susan Levin on the set of Gothika and began a relationship during production.
2003: Woody Allen unable to cast Downey due to insurance issues
In 2003, Woody Allen wanted to cast Robert Downey Jr. in his film 'Melinda and Melinda' but could not secure insurance for him, preventing his participation in the project.
2004: Divorce from Falconer Finalized
In 2004, Robert Downey Jr. and Deborah Falconer finalized their divorce, with Falconer gaining custody of their son.
2004: Released 'The Futurist' CD
In 2004, Robert Downey Jr. released a CD titled 'The Futurist'.
August 2005: Married Susan Levin
In August 2005, Robert Downey Jr. married Susan Levin in a Jewish ceremony in Amagansett, New York.
2006: Downey Defended Gibson
In 2006, Robert Downey Jr. defended Mel Gibson during the controversy surrounding Gibson's DUI.
2006: Downey does voice acting on Family Guy
In 2006, Robert Downey Jr. returned to television by doing voice acting on 'Family Guy' as Patrick Pewterschmidt, an episode created after Downey offered to assist in production due to his son's fandom.
March 2007: Downey denies bipolar diagnosis in Esquire article
In March 2007, Robert Downey Jr. addressed the rumors of being bipolar in an Esquire article, denying any formal diagnosis and attributing past skewed assessments to his substance abuse issues.
2007: Downey appears in David Fincher's Zodiac
In 2007, Robert Downey Jr. appeared in David Fincher's mystery thriller 'Zodiac', playing the role of San Francisco Chronicle journalist Paul Avery.
2007: Downey cast as Iron Man
In 2007, Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Tony Stark in 'Iron Man' after director Jon Favreau insisted that Downey's personal experiences aligned with the character, and Downey gained 20 pounds of muscle for the role.
March 2008: Stiller screens Tropic Thunder to African Americans
In March 2008, Ben Stiller screened a rough cut of 'Tropic Thunder' to African Americans, who embraced it, easing concerns about the film's portrayal of insufferable actors.
October 2008: Downey agrees to star in Iron Man sequels and The Avengers
In October 2008, Robert Downey Jr. agreed to star in two 'Iron Man' sequels and 'The Avengers', and he reprised his role as Tony Stark in 'The Incredible Hulk'.
November 2008: The Soloist release delayed and touted as award contender
In November 2008, Paramount Pictures delayed the release of 'The Soloist', with critics mentioning it as a possible Academy Award candidate. Downey received an Academy Award nomination for Tropic Thunder for the 2008 release year.
November 18, 2008: Tropic Thunder released on home video
On November 18, 2008, the movie 'Tropic Thunder', which had grossed $180 million in theaters, was released on home video.
2008: Ben Stiller reflects on Downey's success
In 2008, Ben Stiller reflected on Robert Downey Jr.'s commercially successful summer at the box office, noting his transformation into a box office draw.
2008: Downey stars in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder
In 2008, Robert Downey Jr. starred in two commercially and critically successful films, 'Iron Man' and 'Tropic Thunder', marking a turning point in his career.
2008: Downey accepts Sherlock Holmes role
In 2008, after Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. accepted the role of Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's adaptation.
2008: Political Views Changed by Prison
In a 2008 interview, Robert Downey Jr. stated that his time in prison changed his political point of view, making him less liberal.
June 14, 2010: Team Downey Founded
On June 14, 2010, Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan opened their own production company called Team Downey, with The Judge being their first project.
May 10, 2011: Prayer Cycle 2: Path to Zero Release
On May 10, 2011, Prayer Cycle 2: Path to Zero, a benefit album for the anti-nuclear organization Global Zero featuring both Robert Downey Jr. and Sting, was released.
October 2011: Performed "Driven to Tears" with Sting
In October 2011, Robert Downey Jr. performed "Driven to Tears" live with Sting at a concert celebrating Sting's 60th birthday.
October 2011: Honored at American Cinematheque Awards
In October 2011, Robert Downey Jr. was honored at the 25th American Cinematheque Awards and chose Mel Gibson to present him with the award.
December 16, 2011: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows released
On December 16, 2011, Robert Downey Jr. starred in 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows', which opened worldwide.
February 2012: Birth of Son
In February 2012, Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey had their first child, a son.
2012: Donated to Barack Obama's Campaign
In 2012, Robert Downey Jr. donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
2013: Highest-Paid Actor by Forbes
Robert Downey Jr. was named Hollywood's highest-paid actor by Forbes starting in 2013.
November 2014: Birth of Daughter
In November 2014, Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey had their second child, a daughter.
2014: Attended Fundraiser for Democratic Party
In 2014, Robert Downey Jr. attended a fundraiser for the Democratic Party and donated to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
2014: Described Religious Beliefs as Jewish Buddhist
In 2014, Robert Downey Jr. described his religious beliefs as "Jewish Buddhist".
December 2015: Pardoned by Governor of California
In December 2015, Robert Downey Jr. was pardoned by the Governor of California, Jerry Brown, for his prior drug offenses, allowing him to serve on a jury.
2015: Downey Denied Republican Beliefs
In a 2015 interview promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron, Robert Downey Jr. denied holding any steadfast political beliefs as Republican, liberal, or Democrat.
2015: Highest-Paid Actor by Forbes
Robert Downey Jr. was named Hollywood's highest-paid actor by Forbes until 2015.
2016: Urged Against Voting for Donald Trump
In 2016, Robert Downey Jr. appeared in an Internet video urging the American public to vote against Donald Trump in the then-upcoming presidential election.
2019: Downey plays Stark in Avengers: Endgame
In 2019, Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark in 'Avengers: Endgame', and he hosted 'The Age of A.I.', a YouTube documentary series.
January 2020: Announced Vegan Diet Adoption
In January 2020, during the promotion of his film Dolittle, Robert Downey Jr. announced that he had adopted a vegan diet in response to the climate crisis and the opening of Footprint Coalition.
2020: Participated in Virtual Fundraiser for Joe Biden
In 2020, Robert Downey Jr. participated in a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden's presidential campaign, along with fellow Avengers actors and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
2020: Downey stars in Dolittle
In 2020, Robert Downey Jr. starred in 'Dolittle', a film produced by Team Downey, where he played a veterinarian who can communicate with animals, but the movie was a box office disappointment.
2023: Downey appears in Oppenheimer and Downey's Dream Cars
In 2023, Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer', earning critical acclaim and several awards, and he hosted the television series 'Downey's Dream Cars', where he converted his cars to electric.
January 2024: Switched to Pescetarian Diet
In January 2024, Robert Downey Jr. stated he was a pescetarian, having given up his vegan diet due to low levels of vitamin B12, calcium, and iron.
July 2024: Return to MCU Announced
In July 2024, at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in upcoming films.
September 5, 2024: McNeal Broadway Debut Previews
On September 5, 2024, previews began for Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway debut in Ayad Akhtar's play McNeal, at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre. He plays Jacob McNeal, a novelist with a difficult family life.
2024: Launched Happy Coffee Company
In 2024, Robert Downey Jr. launched a coffee company named Happy with Craig Dubitsky.
2025: The Fantastic Four: First Steps Cameo
In 2025, Robert Downey Jr. makes a cameo as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in a mid-credit scene in the film The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
2026: Avengers: Doomsday Release
In 2026, Robert Downey Jr. is slated to appear as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in the film Avengers: Doomsday.
2027: Avengers: Secret Wars Release
In 2027, Robert Downey Jr. is slated to appear as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom in the film Avengers: Secret Wars.
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