Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965), also known as RDJ, is an American actor. One of the highest-grossing actors of all time, his films as a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide. In 2008, Downey was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and from 2013 to 2015, Forbes listed him as Hollywood's highest-paid actor. He receives numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, Emmy Award, Golden Globe Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
At age five, Downey made his acting debut in his father Robert Downey Sr.'s 1970 film Pound. He subsequently worked with the Brat Pack in Weird Science (1985) and Less than Zero (1987) teen films. Downey's portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic Chaplin garnered him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor and his first Academy Award nomination. Following a stint at the Corcoran Substance Abuse Treatment Facility on drug charges, he joined the TV series Ally McBeal in 2000. He won a Golden Globe Award for the role. Downey was fired from the show in 2001 in the wake of additional drug charges. He stayed in a court-ordered drug treatment program and has maintained his sobriety since 2003.
Downey made his acting comeback in the 2003 film The Singing Detective, after Mel Gibson paid his insurance bond because completion bond companies would not insure him, and went on to star in the black comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), the thriller Zodiac (2007) and the action comedy Tropic Thunder (2008). Downey gained global recognition for starring as Iron Man in ten Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also played Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (2009), which earned him his second Golden Globe, and in its 2011 sequel.
Downey has also taken on dramatic parts in The Judge (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023), winning an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in the latter. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for playing multiple characters in the black comedy miniseries The Sympathizer (2024). He debuted on Broadway that year, playing the title role in Ayad Akhtar's McNeal.
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Known For
The Avengers
Tony Stark / Iron Man
2012
Due Date
Peter Highman
2010
Iron Man 2
Tony Stark
2010
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
2009
Tropic Thunder: Rain of Madness
Kirk Lazarus
2008
Tropic Thunder
Kirk Lazarus
2008
The Incredible Hulk
Tony Stark (uncredited)
2008
Iron Man
Tony Stark
2008
Charlie Bartlett
Nathan Gardner
2008
Lucky You
Telephone Jack
2007
Zodiac
Paul Avery
2007
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
Dito
2006
A Scanner Darkly
James Barris
2006
The Shaggy Dog
Dr. Kozak
2006
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Joe Wershba
2005
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Harry Lockhart
2005
Eros
Nick Penrose
2004
Gothika
Pete Graham
2003
The Singing Detective
Dan Dark
2003
Wonder Boys
Terry Crabtree
2000
Bowfinger
Jerry Renfro
1999
In Dreams
Vivian Thompson
1999
U.S. Marshals
Royce
1998
The Gingerbread Man
Clyde Pell
1998
Hugo Pool
Franz Mazur
1997
One Night Stand
Charlie
1997
Richard III
Earl Rivers
1995
Restoration
Robert Merivel
1995
Home for the Holidays
Tommy Larson
1995
Natural Born Killers
Wayne Gale
1994
Only You
Peter Wright
1994
Short Cuts
Bill Bush
1993
Heart and Souls
Thomas Reilly
1993
Chaplin
Charles Spencer Chaplin
1992
Soapdish
David Seton Barnes
1991
Air America
Billy Covington
1990
Chances Are
Alex Finch
1989
True Believer
Roger Baron
1989
Johnny Be Good
Leo Wiggins
1988
Less Than Zero
Julian
1987
America
Paulie Hackley
1986
Weird Science
Ian
1985
Tuff Turf
Jimmy Parker
1985
Up the Academy
Boy on Soccer Team (uncredited)
1980
Vertigo
John 'Scottie' Ferguson
Avengers: Secret Wars
Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom
2027
Avengers: Doomsday
Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom
2026
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: 10th Anniversary Special
Self (archive footage)
2024
Robert Downey Jr.: High Altitude
Self
2024
Val
Self (archive footage)
2021
MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice in Chains
Self
2020
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
Self
2020
Dolittle
Dr. John Dolittle
2020
Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee
Tony Stark / Iron Man (archive footge)
2019
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Tony Stark (Uncredited)
2019
Avengers: Endgame
Tony Stark / Iron Man
2019
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Tony Stark / Iron Man
2017
A Fan's Guide to Spider-Man Homecoming
Self
2017
The Nice Guys
Sid Shattuck (uncredited)
2016
Iron Man 3 Unmasked
Self
2013
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Perfect Chemistry
Self
2012
Mad Mel: The Rise and Fall of a Hollywood Icon
Self (archive footage)
2010
Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented
Self
2010
I Am Iron Man
Self
2008
Animal House: The Inside Story
Self
2008
Voom Portraits
Self
2007
One Summer in Austin: The Story of Filming 'A Scanner Darkly'
Self / Barris
2006
The Weight of the Line: Animation Tales
Self
2006
Linklater: St. Richard of Austin
Self
2004
Biography: Val Kilmer
Self
2004
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self · (5 episodes)
2003
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · (4 episodes)
2003
Lethargy
Animal Therapist
2002
Pieta
Self
2001
Last Party 2000
Self
2001
Family Guy
Patrick Pewterschmidt (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
Ally McBeal
Larry Paul · (23 episodes)
1997
The View
Self · (2 episodes)
1997
Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue!
1994
Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country
Self
1993
That's Adequate
Albert Einstein
1989
This Morning
Self - Interviewee · (1 episode)
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest · (3 episodes)
1988
Rented Lips
Wolf Dangler
1987
Arrival
Eddie
1986
Pound
Puppy
1970
All-Star Weekend
Mexican Stranger
The Hider
Sherlock Holmes 3
Sherlock Holmes
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night
Self · (4 episodes)
2025
Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2024
The Sympathizer
Claude / Professor Hammer / Ned Godwin / Niko Damianos / Priest · (7 episodes)
2024
Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (1 episode)
2023
Oppenheimer
Lewis Strauss
2023
Inside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer
Self - Lewis Strauss
2023
Downey's Dream Cars
Self - Host · (6 episodes)
2023
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self - Presenter
2022
"Sr."
Self
2022
Marvel Studios Assembled
Tony Stark / Iron Man (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2021
Marvel Studios Legends
Tony Stark / Iron Man (archive footage) (uncredited) · (18 episodes)
2021
The Age of A.I
Executive Producer
2019
The Age of A.I.
Self - Host · (8 episodes)
2019
Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways
Self · (1 episode)
2019
The Chef Show
Self · (1 episode)
2019
Avengers: Infinity War
Tony Stark / Iron Man
2018
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
Self · (1 episode)
2018
Captain America: Civil War
Tony Stark / Iron Man
2016
Phase 2 Tag Scenes: A Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two
Self
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Tony Stark / Iron Man
2015
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
Marvel: 75 Years, from Pulp to Pop!
Self
2014
The Judge
Hank Palmer
2014
I Am Steve McQueen
Self - Narrator (voice)
2014
Sock or Hat?
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Chef
Marvin
2014
Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
Self / Tony Stark / Iron Man
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
(1 episode)
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
Iron Man 3
Tony Stark
2013
The Frame
Tony Stark / Iron Man · (1 episode)
2013
Finding Your Roots
Self · (1 episode)
2012
Honest Trailers
Tony Stark / Iron Man (archive footage) · (2 episodes)
2012
Honest Trailers
Tony Stark (archive footage) · (4 episodes)
2012
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Sherlock Holmes
2011
Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant
Tony Stark (archive footage)
2011
Love and Distrust
Rob (segment "Auto Motives")
2010
Live from Studio Five
Self · (2 episodes)
2009
The Soloist
Steve Lopez
2009
Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound
Self - Tony Stark / Iron Man
2008
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
Self
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (4 episodes)
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2007
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
Lionel Sweeney
2006
Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow
Narrator
2006
Game 6
Steven Schwimmer
2006
The Outsider
Self
2005
The Reichen Show
Self · (1 episode)
2005
The Showbiz Show with David Spade
(1 episode)
2005
The Route V50
Traveller
2004
Punk'd
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Whatever We Do
Bobby
2003
The Early Show
Self · (1 episode)
1999
Black and White
Terry Donager
1999
Friends & Lovers
Hans
1999
Two Girls and a Guy
Blake
1998
Danger Zone
Jim Scott
1996
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
Mr. Willowby
1995
The Frank Skinner Show
Self · (1 episode)
1995
Hail Caesar
Jerry
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1993
The Last Party
Self
1993
Raw
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1993
GMTV
Self · (1 episode)
1993
MTV Movie & TV Awards
Self · (1 episode)
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
(3 episodes)
1992
Too Much Sun
Reed Richmond
1990
1969
Ralph Carr
1988
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
(voice)
1987
The Pick-up Artist
Jack Jericho
1987
Kids' Choice Awards
Self · (1 episode)
1987
American Masters
Self · (1 episode)
1986
Back to School
Derek
1986
Mussolini: The Untold Story
Bruno Mussolini · (4 episodes)
1985
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Punk Party Crasher (uncredited)
1985
Firstborn
Lee
1984
Baby It's You
Stewart
1983
Late Night with David Letterman
Self · (1 episode)
1982
Entertainment Tonight
Self · (1 episode)
1981
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975
Saturday Night Live
Self - Various Characters · (18 episodes)
1975
Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight
Himself
1975
Greaser's Palace
Boy in Covered Wagon (uncredited)
1972
The Oscars
Self · (1 episode)
1953
The Oscars
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
1953