How Robert Downey Jr. Conquerd rug Addiction and Jail Time to Become Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actor

Robert Downey Jr. has become one of Hollywood’s most bankable and well-paid actors, starring in blockbuster comic book blockbusters such as Iron Man and The Avengers as Iron Man, a role he reprised in 2019’s box-office smash Avengers: Endgame. He was nearly unhireable not long ago because of his drinking and drug usage, not to mention the time his addictions placed him in prison. 

Robert Downey Jr. acted in his first film when he was just five years old

That was the start of a series of arrests, stints in prison and rehab, the near-fatal end of his acting career, and a broken marriage. He was arrested in 1996 for speeding down Sunset Boulevard while carrying cocaine, heroin, and a firearm. He was arrested for trespassing into a neighbour’s home and passing out on a bed while under the influence of a controlled substance a month later. However, he was sacked from later seasons of the show due to many arrests and jail time. Robert’s personal life was also in disarray. His marriage to Deborah Falconer ended in divorce, and his romance with Sarah Jessica Parker ended due to his drug misuse.

Robert Downey Jr. dropped out of high school to pursue a career as an actor

The Iron Man was 17-years-old when his parents got divorced and that is when he decided to leave school and pursue acting. For a while, the decision looked to pay off. Without a doubt, his best performance was in the 1992 film Chaplin, for which he went to great lengths to prepare, including learning to play the violin and left-handed tennis.

Robert Downey Jr. y Slash, 1988. pic.twitter.com/7a5Sw6e257

— RETRO. (@ImagenRetro) September 9, 2021

He sure did lose out on several movies

Robert Downey Jr. couldn’t get cast in a film by Woody Allen because he couldn’t get insurance. For identical reasons, Mel Gibson’s stage rendition of Hamlet had to be cancelled.

2008 was the turning point for Robert Downey Jr

Iron Man and Tropic Thunder were his two film roles. The world was forced to sit up and take notice of his understated acting skills after that, with his drug difficulties far and truly behind him. Jon Favreau, the director of Iron Man, was passionate about having Robert in the major role. He believed that only Robert could bring Iron Man to life in the same way that Johnny Depp did with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Topped Forbes’s list of Hollywood

For three years in a row, he has led Forbes’ list of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors. Aside from his incredible talent and signature eccentricity, the story of how he turned his life around and got back on his feet is quite inspirational.