Robert Downey Jr.
Acting • Born 1965-04-04
Biography
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965), also known as RDJ, is an American actor. A son of a filmmaker, Robert Downey Sr and 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, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. At the age of five, Downey made his acting debut in his father Robert Downey Sr.'s 1970 film Pound. He subsequently worked with the Brat Pack in the teen films Weird Science (1985) and Less than Zero (1987). Downey's portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic Chaplin earned 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, 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). 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 gained global recognition for starring as Iron Man in ten Marvel Cinematic Universe films, from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). Downey received acclaim for his role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), winning an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for playing multiple characters in the black comedy miniseries The Sympathizer (2024). He made his Broadway debut that year, playing the title role in Ayad Akhtar's McNeal. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Downey Jr., licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
175 credits
Natural Born Killers
Movie • 1994
Wayne Gale
Iron Man 2
Movie • 2010
Tony Stark
America
Movie • 1986
Paulie Hackley
Short Cuts
Movie • 1993
Bill Bush
Sherlock Holmes
Movie • 2009
Sherlock Holmes
Chances Are
Movie • 1989
Alex Finch
The Incredible Hulk
Movie • 2008
Tony Stark (uncredited)
Iron Man
Movie • 2008
Tony Stark
The Shaggy Dog
Movie • 2006
Dr. Kozak
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Movie • 2005
Joe Wershba
A Scanner Darkly
Movie • 2006
James Barris
Zodiac
Movie • 2007
Paul Avery
Lucky You
Movie • 2007
Telephone Jack
Chaplin
Movie • 1992
Charles Spencer Chaplin
Wonder Boys
Movie • 2000
Terry Crabtree
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Movie • 2005
Harry Lockhart
The Singing Detective
Movie • 2003
Dan Dark
Johnny Be Good
Movie • 1988
Leo Wiggins
Gothika
Movie • 2003
Pete Graham
Bowfinger
Movie • 1999
Jerry Renfro
Tropic Thunder
Movie • 2008
Kirk Lazarus
Richard III
Movie • 1995
Earl Rivers
U.S. Marshals
Movie • 1998
Royce
Weird Science
Movie • 1985
Ian
True Believer
Movie • 1989
Roger Baron
Air America
Movie • 1990
Billy Covington
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
Movie • 2006
Dito
The Avengers
Movie • 2012
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Charlie Bartlett
Movie • 2008
Nathan Gardner
Heart and Souls
Movie • 1993
Thomas Reilly
Hugo Pool
Movie • 1997
Franz Mazur
Soapdish
Movie • 1991
David Seton Barnes
Only You
Movie • 1994
Peter Wright
Home for the Holidays
Movie • 1995
Tommy Larson
One Night Stand
Movie • 1997
Charlie
Up the Academy
Movie • 1980
Boy on Soccer Team (uncredited)
The Gingerbread Man
Movie • 1998
Clyde Pell
Eros
Movie • 2004
Nick Penrose
Less Than Zero
Movie • 1987
Julian
Tuff Turf
Movie • 1985
Jimmy Parker
Restoration
Movie • 1995
Robert Merivel
Vertigo
Movie
John 'Scottie' Ferguson
In Dreams
Movie • 1999
Vivian Thompson
Tropic Thunder: Rain of Madness
Movie • 2008
Kirk Lazarus
Due Date
Movie • 2010
Peter Highman
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
Movie • 1987
(voice)
Back to School
Movie • 1986
Derek
Black and White
Movie • 1999
Terry Donager
The Pick-up Artist
Movie • 1987
Jack Jericho
The Soloist
Movie • 2009
Steve Lopez
1969
Movie • 1988
Ralph Carr
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
Movie • 2006
Lionel Sweeney
Love and Distrust
Movie • 2010
Rob (segment "Auto Motives")
Iron Man 3
Movie • 2013
Tony Stark
Game 6
Movie • 2006
Steven Schwimmer
Too Much Sun
Movie • 1991
Reed Richmond
Firstborn
Movie • 1984
Lee
Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant
Movie • 2011
Tony Stark (archive footage)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Movie • 2011
Sherlock Holmes
Whatever We Do
Movie • 2003
Bobby
Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight
Movie • 1975
Himself
Inside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer
Movie • 2023
Self - Lewis Strauss
Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow
Movie • 2006
Narrator
The Outsider
Movie • 2005
Self
The Judge
Movie • 2014
Hank Palmer
Hail Caesar
Movie • 1994
Jerry
The Route V50
Movie • 2004
Traveller
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
Movie • 1995
Mr. Willowby
Chef
Movie • 2014
Marvin
Danger Zone
Movie • 1996
Jim Scott
Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe
Movie • 2014
Self / Tony Stark / Iron Man
Phase 2 Tag Scenes: A Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two
Movie • 2015
Self
Friends & Lovers
Movie • 1999
Hans
Baby It's You
Movie • 1983
Stewart
"Sr."
Movie • 2022
Self
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Movie • 1985
Punk Party Crasher (uncredited)
Captain America: Civil War
Movie • 2016
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Marvel: 75 Years, from Pulp to Pop!
Movie • 2014
Self
Oppenheimer
Movie • 2023
Lewis Strauss
Avengers: Infinity War
Movie • 2018
Tony Stark / Iron Man
The Last Party
Movie • 1993
Self
Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound
Movie • 2008
Self - Tony Stark / Iron Man
Greaser's Palace
Movie • 1972
Boy in Covered Wagon (uncredited)
I Am Steve McQueen
Movie • 2014
Self - Narrator (voice)
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie • 2022
Self - Presenter
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Movie • 2015
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Two Girls and a Guy
Movie • 1998
Blake
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
Movie • 2007
Self
The Nice Guys
Movie • 2016
Sid Shattuck (uncredited)
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Movie • 2017
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Pound
Movie • 1970
Puppy
Avengers: Doomsday
Movie • 2026
Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom
Avengers: Secret Wars
Movie • 2027
Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom
Lethargy
Movie • 2002
Animal Therapist
Dolittle
Movie • 2020
Dr. John Dolittle
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
Movie • 2003
That's Adequate
Movie • 1989
Albert Einstein
All-Star Weekend
Movie
Mexican Stranger
Mad Mel: The Rise and Fall of a Hollywood Icon
Movie • 2010
Self (archive footage)
Voom Portraits
Movie • 2007
Self
Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country
Movie • 1993
Self
One Summer in Austin: The Story of Filming 'A Scanner Darkly'
Movie • 2006
Self / Barris
Pieta
Movie • 2001
Self
Rented Lips
Movie • 1988
Wolf Dangler
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Perfect Chemistry
Movie • 2012
Self
Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented
Movie • 2010
Self
Arrival
Movie • 1986
Eddie
Avengers: Endgame
Movie • 2019
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue!
Movie • 1994
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
Movie • 2020
Self
Animal House: The Inside Story
Movie • 2008
Self
MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice in Chains
Movie • 2020
Self
A Fan's Guide to Spider-Man Homecoming
Movie • 2017
Self
Robert Downey Jr.: High Altitude
Movie • 2024
Self
The Hider
Movie
Last Party 2000
Movie • 2001
Self
Iron Man 3 Unmasked
Movie • 2013
Self
Biography: Val Kilmer
Movie • 2004
Self
The Weight of the Line: Animation Tales
Movie • 2006
Self
Linklater: St. Richard of Austin
Movie • 2004
Self
Marvel Studios: Building a Cinematic Universe
Movie • 2012
Self
The Fantastic 4: First Steps
Movie • 2025
Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom (uncredited)
On the Set of 'Gothika'
Movie • 2004
Self
Painting with Fire
Movie • 2004
Self
Auto Motives
Movie • 2000
Rob
Saturday Night Live in the '80s: Lost and Found
Movie • 2005
Self
Odesseus
Movie
This Morning
TV • 1988
Self - Interviewee
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
Family Guy
TV • 1999
Patrick Pewterschmidt (voice)
Ally McBeal
TV • 1997
Larry Paul
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
The View
TV • 1997
Self
The Early Show
TV • 1999
Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
Finding Your Roots
TV • 2012
Self
Marvel Studios Assembled
TV • 2021
Tony Stark / Iron Man (archive footage)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV • 2015
Self
Late Night with David Letterman
TV • 1982
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
The Frank Skinner Show
TV • 1995
Self
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
The Sympathizer
TV • 2024
Claude / Professor Hammer / Ned Godwin / Niko Damianos / Priest
GMTV
TV • 1993
Self
Downey's Dream Cars
TV • 2023
Self - Host
Live from Studio Five
TV • 2009
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Various Characters
Marvel Studios Legends
TV • 2021
Tony Stark / Iron Man (archive footage) (uncredited)
Kids' Choice Awards
TV • 1987
Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self
Punk'd
TV • 2003
Self
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways
TV • 2019
Self
Raw
TV • 1993
Self (archive footage)
Mussolini: The Untold Story
TV • 1985
Bruno Mussolini
Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2023
Self
The Reichen Show
TV • 2005
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
TV • 2014
Self
The Showbiz Show with David Spade
TV • 2005
The Frame
TV • 2013
Tony Stark / Iron Man
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TV • 2014
Self
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self - Guest
Sock or Hat?
TV • 2014
Self
The Chef Show
TV • 2019
Self - Guest
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
The Age of A.I.
TV • 2019
Self - Host
Off Camera with Sam Jones
TV • 2014
Self
American Masters
TV • 1986
Self
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
TV • 2018
Self
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self - Presenter
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night
TV • 2025
Self
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self - Presenter
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest