Robert Downey Jr.

Born April 4, 1965 in New York City, New York. The son of independent filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., the younger Downey made his first screen appearances in his father's films. Downey Jr.'s first major break came when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live for the 1985-86 season. He appeared in such '80s cult classics as Weird Science, Back to School, and The Pick-Up Artist before his acclaimed turn in 1987's Less Than Zero. Downey's role as a drug addict proved a prescient one as he later struggled with his own substance abuse, including stints in prison and an eventual successful rehabilitation. Downey earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for his portrayal of the iconic Charlie Chaplin in 1990's Chaplin, and appeared in such films as Oliver Stone's controversial Natural Born Killers, Robert Altman's Short Cuts and Curtis Hanson's Wonder Boys. Following his release from prison in 2000, Downey began his career rehabilitation by appearing on the TV series Ally McBeal. His feature film career was repaired after appearances in Gothika, A Scanner Darkly, Good Night, and Good Luck and David Fincher's Zodiac. Downey Jr.'s most important and high-profile role since his releas