American actor known as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sherlock Holmes for Guy Ritchie, and Academy Award winner for Oppenheimer.
Background
Born in Manhattan, New York, the son of filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., he was on screen as a child and dropped out of high school to pursue acting full-time.
Career
He earned an Oscar nomination for the title role in Richard Attenborough’s “Chaplin.” After a 1990s career interrupted by addiction and legal issues, he returned with Shane Black’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and was cast as Tony Stark in Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man,” anchoring the Marvel Cinematic Universe through “Avengers: Endgame.” He won Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”
Style
Downey is known for fast verbal delivery and unusual character textures and is one of the highest-grossing leading men in film history.