Robert Downey Jr.'s troubling history with substance abuse is nearly just as well documented as his successful acting career.
Downey Jr.'s first big breakthrough in the world of film came in 1985 when he starred in John Hughes' Weird Science and then alongside James Spader in Fritz Kiersch's Tuff Turf. He had already experienced acting on different mediums, including Broadway and television, in a short-lived stint on Saturday Night Live.
Through the late '80s and early '90s, he forged a career as a regular on the big screen, as he appeared in movies such as The Pick-Up Artist, Chances Are, Air America and Less Than Zero. In Less Than Zero, he actually played Julian Wells, a young businessman who loses everything as the result of a drug habit.
Battling Demons
All this time, it wasn't really known that Downey Jr. was actually battling a similar challenge in real life.
Downey Jr.'s addiction problems can be traced back to an alarmingly early age. He was born in 1965 to Robert Downey Sr. and his then-wife, Elsie Ann Ford. Both were actors. Downey Sr. had his own problems with drug abuse, a situation that trickled down to his son. Downey Jr.'s first taste of a banned substance was at the age of six thanks to his father.
Years later, as an adult, the demons followed him. Despite already being on parole following a prior drug charge, the actor was re-arrested in July 1996 when under the influence, he trespassed into a neighbor's house in Malibu and reportedly slept in their bed.
This was only the beginning of a long five-year stretch where he unsuccessfully tried to get treatment for his habit and also spent two different stints in jail.
The original spell was in 1997 when he was locked up at the Los Angeles County jail. The second came in 1999, following a three-year sentence that was to be served at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison. Both times, Downey Jr. had been found guilty of missing a court-mandated drug test.
A Trapping Cycle
While addressing the judge in the 1999 case, he explained how trapping the entire cycle felt to him. "It’s like I’ve got a shotgun in my mouth, with my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of the gun metal," he said.
After serving time for a period of almost one year, a judge allowed for the release of the then 36-year old. The ruling was made in light of the cumulative time that he had already spent behind bars, and conditional on the actor posting bail for a sum total of $5,000.
Downey Jr. returned to work immediately when he was signed on to play Larry Paul in the Fox comedy-drama Ally McBeal. He eventually ended up getting fired from the role after he was arrested two more times while he was appearing on the show.
The New York City-born actor had undoubtedly missed out on other significant roles as well due to his troubles. Most notably, writer and director Woody Allen claimed in 2005 that he had wanted to cast Downey Jr. in his film Melinda and Melinda but could not because they were unable to secure insurance on him.
The Comeback Kid
Whether this was the motivation that Downey Jr. needed to change or not, it was at about this time that he appeared to get some grip on things and began to turn his life around.
In an interview with Oprah that saw him labeled "the comeback kid," he spoke about what it took to make the decision to overcome the habits and the addiction. "It's really not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems," he said. "No. What's hard is to decide."
In the same interview, Downey Jr. intimated that he had found a new outlet that was helping him deal with his challenges: martial arts. He had enrolled at the Los Angeles Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy, a decision that he said helped him to develop a new physical, mental and spiritual awareness.
According to Downey Jr., he has not consumed since 2003. He says that the process has been aided by the support of his wife and his family, therapy, meditation, as well as practice of Wing Chun Kung Fu.
He has also enjoyed unrivaled success in his career since then. The 56-year old has gained global popularity for his portrayal of Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He is also notable for playing Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. For this role, he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in A Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.
Currently, Robert Downey Jr. is estimated to be worth a whopping $300 million.