Why Robert Downey Jr compared his comeback to rehoming an “abused animal”
Robert Downey Jr hasn’t held back in describing the nature of his comeback.
It’s hard to imagine another actor whose career was revitalised as dramatically as Robert Downey Jr, who seemingly transformed from Hollywood’s “black sheep” to its biggest star over the course of a single summer.
Life for the Oscar-nominated star of Chaplin had taken a downward spiral in the latter half of the 1990s, in which Downey’s addiction issues landed him in prison. Although a few filmmakers were willing to give him another chance when he re-emerged to reignite his career, even acclaimed Downey performances happened to be in films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Zodiac, but they weren’t able to translate their critical acclaim to box office success.
It wouldn’t be outrageous for someone in Downey’s position to feel a bit bitter, especially when some of the best work of their career failed to connect with a wide audience. However, Downey has maintained a healthy perspective on his career based on the darker alternatives he has already faced. In an interview with The Oklahoman, Downey compared himself to “an abused animal” that had been “mistreated” before finding an owner.
“You give them a good home, and if you ask that dog, right then and there, ‘What was it like?’ he says, ‘I don’t know – what are you talking about?” Downey quipped to the outlet. “‘I’m just glad to be here.’”
Even if Downey was “glad to be here” by the time he had been working again, no one could have anticipated the series of roles that would redefine his identity as an actor. It was in the summer of 2008 that Downey appeared in two of the year’s most successful films: Ben Stiller’s Hollywood satire Tropic Thunder and the Marvel Comics adaptation Iron Man.
Tropic Thunder proved that Downey was capable of taking edgy, challenging roles, and even earned him an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for playing the Australian movie star Kirk Lazarus. Iron Man was not only an unexpected sensation that became a word-of-mouth hit, but the beginning of one of the biggest connected universes in cinematic history, in which Downey was at the centre.
Downey’s willingness to keep working in the aftermath of experiencing trauma has certainly given him a “rooting factor” that has made his work even more accessible. Even if he’s become synonymous with the role of a billionaire playboy who heads a weapons manufacturing company, Downey still feels like an underdog who has escaped being “beat up by someone and mistreated”.
Downey’s career has been so exhilarating to track because he is seemingly only capable of attaining incredible highs and devastating lows. His first project after the groundbreaking release of Avengers: Endgame (which briefly dethroned Avatar to become the highest-grossing film of all time) was a reimagining of Dolittle, which was widely panned and lost a small fortune when it hit theatres mere months before the beginning of the pandemic.
Doolittle was the type of disaster that could seemingly destroy any career, but Downey had the foresight to have another compelling role in his back pocket. He was next on screen with his performance as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic Oppenheimer, which won him the Academy Award that he had long since deserved. In Downey’s case, not looking back and barreling forward has proven to be an effective strategy.
