Robert Downey Jr. is best known for his portrayal of the self-assured Tony Stark a.k.a Iron Man in the MCU franchise’s Iron Man and The Avengers. For anyone wondering if Downey will ever return as Iron Man, the actor addresses it directly in episode #1411 of the Joe Rogan podcast at time stamp 15:24. While he undoubtedly does Tony Stark justice and is well-loved in the role, Downey is a charismatic and versatile actor whose career has spanned four decades. A true renaissance man, Downey can act, sing, and dance. He is undeniably one of the finest actors of his generation, and it should come as no surprise since performing is in his blood.
Born in Manhattan New York on April 4, 1965, to a writer, director, and filmographer Robert Downey Sr., and actress Elsie Downey, Downey Jr. was immersed in the film industry from a young age. In his youth, he studied at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in New York, until 1978 when his parents divorced, and he relocated to California with his father. Downey Jr. decided to pursue acting full-time in 1982 and dropped out of high school to focus on his aspirations.
Downey was well on his way to becoming a Hollywood heavyweight, having carved out a name for himself with roles in Less Than Zero (1987), True Believer (1989), Air America (1990), and Chaplin (1992) which earned him an Oscar nomination. His long-time struggle with drug addiction, however, began to take its toll. Despite continuously working throughout his troubles with addiction, Downey gained the unfortunate reputation of being a liability. The actor’s problems with drugs escalated from 1996 to 2001 which led to being fired from the popular TV series Ally McBeal, frequent court appearances, mandated rehabilitation, and incarceration.
Downey persevered, however, and eventually tamed his inner demons when he emerged clean and sober in 2003. The actor has maintained his sobriety and become one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. Moreover, he co-owns production company Team Downey with his wife Susan Downey (née Levin) which brought us the Netflix drama Sweet Tooth. Downey’s upcoming projects include the Jamie Foxx-directed comedy All-Star Weekend, HBO miniseries The Sympathizer, and Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer. In celebration of the iconic actor and his tremendous Hollywood comeback, we have curated a list of Robert Downey Jr.’s best performances (that aren’t Iron Man).
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12 Bowfinger (1999)
Imagine Entertainment
Written by Steve Martin and directed by Frank Oz, Bowfinger is a criminally underrated comedy about B Movie Producer Bobby Bowfinger (Martin) and his dream of directing a film to boost his career. The only caveat is that he must land notoriously neurotic Hollywood A-lister Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) for Universal to green light the film. Robert Downey Jr. plays Jerry Renfro, a smarmy studio executive that makes the proposition. Downey’s screen time is short, but he makes the most of it with his hilarious performance, reminiscent of his famed Tony Stark.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
11 Fur (2006)
Pressman Film
Fur is a fictionalized depiction of the extraordinary artist Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman), who sought to represent marginalized groups through her photography. The film was heavily criticized about its connection to Arbus, as it is less about Arbus herself and more of a Beauty and the Beast fable. Fur follows the fictional Arbus on her journey of self-discovery as she falls in love with her new neighbor, Lionel Sweeney (Robert Downey Jr.) a mysterious man afflicted with hyper trichosis, or excessive hair growth on the face and body. Kidman and Downey have tremendous chemistry in this touching albeit odd love story. This is one of Downey’s best performances due to his delicate yet bold portrayal of the enigmatic Lionel Sweeney.
10 Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
2929 Entertainment
Directed by George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck is a stylish, and well-researched movie about the Red Scare of the 1950s. The film describes the conflict between television journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) and Senator Joe McCarthy, who sought out and blacklisted Communists in the U.S., regardless of their status as a member of the party. Robert Downey, Jr. gives an anguished performance as Joseph Wershba, a CBS reporter whose career is put in jeopardy as he tries to keep his marriage to a co-worker (Patricia Clarkson) under wraps.
9 Short Cuts (1993)
Spelling Entertainment
Based on the musings of short story author Raymond Carver, Robert Altman’s Short Cuts chronicles the day-to-day lives of several Los Angeles residents struggling with work, love, and death. There are 22 protagonists featured in the film whose stories intertwine. Robert Downey Jr. shines in this critically acclaimed character-driven ensemble as Bill Bush, a makeup artist who is having an affair with his neighbor’s wife (Lili Taylor).
8 Natural Born Killers (1994)
Regency Enterprises
Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers is a manic cartoon-esque joyride through the minds of two serial killers, in this disturbing yet effective satire of a violence-obsessed culture. Robert Downey Jr. both captivates and repulses audiences in equal effect as television journalist Wayne Gale who is fixated on the exploits of Mickey and Mallory Knox (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, respectively) to the point of glorifying their brutality. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly co-star Lewis describes Downey as an improv genius.
7 The Soloist (2009)
Dreamworks Pictures
The Soloist is based on Steve Lopez’s book The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship and the Redemptive Power of Music. The film showcases one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best performances as disillusioned L.A. columnist Steve Lopez, who unwittingly crosses paths with homeless virtuoso musician Nathaniel Ayres who also suffers from Schizophrenia (Jamie Foxx). Initially, Steve sees the opportunity for a story in Nathaniel, but the pair ultimately form a strong bond that changes both men’s lives forever.
6 Tropic Thunder (2008)
Red Hour Productions
Despite the controversial nature of the film, director Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. have always been clear in their intent for the film. Tropic Thunder was never meant in a derogatory way but rather to highlight the ignorance of method actors who go too far in their race for Oscar glory. Downey gives one of his best comedic performances as Australian actor Kirk Lazarus, who surgically dies his skin to play an African-American Vietnam Sargent. Controversy aside, Downey’s performance earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
5 Zodiac (2007)
Phoenix Pictures
David Fincher’s Zodiac is one of the most underrated movies of all time. It carefully examines the unsolved Zodiac murders of the 60s and 70s through two intertwining storylines. It is, at once, a crime thriller following the lead detectives and their investigation and a drama about a cartoonist and a reporter who become fixated on the killer. Downey gives one of his best performances as the obsessive alcoholic Paul Avery, whose life begins to crumble when he is targeted by the notorious killer. Co-star Jake Gyllenhaal likens working with Robert Downey Jr. to playing jazz.
4 Less Than Zero (1987)
20th Century Fox
Based on the Brett Easton Ellis novel of the same name, Less Than Zero follows three privileged friends as they part ways after high school. When Clay (Andrew McCarthy) returns home from college he finds his best friend Julian (Downey), in the throes of severe drug addiction. Downey delivers a harrowing yet sympathetic performance as the drug-addicted Julian. Less Than Zero is one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best performances as it is the movie that made him a star laying the groundwork for his accomplished career.
3 Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
Silver Pictures
Shane Black’s directorial debut Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang marks Downey’s triumphant return to Hollywood. The film is part black-comedy part mystery, but nothing but fun. Robert Downey Jr. plays Harry Lockhart, a petty thief posing as an actor researching a part. When he is flown to L.A. for a screen test, he teams up with his former high school flame (Michelle Monahan) and hard-boiled private investigator Perry Van Shrike (Val Kilmer) to solve a string of mysterious murders. According to Republic World, Downey considers it to be some of his best work.
2 Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Sherlock Holmes is fun, fast-paced, and action-packed. It is one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best roles as he brings a fresh perspective to the popular detective in the way only Robert Downey Jr. can do. His performance is brilliant despite the fact he was holding down two major franchises at the time, Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. His work in Sherlock won him a golden globe. The long awaited 3rd installment of the Sherlock Holmes Franchise is in the works but its release date has been delayed.
1 Chaplin (1992)
Carolco Pictures
Robert Downey Jr. embodies iconic actor and director Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s 1992 biopic Chaplin and marks Downey’s best performance of his career. He effortlessly captures the mischief, magic, and melancholy that was Charlie Chaplin. The film earned Downey his first Academy Award nomination, however, in one of the greatest Oscar travesties of all time, the award went to Al Pacino for Scent of A Woman, seemingly because he had not been honored in prior years for his roles in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. Downey would later turn down the opportunity to campaign for an Oscar for his work on Avengers: Endgame, despite fans’ cajoling.
