**The 9 Lives of Robert Downey Jr. — Transcript & Summary | SozAI** Source: https://sozai.app/transcript/9-lives-robert-downey-jr/ A deep dive into Robert Downey Jr.'s troubled past, addiction struggles, and remarkable comeback in Hollywood. ## Key Takeaways - Early exposure to drugs can have lifelong consequences. - Addiction can coexist with professional success but often leads to personal and career downfall. - Hollywood can enable destructive behaviors but also offers paths to redemption. - Support systems and confronting one's issues are crucial for recovery. - Robert Downey Jr.'s journey exemplifies resilience and transformation. ## What the video covers - Robert Downey Jr. was introduced to substances by his father at age six, leading to lifelong addiction struggles. - Both Robert and his father became codependent addicts, with drugs used as a misguided expression of love. - Despite early talent, Downey's addiction issues affected his career and personal life, including federal prison time. - He was part of the 1980s Brat Pack but often acted in films that were commercial failures despite critical praise. - His role in 'Less Than Zero' was a risky portrayal of a drug-addicted character that few peers wanted to play. - Downey struggled with balancing his addiction and professional life, leading to industry blacklisting and homelessness. - Hollywood's enabling environment contributed to his toxic lifestyle, which he had to confront to survive. - His comeback involved confronting his demons, aided by support from others and a renewed focus on health. - The video includes a sponsored segment promoting a healthcare platform for finding doctors. - Downey's story is one of resilience, highlighting the challenges of addiction and the power of redemption. ## Chapters 1. 00:00 Introduction: Early Life and Addiction Beginnings 2. 01:28 Codependent Addiction with His Father 3. 03:09 Career Beginnings and Struggles with Addiction 4. 05:02 Brat Pack Era and Early Film Roles 5. 06:29 Breakthrough Role in Less Than Zero 6. 08:19 Late 80s Experimental Films and Growing Reputation 7. 10:23 Addiction Escalation and Hollywood Fallout 8. 11:54 Personal Low Points and Industry Blacklisting 9. 16:58 Recovery, Redemption, and Career Revival 10. 23:02 Legacy and Lessons from RDJ’s Journey Answers ## Questions about this video How did Robert Downey Jr.'s early life influence his addiction? Robert Downey Jr. was introduced to substances by his father at the age of six, which set a foundation for lifelong addiction struggles. His father's use of drugs as a misguided expression of love contributed to their codependent addiction. What role did Hollywood play in Robert Downey Jr.'s addiction and recovery? Hollywood both enabled Robert Downey Jr.'s toxic lifestyle by providing access and opportunities despite his addiction, and later contributed to his downfall by blacklisting him. However, it also offered him a platform for a remarkable comeback once he confronted his issues. What was significant about Robert Downey Jr.'s role in 'Less Than Zero'? His role in 'Less Than Zero' was significant because it was a risky portrayal of a drug-addicted character who spirals into prostitution, a subject many actors avoided. This role showcased his willingness to tackle challenging and unconventional parts early in his career. ## Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown 00:00 Speaker A Hollywood destroys people, but Robert Downey Jr. came into the industry with his own set of demons. His father introduced him to substances at just six years old. And he spent the first half of his career trying to convince himself 00:14 Speaker A he wasn't addicted. But he couldn't even show up to a simple interview while sober. 00:18 Speaker A And they wound up cutting me out of the film. And all my friends harped in. 00:23 Speaker A Maybe it's you. Maybe it's you. Humility. Got it right here. Sign seal delivered. Up yours. 00:32 Speaker A Robert would eventually lose control, spiraling so far that he ended up in federal prison. But even prison could not fix him. And when RDJ stepped back into the world, he was faced with a reality he'd been avoiding his entire 00:45 Speaker A life. Keep numbing himself until it killed him or confront the toxic lifestyle that Hollywood had been enabling since he was a child. And his decisions, along with a little help from another troubled actor, led him down a path no one expected him to survive. 01:01 Speaker A Robert was set up for failure at age six when his father handed him some grass to smoke, something Robert's father deeply regrets to this day. 01:09 Speaker A A lot of us did things and thought it would be hypocritical to not have our kids participate in marijuana and stuff like that, so we thought it was cute to let them smoke it and all that. It was 01:19 Speaker A an idiot move on our part. By age eight, RDJ was abusing alcohol, only to start experimenting with narcotics as a young teen. By then, both Robert Downey Jr. 01:28 Speaker A and Senior had become codependent addicts. He said there was always a lot of pot around. When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how. Of course, this 01:42 Speaker A created a horrible foundation for the young actor, but he had no way of escaping it because his dad was a small-time director in New York City and RDJ didn't see any other life other than being an actor. 01:53 Speaker A I don't know if I ever really had that thought that this is what I'm going to do. It never occurred to me to do anything else. And it just kind of, you know, life happens. 02:03 Speaker A But make no mistake, Robert Downey Jr. is far from a Nepo baby. If you weren't a film buff in the 70s, odds are you wouldn't have heard of any of his father's films. He was known for obscure and experimental films, gaining a 02:15 Speaker A reputation for hiring people off the street instead of holding auditions. But status didn't mean anything to a young RDJ. He admired his father's dedication to his craft. Well, I remember, you know, him being a writer and a director. 02:28 Speaker A I remember when I was 8 years old, like I was in a movie of his, but it seemed kind of natural to me like, well, this is just what I'm doing. Daddy's making this and I'm doing it, too. You know, I 02:36 Speaker A So, I mean, I really admire my father and it seemed like he had a really good time and was really got to communicate to a lot of people his kind of ideas, wacky or not, you know. 02:46 Speaker A Unfortunately, as a teenager and into young adulthood, Robert Downey Jr. had the mindset that he could get drunk and high as much as he wanted as long as he was able to do his job on set. He said, 02:57 Speaker A "I took my drugs after work and on the weekends. Maybe I'd turn up hung over on the set, but no more so than the stunt man." He was essentially developing the lifestyle of a functioning addict. But whenever Downey started to be recognized 03:09 Speaker A for his talent, the money and fame allowed him to feed this empty space inside his soul. Robert didn't know it yet, but success in the industry would lose the control he thought he had over his addiction. But before we dive 03:22 Speaker A deeper, as I've gotten older, I sometimes think it's time to start taking my own health a little more seriously. I have a handful of different symptoms that I try to self-diagnose online instead of doing the right thing and going to a professional. That's why 03:35 Speaker A I was so relieved when I found today's video sponsor, Zacock. Zakdoc is a free website that helps you find and book high-quality in-net network doctors all based on your own preferences. You can search through the 200 plus specialties 03:48 Speaker A offered on ZDOC, see which doctors take your insurance, and read real reviews from real patients before deciding who feels like the right fit for you. They have over 150,000 providers across all 50 states, covering everything from primary care and dentistry to 04:04 Speaker A dermatology and eye care. You can book in-person or video visits, see real-time availability, and schedule instantly with no phone calls required. 04:13 Speaker A Appointments made through ZDOC typically happen fast, often within 24 to 72 hours, and sometimes even the same day. 04:20 Speaker A Stop putting off doctor's appointments and find a doctor who will care and understand you. Go to zdoc.com/patrickcc also linked in the description to find and instantly book an appointment with a top-rated in-net network doctor today. 04:35 Speaker A In the 1980s, Robert Downey Jr. was acting alongside the Hollywood powerhouse known as the Brat Pack, which had massive stars like Molly Ringwald, Jud Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Robert Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Anthony Michael Hall, and Demi Moore. While this gave him a 04:51 Speaker A lot of opportunities to be on screen, securing roles in Weird Science and The Pickup Artist, almost all of the films he acted in were considered duds, like he was carrying some kind of curse. 05:02 Speaker A Didn't seem to get a lot of great response, you know, at the box office. 05:06 Speaker A But I really enjoyed it. Now, what? Like all the other blockbusters I've been in? What are you talking about? I'm like the, I'm like the nose dive king for films. Robert, we'd like to have him in a film, but you 05:15 Speaker A jinxed the whole damn effort. He had gotten good reviews in mostly bad films, which had critics feeling like he was a star waiting to be born. And in an unexpected twist of fate, his connection to the Brat Pack actually landed him a 05:28 Speaker A job as an on-screen cast member for Saturday Night Live. Do you remember the audition? 05:33 Speaker A Yeah, I did some really dumb stuff. I like pulled my shirt over my head and did some sort of like, uh, like bodega running character. I did another guy, a British guy who all he wanted to do was 05:46 Speaker A put a piece of tape on your head. It was really weird, super avant-garde stuff. 05:51 Speaker A Getting a job on SNL used to be a springboard to launching a comedian's career, but RDJ wasn't an aspiring comedian. Therefore, his performance on the show was bad. 06:02 Speaker A I know why whales beach themselves. SPIDER-MAN told me life is an emergency and my books are overdue. NO THANKS TO YOU. 06:15 Speaker A Young Robert Downey Jr. is living proof that is a hell of a drug. Rolling Stone would go on to rank RDJ as the worst cast member in SNL history. Luckily, the big break Robert needed was actually just right around the corner when he got 06:29 Speaker A a role in Less Than Zero, a movie about a college freshman named Clay, played by Andrew McCarthy, returning home to see his hometown completely different from how he left it. Downey plays his ex-girlfriend's drug supplier and lover, Julian. Downey's character was a complete 06:44 Speaker A mess. He loses a gig with a record label, his connection to his family, and spirals into crack addiction to the point where he sells his body just to get high. And while this might sound like an exciting role in the 2020s, 06:56 Speaker A playing a crazed addict that turns to prostitution in a 1980s movie was a huge risk for a new actor, but RDJ didn't seem to care. He said, "No one likes touching those weird subjects, and I think those are the kinds of roles that 07:10 Speaker A I want to do. I thought I might have a good shot at getting the part because I really couldn't see many of my peers being able to handle playing a I was so effing happy I got cast. I think a lot 07:21 Speaker A of actors were turned off to it because Julian has, you know, bisexual encounters, but you can't be paranoid about what people are going to think. I was playing someone who drove a $60,000 Avanti to school every morning and was 07:32 Speaker A strung out on CR. However, acting in these party films wasn't great for controlling his vices. He was gaining an offset reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker. Me 07:45 Speaker A told Robert and Andrew to go out partying to understand their characters, only for Robert Downey Jr. to run off drunk. He was allegedly found by police howling at the moon and brought to jail where McCarthy had to bail him out hours 07:58 Speaker A later. Even Robert admitted, "I did lesson zero with a director who understood what I didn't, which is we're doing something incredibly artistic. 08:06 Speaker A This guy is a mess and probably going to get worse, but he's not as bad as the character he's playing. And that director was right because RDJ would continue to skyrocket into fame, which meant more money, and more access to 08:19 Speaker A drugs. Robert Downey Jr. had finally broken away from the brat pack in the late 80s, acting in experimental films like 1969, That's Adquate, True Believer, and Air America, a Vietnam action comedy alongside Mel Gibson. This film got Robert a massive marketing 08:34 Speaker A boost across national television and radio shows, nudging him closer to A-list fame. It's also where he developed a friendship with an actor who would later save his life. Ironically though, the film that took him to the next level was another flop where he got 08:48 Speaker A to act as the silent movie legend Charlie Chaplain. Just about every day there would be something fun, a chicken outfit or a or a scene from another film or, you know, a cool hat or riding horses with Fairbanks. And you know, 09:00 Speaker A it's just been just about the most damn glamorous thing you could imagine. Chaplain didn't even make $10 million at the box office, but it's a cult classic for the fans that did tune in. Plus, it was also the role that gave Robert an 09:12 Speaker A Oscar nomination, which finally put him ahead of his peers as an established actor. But what made fans love Downey even more was when he stepped outside of his comfort zone with the documentary titled The Last Party. A camera crew 09:24 Speaker A followed him as he made fun of political conventions and how a large part of American society is motivated by wealth and power more so than helping their fellow man. The most notable moment of the dock was when Downey went down into 09:36 Speaker A the pit to observe the New York Stock Exchange. If money is evil, then that building is hell. This is the most obnoxious group of moneyhungry low IQ high energy jack rabbit wannabe big time small timet talking bothersome irritating bunch of 09:53 Speaker A mother I have ever had to endure for more than 5 minutes. He is spot on and things haven't changed. Now to the public, RDJ seemed to be peaking in life, ascending through the Hollywood ranks, acting in much bigger movies with massive stars like 10:08 Speaker A Oliver Stone's Natural-Born Killers, Only You, and Richard III with Sir Ian Mckllen. But behind the scenes, his personal life was finally starting to take a serious dive. His longtime girlfriend, Sarah Jessica Parker, had broken up with him after several 10:23 Speaker A warnings about his usage. Downey had originally thought that he was able to balance his professional life and dependence on cocaine. But his drug habits got so bad that Hollywood tried to kick him out of the industry for good, leaving him homeless and totally 10:37 Speaker A alone. In 1995, Robert Downey Jr. was working on the film Home for the holidays. It was a dramdy where he played a character named Tommy Larson, who is the black sheep of the family. 10:48 Speaker A However, if you asked Downey, he wouldn't be able to remember he was working on a movie at all. co wasn't enough for him anymore and he had moved on to using straight up hair. 10:58 Speaker A You know how it goes and people say, "Well, yeah, he's a fall down drunk, but he's always at work at 8 a.m." It's like, that's kind of missing something. He's great with the kids. 11:06 Speaker A Don't let him drive. How could you do that? Or was that a standard for yourself? You say, "Well, look, I may be smoking black tar, but I'm going to show up on time." That's not entirely true because I could 11:15 Speaker A be found in the trailer like, "What are you doing, Robert? We're 5 minutes away." I'd be like, "I'm building a space shuttle out of, you know, toothpicks." Whatever. I mean, I I was a little my behavior was a little aberant. 11:24 Speaker A And while Downey was still able to technically do his job, actress Jodie Foster knew he was losing control. Jod told the Huffington Post she had to pull RDJ aside at one point in the middle of a shoot and have a very serious 11:36 Speaker A conversation with him. And I said, "So far, you are on a bar stool and you have managed to not fall off the bar stool. 11:43 Speaker A It's possible that you're going to find a way to prop yourself up. whatever toothpicks it takes to prop yourself up, but I'm afraid for you, and now may not be the time, but I am afraid for you." Foster clearly understood that Robert 11:54 Speaker A was playing a game that only ended in tragedy. But unfortunately, he wasn't at a point where he was willing to listen. 12:00 Speaker A He had received several interventions, followed by rehab, but the recovery never lasted long. In 1996, Shawn Penn and Dennis Quaid actually kicked his door down before dragging him to a long-term abuse facility. 12:12 Speaker A What he did was he kicked my door down. the door flies off the hinges and there's Shawn Penn in that leather jacket like it's time to pay the piper. 12:20 Speaker A Now, at the time, Robert looked at all of his antics and addictions as a big joke. Like how he recalled playing pingpong with Tom Cruz and drunkenly scared him to death. 12:29 Speaker A One of the first times I met Tom Cruz were my friend's house and we were playing uh ping pong, right? He's like, "Let's do something competitive playing ping pong with him and I'm ecstatic because he's clearly wiped me out 21 12:39 Speaker A to4." Yeah. But then I jumped the net. I splintered this thing into about 6,000 pieces. 12:44 Speaker A clearly hammered. What did Tom do? He was just feeling fear and sadness. I think he's rocking the co jaw. He had a real problem. Glad he put all that behind him. Now, up until this point, Robert Downey Jr. was able to use his humor and 12:58 Speaker A charisma to make the audience love him. He was far from the only person in Hollywood doing drugs or jumping on tables. But the public's opinion of him started to drastically change after a major arrest. He was caught speeding 13:10 Speaker A past sheriff's deputies on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. When police finally caught up with him, they found co blackt and an unloaded 357 Magnum revolver hidden in his pickup truck. But it gets worse. Just hours after being charged, he continued to 13:26 Speaker A take more. He got so high that he mistook a neighbor's house for his own. 13:31 Speaker A When the homeowners, Bill and Lisa Curtis, arrived at the house, they found pants neatly laid over a chair, only to find Robert Downey Jr. tucked away in an empty bed. Surprisingly, Lisa tried to explain to the press that they just 13:43 Speaker A feared for his safety. He was sitting up groggy, looking very white and gaunt, and no time was he doing anything the least bit threatening. After calling the police, Downey was revived by paramedics. And even at this low point, 13:56 Speaker A the Curtis family said that he made sure to make the children laugh so that they weren't scared, making funny faces to distract them from a serious arrest. 14:04 Speaker A While Downey got off with probation and a slap on the wrist, this image of him in a courtroom severely damaged his career, and he was back to acting in smaller films like Danger Zone, Two Girls in a Guy, and Hugo Poolool, a 14:16 Speaker A low-budget film directed by his father, who had since become sober. RDJ did have a memorable spot in the lawyer sitcom Ali Mciel, but even his brief stint in television wasn't meant to last. In 1999, Downey found himself in court 14:30 Speaker A after multiple parole violations. And Malibu Superior Court Judge Lawrence J. Meera told him he was manipulative and had exhausted the court's options for drug rehabilitation and the court's patients and sentenced the actor to 3 years in prison for repeatedly violating 14:46 Speaker A probation on drug and weapons charges. According to RDJ, prison was absolute hell, but he still managed to find humor in an environment where he was always in danger. Two weeks later, I'm in a place called Delano, which is a receiving 15:02 Speaker A center where they decide where you're going to go. Arguably the most dangerous place I've ever been in my life because nobody is designated if they're a level one, two, three, or four criminal. Yes. 15:13 Speaker A And you could just feel the evil in the air. And that was no trouble at all because it was kind of like just being in a really bad neighborhood. And there was no opportunity there. There was only threats. Yes. Everyone is going to take 15:26 Speaker A your wallet, so watch it. And I remember walking out when I popped out of my cell to go to the shower. I didn't know it, but I was a little spun out and I had my underwear on backwards that put the 15:36 Speaker A entry area. It's an invitation really. You warm as an and I remember eliciting some strong chuckles and jeers from my fellow inmates. 15:45 Speaker A Ultimately, Downey only spent 15 months in prison. The only thing that saved him from serving a full sentence was a legal technicality that said the judge failed to fully outline the nature of time served. But sadly, his experience with 15:58 Speaker A being fearful every day in prison did not keep him from being found in the middle of a relapse. 4 months later in Palm Springs, he was caught with and coke. He was fired from the cast of Ali Mciel and was officially blacklisted 16:11 Speaker A from major studios. It appeared to be the final nail in the coffin of Robert Downey Jr.'s career. When asked about his success on the show and the loss, Downey said, "For some people, that's the litmus. Will he ever be as good 16:24 Speaker A again as he was on Ali Mciel? I'm probably not the best person to ask about that period. It was my lowest point in terms of addictions." At that stage, I didn't give a f whether I ever acted again. With so many arrests and a 16:35 Speaker A mountain of legal fees, Robert Downey Jr. was seen as a train wreck to agents and a complete liability. Many people don't know this part of the industry, but most actors in major films and TV shows have to be insured for possible 16:48 Speaker A accidents. One agency that actually once represented Robert told the press, "Yes, this can seriously damage your future in this town. There's too much young talent on the rise, too much competition. 16:58 Speaker A Nobody wants someone that's high maintenance and it can be a detriment at his age." Due to his drug abuse, it was impossible to find a company that would insure him. And because he couldn't get insured, that meant that he couldn't 17:09 Speaker A work. And since he couldn't work, that meant he couldn't pay his legal bills, which led to him actually losing his home. And at this point, it looked like the once Oscar nominated actor was going to fade away from Hollywood completely. 17:21 Speaker A But at his lowest moment, there was one actor who reached down to offer Robert some help. That man was Mel Gibson. Mel was also frequently entrenched in controversy due to him succumbing to his addictions. So they shared that 17:34 Speaker A experience and Robert eventually came forward and shared the truth about how he miraculously saved his life. 17:41 Speaker A I asked Mel to present uh this award to me for a reason because when I couldn't get sober, he told me not to give up hope and he urged me to find my faith. 17:50 Speaker A Didn't have to be his or anyone else's as long as it was rooted in forgiveness. 17:54 Speaker A And I couldn't get hired. So he cast me in the lead of a movie that was actually developed for him and he kept a roof over my head and he kept food on the table. And most importantly, he said 18:05 Speaker A that if I accepted responsibility for my wrongdoings and if I embraced that part of my soul that was ugly, hugging the cactus, he calls it. He said that if I hugged the cactus long enough, I'd become a man of some humility and that 18:20 Speaker A my life would take on a new meaning. And I did, and it worked. All he asked in return was that uh someday I help the next guy. Mel later told the press that Robert thanking him at this award show 18:31 Speaker A was during one of Mel's lowest moments. One time I got into a bit of a sticky situation where it kind of ended my career. Mel said, "I was drunk in the back of a police car and I said some 18:40 Speaker A stupid stuff and all of a sudden blacklisted. I'm the poster boy for cancelled." A couple of years into that, he invited me to some kind of award he was getting. We always had this kind of seessaw thing where if he was on the 18:51 Speaker A wagon, I was falling off. And if I was on the wagon, he was falling off. So, I was pretty much non-existent in Hollywood at the time. And he stood up and spoke for me. It was a bold and 19:01 Speaker A generous and kind gesture. I loved him for that. And whatever you think about Mel Gibson, he did turn out to be a selfless friend. He went above and beyond for someone who was essentially just a co-orker at the time. Aside from 19:12 Speaker A putting a roof over Robert's head and keeping him safe, Gibson also personally put his money on the line to ensure RDJ for the film The Singing Detective when nobody else would. Robert said, "I was never being flippant when I used to say 19:25 Speaker A that I didn't need an acting career. When I said it, it was like saying to someone you love, I don't need you. You never loved me anyway, and you're just a twisted bitch." It's a form of creative misogyny. I feel differently now. For a 19:36 Speaker A long time, I needed to make a movie that edged Chaplain. With The Singing Detective, I think I finally edged it. 19:42 Speaker A It's made me realize that I have too much to lose to up again and go back to the mess that I was. Robert clearly recognized that he had way too much potential to waste and that this was his 19:53 Speaker A final chance in Hollywood, so he needed to stay clean. He also started dating a woman named Susan Levven on the set of an earlier movie called Gothica. 2 years later, they got married. According to Susan, none of this would have really 20:05 Speaker A worked if he had been going down the same path just a few years before they started going out. She said, "Also, the guy I met was not that person. He was clean and sober, completely professional when he was working. And then in the off 20:17 Speaker A hours, he was just a fun guy. More than anything, I never doubted it. There was something in my gut that knew really quickly. I knew 3 months in that this was it. The only condition that Susan had for their new marriage was that 20:28 Speaker A Robert could never go back to the way things were. If she ever found him with a hard drug in his possession, she would leave him and never come back. And this really seemed to put Downey in his place. It was the moment that he decided 20:40 Speaker A to never touch alcohol or drugs ever again. But he had almost completely destroyed his reputation in Hollywood. 20:47 Speaker A So they didn't just automatically forgive him. Downey was now fighting an uphill battle. He needed to prove he could stay clean, stay married, and find work. And by doing that, he would eventually get the role that changed his 20:59 Speaker A career forever. In 2006, Marvel was still looking for talent that would bring their liveaction franchise to the next level. Spider-Man was a hit, but the first Incredible Hulk was scaring away investors due to production nightmares and clashes with actors and 21:13 Speaker A screenwriters. Nothing seemed to be going right for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or MCU. For their next upcoming film, the company wanted to introduce Iron Man, a comic book series following billionaire Tony Stark, who gets humbled after being kidnapped 21:27 Speaker A by terrorists, causing him to invent a mechanical suit that allows him to save the world. The problem was that the personality of Tony Stark had to be larger than life. He had to be funny and charismatic, but there also needed to be 21:38 Speaker A a relatable underlying sense of pain and dread from a troubled past. The decision of who would get the lead role lied in the hands of director John Favro. 21:47 Speaker A Most people never heard of Iron Man, most of the population. With a movie like this, you got to sell tickets to everybody. So, the trick was how do you how do you stay very true to the books and to the fans and the expectations of 21:57 Speaker A the fans. And the competition for candidates to play Iron Man was absolutely nuts. Nicholas Cage, Tom Cruz, Rob Lowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman, Clive Owen, Timothy Olifant, and Sam Rockwell were all considered on some level to be the next potential leading man. But the 22:14 Speaker A director felt like the perfect person for the role was none other than Robert Downey Jr. And I think by casting Robert Downey Jr., the comic book fans say, "Great. Oh my god, that's perfectly Tony Stark." What's great for people who 22:25 Speaker A aren't fans is they see Robert, they bring a set of expectations to the movie based on who he is and what his whole history has been and his level of talent, his sense of humor, and they then then immediately understand what 22:38 Speaker A Tony Stark is about. Almost immediately after suggesting RDJ, there was serious push back. Entertainment executive Dave Meisel said, "My board thought I was crazy to put the future of the company in the hands of an addict. I helped them 22:51 Speaker A understand how great he was for the role. We all had confidence that he was clean and would stay clean. Luckily for everyone involved, Downey didn't just stay clean. His performance as Iron Man changed the MCU forever. 2008's Iron Man 23:05 Speaker A ended up earning almost $600 million worldwide with a $140 million budget. It's one of those rare movies where critics and fans absolutely love it, and many consider it to be the top five best Marvel films of all time. But looking 23:19 Speaker A back, this wasn't much of a surprise. Robert might not have been a scientific genius with an engineering background, but he had the spirit of the character. 23:27 Speaker A Downey had spent a large part of his life being pretty arrogant and believing he was invincible, only to be humbled when his life was on the verge of total destruction. And just like Tony Stark, he was open to accepting a bigger 23:38 Speaker A purpose in life by putting others ahead of himself. Not only did he perfectly embody a real life Tony Stark, but everything about the movie felt like it was carefully tailored just for the fans. 23:49 Speaker A You are Tony Stark. I mean, it's in my mind there's nobody else. Well, I mean, getting the part is one thing, and then when John and I rolled up our sleeves and said, "Okay, Now, we've got to go make this movie and 23:59 Speaker A make it great." And the stuff we did and the amount of days where we realized the scene wasn't going to work. And people are like playing soccer on the stage and we're rewriting it and feverishly. It was like we literally were like 24:10 Speaker A delivering the baby as we were rolling half the time. I think that's what separates us from the pack a little bit is there's such a sense of immediacy and spontaneity in this that I don't know if we'd want to do it the same way again 24:21 Speaker A cuz it was so stressful. Oh, really? But often times we literally be pulling elements out of our ass and making these robots characters and giving them names and thinking of things to do because we knew that the world wasn't full enough. 24:33 Speaker A In a matter of months, fans were witnessing the renaissance of Robert Downey Jr. and his career. However, what made this year even crazier is that he chose another role in Ben Stiller's movie Tropic Thunder, which could have easily thrown him out of the industry 24:47 Speaker A right as he got back on top. Downey play the role of a pretentious Australian actor named Kirk Lazarus, who decides to method act as a black soldier in Vietnam. And it would be risky if his character used a stereotypical voice or 25:01 Speaker A gestures, but he actually wears blackface throughout the entirety of the film. Everybody knows you never go full What do you mean? 25:09 Speaker A This would be a career death sentence today, but even in 2008, it was a massive risk. The craziest part was that Robert didn't get attacked for it much in the press. Most of the anger was directed towards Ben Stiller. 25:20 Speaker A All the heat got deflected to Ben and Simple Jack. That's what people were pissed off about. And I go, great. 25:28 Speaker A Jamie Fox even spoke out on JRE about how Robert's role didn't mean any harm and that it was just for entertainment. 25:34 Speaker A I called Robert. I said, "Listen, I I need you to play a Mexican." and he says, "Uh, here's the deal." "Sure, sure. Why not? Sure. Of course." But then he texts back and said, "I'm nervous to play the Mexican." I said, 25:45 Speaker A "Well, you played the black dude and you killed that. You know, we got to be able to do character." There was never any bad blood between Jaime and Robert. They actually ended up working on a project together in 2009 25:55 Speaker A called The Soloist, where Downey plays a journalist trying to improve the life of Jaime Fox's character, a homeless musical genius, in any way he can. And these movies set off a string of hits for RDJ. Sherlock Holmes, Chef, The 26:08 Speaker A Judge, and his continued role as Iron Man were massive hits in theaters all over the world. As for Robert's personal life, he had a strong marriage, two sons, and a new lease on life. He was able to accept his dark past and move on 26:21 Speaker A to better things. So, were you in jail or prison? I go, but how long? 16 months. Do you know the first infraction you had in 1995? I was like, you know what? I it's hard for me to hold it cuz I've been arrested so 26:37 Speaker A many times. But because he was still in Hollywood, there were secretly still some people plotting on his downfall. There was a viral interview in 2015 while Downey was promoting the Avengers where the interviewer attempted to bring up Robert's past for an emotional response, 26:53 Speaker A but he wasn't having any of it. Let me just ask you a few more questions, and you can answer them if you want to and not if you don't want to. You've talked in other interviews again about your relationship with your 27:02 Speaker A father and the role of all of that in, you know, the dark periods you entered, taking drugs and drinking and all of that. And I just wondered whether, you know, you you think you're free of all of that or whether that's still 27:14 Speaker A something Sorry. I I really don't What are we doing? Well, I'm just asking questions, that's all. 27:20 Speaker A Bye. Thank you guys. Are you sorry your mic? It's okay. Yeah, you're right. Thank you. 27:30 Speaker A Do you seem okay? It's just getting a little dinosaur in your No. No. Look, I don't want to do that. 27:35 Speaker A It's honestly a miracle that Robert Downey Jr. survived and thrived in Hollywood. Luckily, he was an incredibly talented actor and had people willing to give him second or third chances, which is why he extends his support onto others who need help today. I'm one of 27:51 Speaker A like three people who's the first call for any Hollywood crisis having to do with drugs and alcohol or horrific misbehavior, which is both a an honor and a it's kind of funny because I did not think I would ever be part of any 28:08 Speaker A crisis team on the right side of history. You take the call. One must. His career couldn't have gone any better throughout the 2020s where he reached another peak for his role in the smash hit Oppenheimer as he won his 28:20 Speaker A first Oscar for best supporting actor. I'd like to thank my terrible childhood. Even though Robert's childhood is likely what led to him suffering a lifelong addiction. Overcoming that brutal upbringing is what made him a Hollywood legend. Because being challenged in life 28:35 Speaker A is inevitable, but being defeated is optional. This story reminds me a lot of Kurt Angle, who at his lowest was doing 65 pills per day. It's surprising he is even still alive. Topics: Robert Downey Jr. addiction Hollywood Brat Pack Less Than Zero recovery acting career federal prison toxic lifestyle celebrity comeback --- This is the markdown twin of https://sozai.app/transcript/9-lives-robert-downey-jr/ — the same content, without the markup. Published by SozAI (https://sozai.app). Reuse and quotation are allowed with attribution and a link back. Machine-readable index: https://sozai.app/llms.txt · data API: https://sozai.app/api/