Trivia

During the promotion of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), famously walked out of an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy when pressed about his "dark" past because he felt it was inappropriate that children would be watching. He told Howard Stern he would leave again if that ever happened in the future.

According to an interview he gave to Newsweek in February 2009, when Downey went to Japan for their opening of Iron Man (2008), he was detained on entry because Japanese authorities ran his passport and found it linked to some incredible criminal activity (namely Downey's multiple arrests and incarcerations on drug-related charges in the 1990s and 2000s). For failing to disclose these convictions, Downey was interrogated for six hours and was almost barred from entry into Japan. It was finally decided that he could enter Japan for the Iron Man premiere but he is never to be allowed into Japan again.

Was a huge fan of the Iron Man comics as a child.

Sting ("Every Breath You Take") and Billy Idol performed at his wedding to Susan Downey.

At the age of 10, while living in London, Robert attended the Perry House School in Chelsea and studied classical ballet.

In order to get over his drug addiction, he began studying Wing Chun in 2003 under Sifu Eric Oram, who served as a fight and martial arts consultant on Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes (2009).

Was roommates with Kiefer Sutherland in the early 1980s.

In a symbolic attempt to bury his decadent 1980s Brat Pack image and begin a new phase of his life and career after filming Chaplin (1992) in 1991, he (literally) buried the clothes that he wore in Less Than Zero (1987) in the backyard of his house.

Met wife Susan Downey on the set of Gothika (2003).

His father introduced him to drugs, offering him a marijuana joint when he was age 8.

Starred in Elton John's music video for the song "I Want Love". Downey was let out of rehab for one day in late July specifically to shoot the video (which was filmed in one long continuous take at Greystone Manor in Beverly Hills). This was Downey's first work since being fired from the television series Ally McBeal (1997) in April 2001.

He is a cousin of crooner Harry Connick Jr., news woman Barbara Walters and stunt pro Garner Ted Aukerman.

Kept a great deal of the authentic vintage clothing he wore in the movie Chaplin (1992).

Is the first, and thus far only, actor to win a Golden Globe for portraying Sherlock Holmes.

Lived with Sarah Jessica Parker from 1984 to 1991.

Married his first wife after dating her for only 42 days.

Dropped out of Santa Monica High School at age 17 and moved to New York to become an actor. First jobs in the city included bussing tables at Central Falls restaurant, working in a shoe store, and performing as "living art" at SohHo's notorious underground club Area.

Has worn lifts at his directors' requests in his recent leading man roles, namely Iron Man (2008) and its sequel and in Sherlock Holmes (2009), in order to enhance his height.

As a result of his father's work (Robert Downey Sr. was an independent filmmaker), Downey the younger spent a great deal of his childhood on the move. He lived at various points in Connecticut, New York, California, London, Paris and Woodstock.

While drunk, he wandered into a neighbor's Malibu home that he thought was his own, and fell asleep in their child's bed. He was arrested for being under the influence of drugs, which was a third violation of his probation.

He proposed to Susan Downey on her 30th birthday.

Downey enjoyed working with the director of the Elton John music video - contemporary artist Sam Taylor-Johnson - so much that he suggested that they work together again on an art piece. The result was an art video called "Pietà", made in the manner of Michelangelo's famous Pietà sculpture in Rome. It was included in Sam Taylor-Johnson's exhibition "Mute" at the White Cube 2 art gallery in London, November 23 to January 12, 2002.

Filmed his role in Hail Caesar (1994) in one day.

Is good friends with Due Date (2010) and The Soloist (2009) co-star, Jamie Foxx.

Godfather of his son Indio Falconer Downey is close friend Anthony Michael Hall.

Placed his hand and footprints in concrete in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in 2010.

(March 31, 1998) Released from jail to complete his six-month jail sentence at a drug rehabilitation center. Downey caused a stir when he was freed to work on a movie.

Is the first regular cast member of Saturday Night Live (1975) to be nominated for an Academy Award in the category "Best Actor in a Leading Role". Joan Cusack and Dan Aykroyd were also nominated for Academy Awards some years before Downey, but both were nominated for supporting roles.

Mentioned in a November 2010 interview with Playboy magazine that he studies Kung Fu at the L.A. Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy in West Los Angeles three times a week for three hours a session.

Wife Susan Downey gave birth to baby girl, Avri Roel Downey at 3:22 a.m. on November 4, 2014.

(February 13, 1998) He got into fight with another inmate at the Los Angeles County Jail, where he was serving time for a probation violation, and was treated for a cut over his nose.

Names Peter O'Toole as his favorite actor.

During traffic stop for speeding, he was arrested for drunk driving, possession of heroin, and possession of an unloaded pistol in his pickup truck. This was his first reported brush with the law at age 31. He was given a suspended prison sentence of three years, and granted probation with requirements of random drug testing and drug counselling. (August 1996)

In The Nice Guys (2016) played cameo of corpse, Sid Shattuck.

(April 24, 2001) Arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance in Los Angeles after he was found wandering in an alley. He was fired from the television series Ally McBeal (1997) by producer David E. Kelley after the arrest.

Good friends with Marvel Cinematic Universe cast: Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Jon Favreau, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle and Cobie Smulders.

Son Indio Falconer Downey, with his first wife Deborah Falconer, was born on September 7, 1993.

Downey's lawyers petitioned the State Court of Appeals in Los Angeles, stating that Downey had already served enough time because the Malibu judge had made errors in calculating his sentence. He had not given credit for the several times Downey spent in lockdown rehab units and in pre-sentencing confinement. Downey's lawyers claimed that he should have been released in February 2000.

Maintained a professional work ethic when he was a drug addict.

Is an avid collector of exotic watches including such brands as, Breitling, Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Baume & Mercier (his grandfather's) etc.

Robert and wife Susan Downey had their first child, Exton Elias Downey, on February 7, 2012. He weighing in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measuring 20 inches.

Childhood friends with Richard Hall, better known as Moby.

Good friends with: Mel Gibson, James Spader, Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Scarlett Johansson, Rob Lowe and Johnny Depp.

(August 6, 1999) After Downey's three violations of probation for drug and alcohol abuse in a three-year span of time since he was spared a prison sentence and placed on probation, Malibu Judge Lawrence Mira stated that he was out of options. He was sentencing Downey to prison, he said, to save his life, because he would not take the responsibility of refraining from alcohol and drug use on his own. The Judge invoked the three years' sentence in state prison that had been suspended in 1996.

Downey spent two weeks in a state prison reception center at Wasco, California, for orientation. On August 25, 1999, he was transferred to a Department of Corrections prison named "SATF" (Substance Abuse Treatment Facility) for drug dependent prisoners in Corcoran California. Scheduled release date: November 2, 2000. SATF is across the street from the other Corcoran Prison, where inmates were shot to death on the exercise yard during fights in the 1990s. Downey's lawyers have approached the Malibu judge several times in the last 11 months to request Downey's release, but the Judge has refused.

He was almost cast as Duckie in Pretty in Pink (1986), when the ending had Andie getting together with Duckie. Per Molly Ringwald, this ending may have stuck if Downey won the role, because he didn't give her the "brother vibe" Jon Cryer did.

Has worked with four "Doctor Watsons". In his own portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, he worked with Jude Law. In Iron Man 3 (2013), he worked with Ben Kingsley. In Captain America: Civil War (2016), he worked with Martin Freeman. In The Judge (2014), he worked with Robert Duvall.

Jailed for 180 days for violating probation. (December 1997)

Has stated on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) that he is not a method actor.

He was considered for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman (1989), which went to Michael Keaton and went costar with Keaton in Game 6 (2005), as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) even though they didn't share a scene together.

He married his second wife, Gothika (2003) producer Susan Downey, at Amagansett, New York on August 27, 2005.