The star of Iron Man 3 has had his ups and downs, but there is no denying that he’s effortlessly cool.
By Adrian Collins
Bursting on to the scene in a few of the brat pack movies of the 1980s, a young Robert Downey Jr. had all the talent and charisma that a leading man needed, not to mention a cool factor that was through the roof.
Downey Jr. had a role in the classic movie Weird Science, which was a hit for all young teenage boys, as well as starring in Less Than Zero, a movie based on a novel by famed author Bret Easton Ellis, who was also the mind behind American Psycho.
His most stand out role though probably came in the biopic of Charlie Chaplin, simply called Chaplin, and it made everyone in Hollywood sit up and take notice, including the good folks at the Oscars, who nominated him for an Academy Award for his performance.
His troubles in the following years were well publicised, and after a couple of brushes with the law and a stint in rehab, and a few in jail, he came out the other side stronger.
His road to recovery came through starring in a series of cult classics that won him his credibility back, as well as showing that he could hold down a role and stay on course. in 2005 he hooked up with Iron Man 3 director Shane Black in the comedy crime drama Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a role which he wasn’t actually supposed to have in the first place.
Jackass star Johnny Knoxville was originally in the running, but it seems that the role somewhat fell in to Downey’s lap when his other half, Susan Downey (a producer), was reading the script in bed one night. He croons over the final credits too…
His work in the uber-cool A Scanner Darkly was also brilliant, another movie based on a book by the seminal Philip K. Dick. The unique look of the movie blends real action and animation which really grabbed attention. He also popped up in the superb David Fincher directed Zodiac too, as well as starring in a slick Elton John music video.
Of course, his role as the man-in-the-can, Iron Man, made him one of the biggest box-office draws going, and while the first two movies did well, Avengers Assemble was the billion dollar grosser that centred on his Tony Stark.
Now, he has two hugely popular franchises running together as he also stars in Sherlock Holmes, two totally different characters but Downey’s talent makes them both unique and engrossing.
In terms of style, he definitely has a unique look and does what he wants, always unafraid to make a real statement with his choice of outfits both in terms of colours and combinations. Like this pic, where he’s wearing lederhosen to a movie premiere. Does he care what you think? Hell no.
As the millionaire Tony Stark in his latest action-packed blockbuster, he also drives a range of incredibly slick cars, shows off some brilliant gadgets, as well as showing that he’s been hitting the gym like a madman to help him kick some ass.
You can check out the latest effort from Marvel and Disney on your screens now, so get out there, grab your popcorn, and enjoy Iron Man 3 with the King of Cool, Robert Downey Jr.
