If there is a place in the world where miracles exist, that would be Hollywood. In this celluloid temple where the Holy Grail is becoming a star and, after that, being the brightest of all, a record has just been broken that only Robert Downey Jr. (59) could achieve. The American actor has just become the highest-paid actor of all time as his new role in the Marvel universe as Doctor Doom will earn him around $100 million for two films.
That is the price for returning to superhero stories since after portraying Tony Stark in Iron Man, The Avengers, Captain America, or Spiderman, the actor decided to give a new direction to his career and explore new plots. This led to his role as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Experts claim that to date, he has earned between $500 and $600 million since joining the fantasy universe.
It was at the last edition of Comic-Con in San Diego when the heads of the different MCU sagas confirmed what was coming. The actor agreed on the condition that the Russo brothers also return after directing the two most successful studio films, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Both will also receive astronomical salaries and benefits like $80 million in salary plus a percentage of profits if they exceed $750 and $1,000 million at the box office.
Robert Downey Jr. is the actor of the moment in the industry. In addition to his salary, producers have provided him with a private plane, special security, and a caravan camp so he can enjoy and relax after filming.
Downey Jr.'s career is full of ups and downs and, above all, of falls into hell. His father, actor and director Robert Downey Sr., started paving a path full of excess when he encouraged him to smoke marijuana at just six years old. By the age of 8, the child was already addicted. The actor has confessed on occasion that "growing up in a family where everyone consumed drugs" was decisive for him, as well as his parents' separation when he was a teenager.
After leaving high school, he started earning a living as an actor. In 1986, he achieved his first major success with Back to School alongside his beloved Rodney Dangerfield. In the 80s and 90s, he was completely hooked on drugs, specifically heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, making filming problematic. He also suffered and caused suffering in his love life as his then-girlfriend was Sarah Jessica Parker, with whom he broke up in 1991 after seven years of relationship. She dedicated these words to him: "I will pray that you don't die."
The relationship with drugs became more complicated with his stints in prison. In 1996, he was arrested for possessing cocaine, heroin, and a Magnum revolver on Sunset Boulevard. In 1997, he was arrested for driving under the influence of cocaine and heroin, leading to a six-month jail sentence. The following year, he returned to prison for another four months for refusing a drug test, and in 1999, he was punished with another three years behind bars, of which he served only fifteen months, for refusing to undergo a drug detection medical examination. He also escaped several times from various detox centers.
All these stories cost him his marriage to Deborah Falconer, mother of his only son, Indio (30), who also had substance abuse issues. "Unfortunately, there is a genetic component to addiction, and Indio has likely inherited it," confessed the star. The divorce was finalized in 2004.
Furthermore, Robert was considered box office poison, an outcast in the industry, and someone you couldn't trust. Only a few of his friends gave him small, poorly paid roles because major studios refused to pay expensive insurance in case something happened during filming. The actor will always remember 2003 as the year of his rebirth since then he has been clean. He has neither used nor drunk.
To achieve this, he had the support of his girlfriend, producer Susan Levin (50), whom he married in 2005. The couple has two children, Exton Elias (12) and Avri Roel, almost ten. This has been the rebirth of a star.