Father's Lessons
The morning in the family of Robert Downey Sr. - the director of the art house paintings, rather strange from the point of view of the layman - usually started rather late (the night before, as usual, there was a stormy party). Hardly waking up, the father of the family offered his beautiful wife Elsie and young son Bobby ... to penetrate into the mind of the domestic terrier named Sturgess.
Downey's younger father was always an original and an eccentric. Even in his youth, he dreamed of serving in the army, but he was not accepted for service for health reasons. Then Robert decided in protest (it is not clear only against whom?) To change his quite decent surname Elias to the stupid Downey (in translation - a loser, a loser). Since Robert, now Downey, had a rich imagination and was not devoid of creativity, he chose the appropriate profession - the director. And he shot the movie, as they say, for the soul - box office, full halls, the first lines in the ratings did not interest him at all. By and large, except for Downey himself, the problems of his films were of little interest to anyone ... But the director was concerned only with his own self-expression.
When a son was born, Downey Sr. gave him his name, "awarded" an unfortunate surname and literally from the cradle he began to associate with "the beautiful", namely he took pictures of his films. However, the very Robert Jr. on this account his opinion: thus, the father saved on the services of a nanny.
At the age of five, Bobby already made his debut as a ... Mexican naked dog (not for nothing, apparently, his father experimented with the terrier's mind). The creation of Downey the elder was called "In the pen" and narrated about the dogs that await death in the kennel. The role of one of the unfortunate dogs and performed by the kid Downey.
The next role Bobby got also in the film of his father, but already on the biblical subject, however, the action was transferred for some reason to the Wild West.
His father dedicated Downey Jr. not only to the holy of holies of the cinema art, but also became his "guide" to the psychedelic world of drugs and other stimulants. Debuted Bobby in this "genre" neither more nor less than 8 years.
And, the father himself suggested that he be dragged along with the words: "In life, my boy, we must try everything." That's when, apparently, the childhood of Downey Jr. ended ... He tried the pleasure for adults, in comparison with which all of his childish joys faded, lost their shine and colors.
This is not the only life lesson that we learned from the biography of actor Robert Downey Jr., who taught him his father. Once a 17-year-old Bobby was in a difficult situation: he was without money in another's city and in desperation called his father (by that time his parents had dispersed). "Help me, I do not have money to even go to the subway," he shouted into the phone call to his friends, "Father will answer with complete indifference. "I already called, they also do not have the money," Bobby yelled desperately. Father muttered something like: "Sorry, man" and hastily hung up. "Thus, my father did everything so that already at the age of 17 I learned how to earn my living," - admitted Robert years later.
Despite his father's harsh lessons, Bobby does not hold evil against him (although, by and large, it is precisely the questionable educational methods of Downey Sr. and his son's misconduct from the path of the righteous), and even grateful to him. Robert is rarely angry at anyone for long. By nature, he is a very positive person, inclined to see even the most hopeless situation, the positive side. "When I fell to the very bottom ... there was a knock on the bottom" - this is just about him.
Oh, the lucky one!
Robert Downey Jr. was always lucky - not every future actor had a chance to appear in the most that neither is a bohemian family, make his debut at the age of five in the cinema, and at age 16 to appear in the incredibly popular TV show of the 80's Saturday Night Live. And after that he was shot continuously, even being a complete addict. On the other hand, there are a lot of passing films in his biography, the names of which are no longer remembered by Robert himself. But if you take into account that he was filming then mainly in the intervals between "doses", then the result is appropriate. True, sometimes there were happy coincidences. Gak in the movie "Less than zero" Downey played a drug addict. His colleagues in the film recalled: "Everything that happened to the hero, in fact, happened with Robert. Fiction could not be distinguished from reality. We often did not understand: he plays or he, in fact, breaking? "
However, the spirit of contradiction and arthouse education of his father did not allow Robert to be content with roles in second-rate films. Together with young actors, among whom were the not-unknown Demi Moore, Emilio Esteves, Anthony Michael Hall, Robert organized the Brat Pack actor movement. Alas, this movement is not famous for anything outstanding.
It was a real luck - to get a role in the film "living classic" by Richard Attenborough, the role is not anyone but Charlie Chaplin himself! By the way, later it turned out that Robert has much in common with the great Charlie, for example, they have the same foot size. And similar voice voices. And when Robert got the first decent fee and decided to buy an old house he liked, it turned out that the mansion once belonged to a great comedian!
But even this unexpected similarity could not subdue the sacred awe that Bobby felt before the great Chaplin. "This role was the most incredible chance in my life and the most monstrous humiliation," he lamented. - As if I won the lottery ... and immediately got in jail. Having looked at any Chaplin film, I realized that in those 20 minutes of screen time he was funnier, more talented, more genius than I in my whole life! "
Having hidden his shame and complexes far away, Robert, nevertheless, brilliantly coped with the uneasy image of the genius of cinema, equally well playing the 19-year-old boy Charlie and the decrepit 83-year-old old man Chaplin.
However, any young actor dreamed of being in the place of Downey - before him opened a wide and boundless road leading directly to the Hollywood Olympus. He had all the components in order to become a successful actor, superstar, millionaire - nice appearance, young age and most importantly, talent! Talent! Robert with success was able to balance on the verge of piercing drama and subtle irony, rise to existential depths and sink to humor. But in any image and condition he retained his natural charm, bribing everyone and everything!
On the wave of Chaplin's success, he starred in several films, including Oliver Stone's "Born Killers".
And then Robert turned his life into an inexhaustible source for publications in criminal chronicles ...
"Cocaine is the way of the Lord to warn you that you are earning too much money," Robin Williams once said, Robert Downey's colleague in the actor's shop and narcotic experience. What God wanted to warn Lord Robert, it's hard to say. He could not get rich, because he spent all the fees on drugs, and then on rehabilitation clinics. From 1987 to 1996, Robert from time to time tried to get rid of the addiction, but without success. However, over time, his fascination with drugs has become an alarming scale. The Almighty warned him for a long time and persistently, for 10 years, but Bobby remained deaf to his "lessons"!
April 1996. The police stopped the car, which was driving at full speed on the boulevard Sunset. What was the surprise of the representatives of law and order when they found out in the strange driver of the car of the famous actor - Robert Downey Jr.. True, the policemen completely discouraged his appearance: Robert was sitting behind the wheel absolutely naked, completely "stoned," and at the same time holding in his hand a loaded pistol Magnum 357th caliber. It seemed that there was nowhere else to roll. If you think so, then you do not know Robert well - his fantasy has no limits!
May 1996. Of course, after that story, the actor was sent for compulsory treatment. But very soon Bobby was bored without the usual dose, broke free, pricked, for some reason broke into the neighbor's house, found a nursery room and fell asleep in the baby's bed in a baby crib. He was awakened by the police officers already called by his neighbors, who were extremely surprised by the picture they saw! This time, Downey issued a severe warning. According to the court decision, he had to visit the narcological clinic for three years and regularly take a test for the presence of narcotic substances in the blood.
Spring of 1999. Robert again broke and started all the hard: he started taking drugs, missed one test and went to jail where he spent the next three months.
The most surprising is that, despite all this "roundabout", Robert managed to regularly make films. In a break between his imprints, he played in the popular TV series "Ellie McBill." Robert even received for the role in this series the prestigious Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Emmy. And I managed to record a duet with Sting.
Thanksgiving Day, 2000 year. Robert has another breakdown. The police detained Downey with a dose of cocaine and Valium tablets. The verdict is severe: Robert spent a year in jail.
Producers "Ellie McBill" immediately terminated his contract with him and dismissed without explanation. The management of other film companies, with whom Robert collaborated, cut his fees to a minimum. In addition, in the standard contract Downey has since included an item on the penalty for disruption of filming. It was up to 40% of the star's fee.
The rescue
Despite the fact that the whole Hollywood filmmaking machine rebelled against Robert Downey Jr., there were people who supported him in the most difficult times. For example, Woody Allen really wanted to shoot Robert in his film "Melinda and Melinde," but not one producer would agree to pay for the actor's compulsory insurance in Hollywood.
But an old friend and colleague Daun and Mel Gibson did not hesitate for a moment, vouching for a colleague who was deceived before shooting their joint film "The Singing Detective."
But the most important support for Robert for seven years was his beloved girl, the future star of "Sex and the City" Sarah Jessica Parker.
Even when they first met, Robert warned Sarah about his addiction to drugs. But Parker did not give it proper value and recklessly decided that she could save a loved one from a terrible illness.
What she just did not try! Sarah made Robert go up, not light, after a merry drug night and go to work. If he was not able to, Sarah always covered it - inventing incredible "excuses", endlessly lying, yulila. If Downey disappeared for a few days, he looked for him, washed it, put it in order and drove to the set. Alas ... After a painful parting with Robert, Sarah did not long bored in solitude and soon found herself in the arms of John F. Kennedy Jr.. And Robert also found a replacement for her. First he met with actress Marisa Tomei, and then married Deborah Falcon, also an actress who gave birth to his son Indio (Robert affectionately calls him "my little freak"). Both women could not stand the test of being a drug addict's friend for a long time ...
Now Endless adventures Downey looks funny, but then they could end very sad. Robert himself understood that he was waiting for him in the finale of this "race for survival". But she could not stop it. "Spiritual sessions? Society of anonymous alcoholics and drug addicts? I tried everything, - the actor recalled. "I was with both Catholics and Hari Krishna, but I do not think that any of this can save my ass." Henceforth call me a Jewish Buddhist - this is the best definition. "
"Tied up" with drugs Robert at one time - just threw all the nonsense that was at his house. Of course, this willful decision was preceded by years of doubt, worry, suffering, pain, depression and ... a desperate desire to part with an addiction forever. "I can not say that I have cleared completely," complains Robert. I have always been a soul and I will be a laboratory rat, and I will always miss the euphoria that brought me drugs. But now I will try to find this euphoria elsewhere. "
Back to stay
The final return to Hollywood would not have taken place without the current wife of Robert - the producer Susan Levin. She helped him completely change his life: Robert enrolled in the gym, began to study kung fu and today no one will know in this strong guy addict with experience. The only thing that he can not refuse is cigarettes and strong coffee. But Susan forgives him this whim. Moreover, as soon as Robert had finished with drugs, his career was rapidly on the horizon.
His triumphant return to the profession was the film "Iron Man". "The best thing about Hollywood," the actor believes, "is his short memory. It suits my hand. Perhaps, here no one now and do not remember that once I was in prison. "
Yes, today Robert drives around on his own "Bentley", lives in a luxurious mansion with his wife and son, appears in a popular TV show, where he gladly tells tales of his prison past, which go "with a bang!" Suggestions to be filmed fall on him as from a cornucopia. "I like to think that life can change completely in a few hours," admits Robert. Otherwise, I would be bored to live. " And how boring it would be for us without the indefatigable Robert Downey Jr.!