Robert Downey Jr turns 57 today. The incredible comeback story of Downey Jr., one of the world’s most beloved movie stars, is dramatic enough in itself to be the subject of a feature film. He is best known for playing the role of Tony Stark or Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And whatever he does in the future, he’ll probably always be remembered by film fans as Tony, so demonstratively he owned the character, almost carved him into his likeness.
But his path to getting the role was far from easy. Marvel bosses were concerned about his reputation—his drug and alcohol problems were killing him, and the company (now growing rich thanks to his no small role) insisted on not hiring him. But Iron Man director Jon Favreau fought tooth and nail to get the suit on.
The actor fitted in Tony’s footsteps so well because he was something of a Tony Stark himself. Their redemption arcs were eerily similar. It was like he was born to play Tony Stark. Downey Jr. was, as Favreau put it, “a likable asshole,” like Tony. In public, the actor similarly cracked jokes and made people laugh, yet he still dealt with a darkness within him – again like his character.
His Tony persona was in full swing at Disney’s 2019 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California. He revealed to his adoring (and laughing) legions of fans that he was arrested while visiting Disneyland for the first time. The reason? He smoked pot while sitting in a gondola.
He said out of the blue: “Here’s some trivia for you. When I went to Disneyland for the very first time, I was taken to a different location just moments after my arrest. I was taken to a surprisingly friendly processing center, severely reprimanded and, if I remember correctly, returned to a very disappointed group attendant.”
As the crowd roared, he added: “I’ve sat on this disgrace for a while and will post it here tonight. I’d like to make amends with anyone who has had to arrest me for smoking weed in a gondola without a license,” before quipping, “And I don’t want to further confuse the issue by implying that there is in some way a license to smoke weed available for the gondola.”
Well, that story is difficult to pin down, and like Tony, Downey Jr might well make it up to amuse his fans.