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Shaun Thielen

Professor Kane

English 115 F

6 December 2019

Impact of Robert Downey Jr.

In the wonderful world of Hollywood there are many successful cases of stars rising from

the ashes to achieve greatness. However, rising to fame and infamy comes with suffocating

social pressures including scrutiny from both the public and the media. Unfortunately, this

concoction of pressures typically has a common trend of resulting in an addiction to drugs, sex,

or fame/publicity itself. Specifically, Robert Downey Jr. was an actor who had a large amount of

success as a child actor being in movies such as who got into trouble with the law for illegal drug

related actions for which he was put in jail, leading to him getting drug free and landing major

success as Iron Man. Without his acting in the blockbuster Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. would

not have revived his career due to his negative public image, a lack of personal support, and his

history of drug addiction.

His negative public image due to his imprisonment would have destroyed Robert

Downey Jr.’s ability to be successful in almost any other profession if it were not for his acting

in the role of Iron Man. Downey, despite his struggles in drug addiction, still had been a major

factor in decent movies in which he had appeared. He even earned an Academy Award

nomination for best actor. Yet according to the article, “Robert Downey Jr.”, “his frequent

skirmishes with the law and his public struggle with drug addiction often overshadowed his

on-screen success,” demonstrating the impact that negative media already had on his image
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before the imprisonment(Cunningham 3). Without the breakthrough of ​Iron Man​, there would be

little opportunity for Downey to succeed and it would have been highly unlikely for him to come

close to obtaining the positive standing that he currently holds. A similar theme is held in the

“The Jacket” by Gary Soto in which the boy’s jacket plagues his public image causing him

embarrassment:“I blame that jacket for those bad years” which further illustrates the impact that

public image can have on people’s mental state(Soto). If Downey had not been given the

opportunity to act in more films, a negative outlook on drugs would have been the only standout

feature of a career that had limited success and he would not have accomplished all that he has

currently.

Personal support was pivotal in Robert Downey Jr.’s recent success. Downey’s closest

personal impact was from his wife, Susan Downey. Susan upon realizing the extent of the

addiction that Robert was experiencing, in “Robert Downey Jr.’s Incredible Comeback from

Addiction” an interview is referenced stating, “​[Robert Downey Jr.] quit drugs for good in 2003

after she[Susan Downey] gave him an ultimatum”​ (American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff).

Susan’s ultimatum was the first step necessary for Robert to get clean in the first place. He was

able to be a part of a few movies but no big landings due to his recent addiction news. Downey

was able to have a successful career due to his strong support of mentors. Marvel was taking a

risk on Robert Downey due to his previous prison time and drug history, wagering the Iron Man

movie’s success on his ability to act surpassing his past drug issues, in the public eye. In the

article “Finding a Good Mentor is a Key to Success” by Jeff Conner, the author argues that in the

realm of law, mentors are needed, including the “no less necessary type of mentor: other new

lawyers who are just a couple years ahead of you in practice.” In other words, peers are a
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valuable tool and asset to achieve accomplishment in any given field including acting. Without

the aid of the mentorship from other popular actors, it would be highly improbable that Downey

would be able to reach the level of success in the film industry that he has currently reached.

Another example that emphasizes the importance of a mentor is in the article by Helen Keller

called “The Most Important Day” in which her teacher as a mentor allowed Keller to have an

epiphany through connecting words with her physical surroundings. Helen’s own reaction to

breaking a doll where “my eyes filled with tears, for I realized what I had done, and for the first

time I felt repentance and sorrow” demonstrated the enabling of self-reflection caused by a

mentor’s outside perspective. Downey progressed through his recovery process by being held

accountable through peer mentors keeping him clean and allowing him to succeed. There were

other factors that led to Downey’s successes; however, the risk of more jail time was a key factor

in his progress toward continued fame.

Robert Downey Jr.’s staying clean allowed him to succeed in his Iron Man role that

would not have been possible without the risk of damaging his future. In the article “Robert

Downey Jr.’s Incredible Comeback from Addiction”, in 2013 Robert Downey Jr. states that he

“​credits sobriety for the phenomenal career momentum he has enjoyed over the past few

years.​”(American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff). Essentially, his sobriety was a requirement

necessary for his explosive climb to reach new heights in his career. One major motivation to

Downey’s removal of drug use was the repeated prison sentencing due to failure to comply and

pass drug tests. Prison was a tragic experience to him and therefore had given him drive to

simply not want to return to prison life. According to the medical article by Donna Hall called

“Major Mental Illness as a Risk Factor for Incarceration”, the conclusion stated “​Differential
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adjudication of misdemeanor arrestees with a major ​mental​ illness diagnosis appears to

contribute to their overrepresentation within the jail population​”(Hall 1). This statement implies

that there is a large company of mentally ill people in the prison population putting the occupants

at risk of injury and intimidation. In the article, “What ‘Iron Man’ Robert Downey Jr. Said About

His Time in Prison,” he states, “s​moking dope and smoking coke, you are rendered defenseless.

The only way out of that hopeless state is intervention,​” which shows the impact that prison has

had on his mentality(Mitas 1). By being seperated from society and not having easy access to

drugs(without direct consequences), Downey was able to work on his mental reorientation

towards a future away from drugs. In conclusion, Downey was only able to succeed due to the

actual limitations allotted by his imprisonment as well as the opportunity to reach new heights

through a major role as Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr.’s success as Iron Man, was the turning point that allowed for his rise

to new heights in his career that would not have occurred otherwise. Downey was only one of

many actors and celebrities that have fallen down the path of drug addiction and some even

manage to stay afloat while being involved with drugs. The current spread of drug use in acting

is sadly prevalent which is scary since it claims many young actors that could have reached

greater heights or had longer careers. Unfortunately, drugs whisked away their opportunity to

arise to their potential. Even the stars that have reached heights are not immune to the destructive

nature of addiction, always risking potentially derailing well placed careers. In contrast,

Hollywood has true stories of people rising against the odds to claim their victory over addiction,

mental illness, and injustice.

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Works Cited

American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff. “Robert Downey Jr. Drug Addiction: An Incredible

Comeback Story.” Edited by Kindra Sclar, ​DrugAbuse.com​, Recovery Brands LLC, 11

June 2019, drugabuse.com/robert-downey-jr-s-incredible-comeback-from-addiction.

Connor, Jeff. “Finding Good Mentors Is a Key to Success.” ​Westlaw​, 24 Oct. 2016,

1-next-westlaw-com.libproxy.csun.edu/Document/I6c285811982a11e698dc

8b09b4f043e0/View/FullText.

Cunningham, John M. “Robert Downey, Jr.” ​Encyclopædia Britannica​, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 19 Sept. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Downey-Jr.

Hall, Donna, et al. “Major Mental Illness as a Risk Factor for Incarceration.” ​Psychiatric

Services​, 4 Sept. 2019, ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.201800425.

Keller, Hellen. “The Most Important Day.” ​Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition​,

10th ed, edited by Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010, pp.

76--79.

Mitas, Melissa. “What 'Iron Man' Robert Downey, Jr. Said About His Time in Prison.” ​Showbiz

Cheat Sheet​, 11 June 2019, www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/what-iron-man-

robert-downey-jr-said-about-his-time-in-prison.html/.

Soto, Gary. “The Jacket.”​Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition,​ 10th ed., edited by

Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz, Bedgord/St. Martins, 2010, pp. 312--315.