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01
While promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015, Downey walked out of an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy when pressed about his dark past, as he felt it was inappropriate for children watching. He later told Howard Stern he would do the same again.
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02
During a 2009 interview with Newsweek, Downey recounted being detained upon entering Japan for the Iron Man premiere. Japanese authorities discovered his drug-related arrests, interrogated him for six hours, and nearly barred him. He was allowed to attend the premiere but banned from future entry.
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03
Downey was a huge fan of the Iron Man comics as a child.
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04
At age 10, while living in London, he attended Perry House School in Chelsea and studied classical ballet.
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05
Sting and Billy Idol performed at his wedding to Susan Downey.
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06
To overcome drug addiction, he began studying Wing Chun in 2003 under Sifu Eric Oram, who later served as a fight consultant on Sherlock Holmes 2009.
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07
He was roommates with Kiefer Sutherland in the early 1980s.
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08
After filming Chaplin 1992, he buried the clothes he wore in Less Than Zero 1987 in his backyard to symbolically bury his Brat Pack image.
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09
His father introduced him to drugs, offering a marijuana joint when he was age 8.
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10
He met his wife Susan on the set of Gothika 2003.
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11
Downey kept much of the vintage clothing he wore in Chaplin 1992.
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12
He starred in Elton John’s music video for I Want Love, released from rehab for one day to shoot it. This was his first work after being fired from Ally McBeal.
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13
He is a cousin of Harry Connick Jr., Barbara Walters, and Garner Ted Aukerman.
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14
Due to his father’s work, he lived in Connecticut, New York, California, London, Paris, and Woodstock during childhood.
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15
He dropped out of Santa Monica High School at 17 and moved to New York, working as a busboy, shoe salesman, and living art.
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16
He lived with Sarah Jessica Parker from 1984 to 1991.
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17
He married his first wife after dating her for only 42 days.
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18
He is the first and only actor to win a Golden Globe for portraying Sherlock Holmes.
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19
While drunk, he wandered into a neighbor’s Malibu home, falling asleep in a child’s bed, leading to a drug arrest and probation violation.
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20
He has worn lifts in films like Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes to enhance his height, at directors’ requests.
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21
He suggested collaborating with Sam Taylor-Johnson after working on Elton John’s video, resulting in the art video Pietà.
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22
He proposed to Susan Downey on her 30th birthday.
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23
He placed his hand and footprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 2010.
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24
He studies Kung Fu at the L.A. Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy three times a week.
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25
He filmed his role in Hail Caesar 1994 in one day.
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26
He is good friends with Jamie Foxx.
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27
His wife Susan gave birth to daughter Avri Roel on November 4, 2014.
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28
He was the first regular SNL cast member to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
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29
In February 1998, he fought another inmate at Los Angeles County Jail, receiving a cut over his nose.
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30
During a traffic stop, he was arrested for drunk driving, heroin possession, and an unloaded pistol, leading to a suspended sentence and probation.
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31
His son Indio’s godfather is Anthony Michael Hall.
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32
In April 2001, he was arrested for being under the influence, leading to his firing from Ally McBeal.
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33
His son Indio Falconer Downey was born on September 7, 1993.
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34
He names Peter O’Toole as his favorite actor.
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35
In March 1998, he was released from jail to complete his sentence at a rehab center, causing a stir when allowed to work on a movie.
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36
His lawyers petitioned for early release, claiming errors in sentence calculation, but he remained incarcerated.
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37
He is an avid collector of exotic watches including Breitling, Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Baume & Mercier.
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38
He is good friends with Marvel cast members: Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Jon Favreau, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, and Cobie Smulders.
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39
Other close friends include Mel Gibson, James Spader, Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Scarlett Johansson, Rob Lowe, and Johnny Depp.
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40
He almost played Duckie in Pretty in Pink 1986, which would have changed the ending per Molly Ringwald.
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41
In August 1999, he was sentenced to three years in prison for probation violations; he spent time at Wasco and SATF in Corcoran, California, with a release date of November 2, 2000.
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42
He maintained a professional work ethic even while a drug addict.
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43
He was jailed for 180 days for violating probation.
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44
His son Exton Elias Downey was born on February 7, 2012, weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and measuring 20 inches.
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45
He stated on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he is not a method actor.
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46
He was childhood friends with Moby Richard Hall.
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47
He played a cameo as a corpse, Sid Shattuck, in The Nice Guys 2016.
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48
He was considered for Batman in Batman 1989, which went to Michael Keaton, and later co-starred with Keaton in Game 6 2005 and Spider-Man: Homecoming 2017.
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49
He once worked as a piece of living art in a SoHo nightclub in New York City.
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50
He is close friends with Anthony Michael Hall and Ramon Estevez.
