Robert Downey Jr. is telling the story behind his drug addiction days.
Fans who have known the actor since he began his career in the ’70s are well aware of the period of substance abuse and legal trouble that followed the popular success he found in his youth. However, what may surprise some is the role his late father played in the troubling path that nearly derailed his life.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Drug Abuse Story Told In New Netflix Documentary
Instagram | Robert Downey Jr
Although Robert Downey Sr. is the famous underground filmmaker responsible for the 1969 satire, “Putney Swope,” he’s had more than his fair share of challenges. His son quickly became aware of his father’s demons during a poker night held at their family home in New York.
Apparently, Senior had caught him enjoying a glass of white wine, but instead of taking it from the boy’s hand and reprimanding him, he held out a joint of marijuana, ordering him to inhale it.
And so began the downward spiral of RDJ, who was only six years old. Over the next few years, the “Iron Man” star would get used to his father finding him more narcotics, taking him to X-rated movies, and even featuring him in projects the kids had no business doing.
Little Robert got his first screen role in 1970’s absurdist comedy, “Pound” — where he portrayed the role of ‘Puppy,’ a stray dog waiting to be put down. Two years later, he got an uncredited role as a child in another of his father’s films, a Western comedy called “Greaser’s Palace.”
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Seven-year-old Robert’s character was not only slaughtered by the preacher but also saw his biological mother, Elsie, who played ‘The Woman,’ brutally beaten during filming. These and other never-before-shared details about the actor’s life are highlighted in “Sr.” — a new Netflix documentary that the Daily Mail claims he spent three years making.
Although the documentary was initially intended to examine the career of the late filmmaker, it quickly transitioned to telling the story of the complicated relationship shared by RDJ and his father.
In that branch, the project showcases multiple instances where the elder Downey’s bad parenting is involved. Things got so bad that the father and son couple could only communicate when they were participating in drug taking activities. Speaking about it during a 1988 interview, RDJ revealed:
“When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like he was trying to express his love to me in the only way he knew how.”
With his parents divorcing in 1978, when he was 13, Downey Jr. moved with his father to Santa Monica, California, where he found a suitable outlet for his drug and alcohol use in high school.
He dropped out of school at 16 and returned to New York after his father cut him off financially. Although he found success and romance with Sarah Jessica Parker, it all fell apart due to his drug use five years later.
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He would lose more opportunities and end up in prison, with authorities arresting him for distribution while intoxicated and possession of cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine, and an unloaded gun. In the coming months, he would escape from court-mandated rehab, lose his wife —Deborah, get a three-year prison sentence and be fired from “Ally McBeal”.
His life changed when he met producer Susan Levin on a film set in 2003. She informed him that he would marry her on one condition if he promised to stop drugs. RDJ immediately entered therapy, including a 12-step program, and took up kung fu and meditation. Levin kept his promise and walked down the aisle with her in 2005. Her career has been untouchable since then.
“Less Than Zero” Actor Honors His Late Father
Last year, The Blast reported that RDJ paid tribute to his father after he died in his sleep at his home in New York City. Taking to Instagram, the Golden Globe winner shared a single photo of Downey Sr., writing:
“He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained optimistic throughout..According to my stepmother’s estimate, they were happily married for over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Downey Sr. had battled Parkinson’s disease until his death at the age of 85.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
