On Wednesday, Robert Downey Jr. took to Instagram and wrote a heartfelt note after his father passed away. The former is an American actor famous for his role of ‘Iron Man’ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). His father, Robert Downey Sr. was a veteran director.
A Look at His Life
Robert Downey Sr. had directed the classic movie ‘Putney Swope’. He was born on June 24, 1936, in New York City. Born as Robert Elias Jr., later on, he changed his name. It was his way of honouring his stepfather James Downey in addition to getting enlisted in the US army. Meanwhile, he fell in love with cinema when he was living with his sister in Greenwich Village. At that time, he had already completed his service.
Moreover, his career started with ‘Ball’s Bluff’ in 1961. He wrote as well as directed the film. Subsequently, ‘Babo 73’ (1964), ‘Chafed Elbows’ (1966), and ‘No More Excuses’ (1968) were released. However, ‘Putney Swope’ (1969) was his finest work. The veteran filmmaker had also appeared in ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ and ‘Magnolia’.
The 85-year-old director got married thrice. Firstly in 1962, he married actress Elsie Anne Downey in 1962. He has two children from his first marriage, daughter Allyson Downey and son Robert Downey Jr. Following a divorce, he married Laura Ernst. His second wife died in 1994. Afterwards, he married Rosemary Rogers, who is an author by profession.
Robert Downey Jr. Posts an Emotional Message
Robert Downey Jr.’s posted a picture of his late father and captioned it as, “RIP Bob D Sr. 1936-2021… Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s… He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout.” He added, “According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Many stars like Vin Diesel and Jeremy Jenner are paying tribute to the veteran. Sir Robert Downey Sr. will continue to inspire generations of filmmakers to come.