This case is similar to Bale’s, though not quite identical. Robert Downey Jr.’s career was practically reborn when Jon Favreau cast him as Tony Stark in Iron Man. RDJ became the face of an entire cinematic universe, and job offers consequently rained down on him. Funnily enough, it took him decades to become the star he was always supposed to be as he never quite managed to get his act together — not until Iron Man.
Let’s back up a bit. RDJ started acting when he was five — he was in Pound, directed by Robert Downey. Even though I normally loathe nepotism in Hollywood (I’m totally looking at you, Jaden Smith), we wouldn’t have Robert Downey Jr. if it weren’t for his dad’s connections in the industry, and without RDJ, we would only have Tony Stark within the pages of his monthly comic book series. The actor showed prolific acting skills early on, but constant drug abuse kept him from getting the break-through he deserved. When he finally overcame his addiction, he was cast as the title character in Iron Man, and the rest is, as they say, history.
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