Robert John Downey Jr. was born April 4, 1965, in Manhattan, New York City. His father was a drug addict, and his mother was an alcoholic. He made his acting debut at the age of five, playing a sick puppy in the absurdist comedy film Pound. Downey gained global recognition for starring as Iron Man in ten Marvel Cinematic Universe films, from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame (2019)