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. At the age of five, Downey made his acting debut in his father Robert Downey Sr.'s 1970 film Pound. Downey gained global recognition for starring as Iron Man in ten Marvel Cinematic Universe films, from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019)