Despite Oscar and Golden Globe nominations and the unshakeable respect of film critics and his acting peers, Robert Downey, Jr. insisted that he was not really an actor, just a good hustler who had found a way to make a living. If he did not think he was acting, it was certainly reflected in his seamless skills, which were full of natural, physical expressiveness. His uncanny portrayal of beloved silent film star “Chaplin” (1992) earned him some of the highest praise of his career, but Downey’s gift was also his ability to transform a “regular person” into a creatively-detailed and thoroughly engrossing star of the show, often complete with memorable quirks. Even in his early roles in teen comedies, Downey stood out above his brat pack peers for his spontaneous energy and apparent fearlessness in exposing his very fragile inner workings. The only thing unbelievable about Downey was the script to his off-screen life, which included decades of drug abuse and jail time that amazingly healed in the third act, with the actor eventually walking into the sunset with true love on his arm. [ full bio ]