Famous Bipolar People

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. - FAMOUS BIPOLAR ACTOR

American actor Robert John Downey was born in New York City, New York on 4th April, 1965. Downey is known for his comedian style of movies. He also became popular for his frequent arrests for drug related offenses. Though not a member of Brat Pack, people associated him with that group.

Downey started his acting career at age five, making minor appearances in his father’s movies. He enrolled to study classical ballet in England at the age of 10. Downey attended Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in New York, where he received more training on acting. He made an appearance in Less Than Zero in 1987 after which he had leading roles in subsequent movies.

 

He excelled in his performances so much that he was cast in the film Chaplin as Charlie Chaplin, for which he was nominated as Best Actor.

 

Downey, at the age of 20 was featured on Saturday Night Live, a weekly comedy show on television. He was however relieved a year later. His later performance in Less Than Zero was described as moving and touching, winning him the admiration of many. This won him movie contracts with bigger budgets. Downey’s career however took a break from 1996 through 2001 due to his drug habits. He was arrested many times and served jail sentences. He however returned to the movies industry following his release in the 2001 arrest. He released a musical album in 2004 dubbed, The Futurist. The album was received with mixed public feelings. He got back to movies after the failure of his musicals and starred on Family Guy, and episode of The Fat Guy Strangler.

 

He wrote a memoir that described his life and career and was to be published by Harper Collins, but Downey canceled the publication before it could come out.

Downey is suspected to have bipolar disorder, which he denies. He has struggled with drug addiction and has been in and out of rehabilitation centers. He acknowledges the severity of his addiction during one of his trials stating “it is like I’ve got a loaded gun in my mouth, with my finger on the trigger and I like the taste of the gun metal”. Downey’s first arrest was in 1996 when he was seen with heroin, cocaine and an unloaded gun in his possession. Under the influence of drugs a month later, he entered a neighbor’s home and fell asleep on one of the beds. He was charged with unlawful entry and was sentenced to three years on probation. Though he denies it, Downey’s case is clearly that of depression. He knows he has a problem but is not willing to do anything about it. He was afraid to live without the drugs.

 

Downey married Deborah Falconer after dating Sarah Jessica Parker and Marisa Tomei, and had a son. Their marriage ended after nine years due to Downey’s continuous drug use. He later dated and married Susan Levin in 2005, a year after his divorce.

 

Downey has been off drugs since July 2003. He is a supporter of the Republican Party in the United States, attending their 2008 National Convention.