Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor. He begun his career with the “Brat Pack”, became critically acclaimed with Chaplin (1992), which earned him an Academy Award nomination, but through the late 90s and early 2000s struggled amidst drug problems. Eventually Downey Jr. finally earned a perpetual place in the spotlight in 2008, with the blockbusters Iron Man (earning him a steady job at Marvel Studios playing the title character and its alter ego Tony Stark) and Tropic Thunder (which gave him a second Academy Award nom, ironically for the role of multiple Oscar winner).