If there is a talisman who represents the face of the MCU, it is without a doubt Robert Downey Jr. Apart from kickstarting the franchise’s mammoth 6 phase vision with Iron Man in 2008, the star has also been an important link between most of the films in the MCU leading up to Avengers: Endgame. He infused Tony Stark aka Iron Man with wry humor and grating sarcasm making the character one of the favorites among the mighty Avengers. It comes as no surprise then that he is the highest-paid actor in the franchise, earning a whopping 435 million dollars in total. But there was a time when the Sherlock Holmes actor was in the doldrums personally and lost many prestigious projects due to substance abuse which also landed him a stint in prison.
Here’s why Robert Downey Jr. was thrown out of Ally McBeal
In 2000, Robert Downey Jr. landed a significant role in the hit television series Ally McBeal starring Calista Flockhart. The show which was looking to bring in more talent on board zeroed in on the Due Date star to play Calista Flockhart’s love interest, Larry. This was a second lease of life for the actor who was just out of rehabilitation after alcohol abuse. But in 2001, just after 21 episodes of Ally McBeal, it was reported that the actor had been fired from his role due to his arrest after driving under the influence of alcohol.
The Tropic Thunder actor ultimately had to do jail time. The makers of Ally McBeal were now forced to rewrite and exit his character from the show permanently. Upon release, Robert Downey Jr. voluntarily checked himself into a rehab facility and eventually cleaned up his act for good. But there is no denying that his troubled personal life resulted in many big projects leaving his grasp.
Also Read: Real Reason Why Robert Downey Jr. Says “I love you 3,000” in Avengers: Endgame
How does a now sober Robert Downey Jr. spend his millions?
Despite losing out on a lot of promising film work due to personal troubles, Robert Downey Jr. hit the jackpot with Marvel studios, making him the highest-paid actor in the MCU franchise. Talking frankly about his decade-long battle with and ultimate triumph over substance and alcohol abuse, the actor says,
“For me, I just happened to be in a situation the very last time and I said, “You know what? I don’t think I can continue doing this.” And I reached out for help and I ran with it, you know? Because you can reach out for help in a half-assed way, and you’ll get it, and you won’t take advantage of it. Do you know? It’s really not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems. What’s hard is to decide.”
With his resurrected career and the millions in his kitty, the actor now has addictions of a different kind. According to reports, Robert Downey Jr. likes to spend his vast fortune on a timeless collection of classic watches. The celebrity is also into buying vintage cars and owns posh holiday homes in Malibu and the Hamptons along with nursing a penchant for sports shoes. Now that’s a truly enviable list of possessions!
Source: The Things
