Highlights
- Robert Downey Jr.'s drug use had spiraled out of control by 1996, leading to the loss of his wife, home, and career.
- Downey Jr. had multiple arrests and stints in rehab, but it wasn't until a moment at Burger King that he decided to get clean for good.
- The reference to Burger King in Iron Man is a homage to the fast food chain, symbolizing an important turning point in Downey Jr.'s life and his character's journey to recovery.
Robert Downey Jr. has never been one to shy away from admitting his troubled past with drug use. The frequency with which he was using illegal substances was to the point where the career that Downey Jr. had built for himself was on the verge of being destroyed. His wife had left him and being arrested was the norm for the Chaplin star. By 1996, Downey Jr. had hit rock bottom and had to make a decision to get clean or give his life over to addiction.
Downey Jr. had grown up surrounded by all different types of drugs. His father, Robert Downey Sr., whom the Oppenheimer star had a complicated relationship with, was a drug user and introduced his son to marijuana at only six years old. Given the tender age at which Downey Jr. was experimenting with illegal substances, it is surprising that he was able to stay as clean as he did until reaching adulthood.
While there were many attempts at getting sober via rehab and even a stint in prison, nothing seemed to hold. It was not until Downey Jr. had a revelation at a Burger King that he was able to finally put substance abuse in his past, a moment in time that he will forever be grateful to the fast food chain for.
Robert Downey Jr. Was Highly Addicted To Drugs For 5 Years
While Downey Jr. had been using drugs for years by the time he made the move from New York to Hollywood, he was never to the point where he was not able to function professionally. It was when the Ironman star started to hit his stride in 1996 and became very successful on the silver screen that his drug use spiraled out of control.
Beginning in 1996, Downey Jr. had become addicted to several drugs, including heroin. His increased substance abuse caused his wife to leave him and not allow the Sherlock Holmes star access to his son.
Downey Jr. lost his home and was bouncing from one rehab to the next, none of which had an effect on him.
The first time that Downey Jr. was arrested was in June 1996 for speeding. When he was pulled over, officers found cocaine, heroin, and an unloaded gun in the passenger seat. The second arrest came just a month later when he was found passed out at a neighbor's house in their son's bed.
As a result of these arrests, Downey Jr. was ordered to go to "live-in rehab," attend NA meetings at least five times per week, and submit to drug tests. After Downey Jr. missed a drug test, he was sent to jail for the first time, where he spent over 100 days.
After being released in 1998, Downey Jr. quickly went back to his old ways and missed drug testing again. This time, he was sentenced to three years in prison. However, Downey Jr. was released after just one year and began getting back to work in 2000, this time on Ally McBeal.
Unfortunately, that was short-lived as on Thanksgiving that year, Downey Jr. was arrested again for being under the influence, according to I Am Sober. He was then arrested in April 2001 after wandering the streets barefoot under the influence, which was when he was fired from Ally McBeal with no notice.
He was placed on probation for three years and during this time, was when Downey Jr. recognized for the first time, that he needed to make a change.
Burger King Helped Robert Downey Jr. Kick His Drug Habit
In 2003, Downey Jr. was falling back into old habits and using frequently. It was not until he made a decision to stop at Burger King to get some food that the realization was made that Downey Jr. needed to stop using and stop using immediately.
When Downey Jr. pulled into the drive-through, he had "tons of ...dope" in the car with him. He also was high when he placed his order.
“It was such a disgusting burger I ordered," Downey Jr. explained. "I had that, and this big soda, and I thought something really bad was going to happen."
While there was not any explanation as to what the sense of dread was, it was enough that instead of using the illicit substances in the car, Downey Jr. drove to the ocean where he got rid of all of his drugs and made the decision to get sober and stay clean from that point forward.
Robert Downey Jr. Pays Homage To Burger King In 'Iron Man'
In Iron Man, Tony Stark is held captive by a group called the Ten Rings for three months. He is eventually able to escape to safety but not before he recognizes the error of his ways with which he has lived life to that point.
Riding in a limo, Stark is asked what he wants, to which he replies that he would like an old-fashioned American cheeseburger, along with a press conference.
At the press conference, Stark is seen eating a cheeseburger from Burger King. This is Downey Jr.'s homage to the fast food chain, in which the cheeseburger represented a change in his life. It also represented a change in Stark's life.
Both the actor and the character made a move to be on the "road to recovery" rather than continue to do things that were detrimental to their lives. In doing so, they not only became more successful professionally but personally as well.
When Downey Jr. was in the throes of addiction, it looked like he was going to become one of the talented actors of his generation who lost his life to addiction. But with the help of his now-wife, Susan Downey and Burger King, Downey not only overcame addiction but became even more successful in all aspects of his life as a result.
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