Timeline
1970
Stars in his first movie, only five years old. His father cast him as a puppy in his movie "Pound".

1973 - 1975
At the age of seven he stars in another of his father's films, "Greaser's Palace". The family moves around a lot due to his father's occupation as an independent filmmaker. They live in Connecticut, Woodstock, New York, London and California. When living in London, Robert (10) attends the Perry House School in Chelsea.

1976 -
Robert spends three summers at the Stagedoor Manor (Catskills), a summer camp where they teach acting, dance, improvisation, vocal technique, and much more. Counselor there at the time, Todd Graff, says: "He was insanely hyperactive. But he was talented. He made me crazy because I was his counselor. To try and get the kid to bed and have him bounce off the walls was a pain in the ass." Carl Samuelson says: "Even at the age of 11 or 12, he was into the ladies, and he was so cute. But if there was mischief afoot, he was into it."

1977
Robert's parents divorce and he stays in New York with his mother, while his sister moves to California with their father.

1981
Moves to his father in Los Angeles and enrolles at Lincoln Junior High School. In 10th grade he continues his education in Santa Monica High School. Robert is given many roles in the school's theater productions. For a part in the musical "Oklahoma", Ramon Estevez teaches him how to tap-dance.

1982
With his father's approval, Robert drops out of High School before graduation and moves to New York to live with his sister. To support himself he works as a busboy at Central Falls restaurant and in a shoe store. He also takes on odd jobs like performing as "living art" at the underground club Area. Eventually he lands small parts in productions at a local theatre and Off-Broadway. An agent spots him and arranges for him to go to Los Angeles and try out for movie productions.

1984
When filming "Firstborn", Robert meets co-star Sarah Jessica Parker. She asks him out and they fall in love. Robert moves in with her in New York after dating only eight weeks.

1985
Become friends with Anthony Michael Hall when filming "Weird Science". Michael arranges for Robert to try out as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live".

1986
Director James Toback spots Robert in "Saturday Night Live" and cast him in his first leading role in "The Pick-Up Artist" where he stars with Dennis Hopper and Molly Ringwald.

1987
Robert gets his big breakthrough as an actor with the role as Julian Wells in the movie "Less Than Zero". His portayal of a young cocaine addict in Hollywood receives high praise from film critics.

1991
Robert and Sarah Jessica Parker go their separate ways after a seven year relationship. Sir Richard Attenborough picks Robert to play the role of Charlie Chaplin, in a movie based on Chaplin's autobiography. Robert wins the competition over actors like Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal.

1992
Marries model/actress Deborah Falconer after dating only 42 days.

1993
Oscar nominated for "Chaplin". Robert's son, Indio, is born on September 7. Actor Anthony Michael Hall is his godfather.

2000
Stars in ten episodes in the TV hit comedy series "Ally McBeal". Huge success and great reviews.

2001
Robert signs on to do 8 more episodes of "Ally McBeal".

Robert releases his own music for the first time. His song Snakes is included on the "Ally McBeal" album For Once In My Life.

Elton John wants Robert to lip-synch in the music video for his new song I Want Love. Robert accepts and the video is shot at Greystone Manor in Beverly Hills in the end of July. Artist Sam Taylor-Wood is filming and directing. The video is included on some CDs and also shown on a big screen onstage on Elton's concert tour.

This year, Robert spends a lot of time on charity work for the Hollywood-Sunset Free Clinic. To bring in funds, he takes a big part in planning, organizing, and hosting a 3 day benefit pop festival at Silver Lake in December.

2002
Skechers USA, INC, a big American footwear company, signes a global endorsement deal with Robert, which means he will appear in print advertisements for their men's footwear lines. The photos are taken at the W Hotel in Westwood. The "Downey campaign" launches in April and will run through winter 2003 in domestic and international magazines.

2003
While filming "Gothika" in Canada in April, Robert meets film producer Susan Levin. They start dating and he proposes one minute before her 30th birthday on November 6. ("I figured I kind of wanted to get her while she was still in her 20s."). Robert announces their engagement on the "The Frank Skinner Show" in November.

In December Robert stars in a Volvo commercial, a straight-to-Internet minifeature, directed by Stephen Frears. It's shot in Inyokern, California, just before Christmas.


2004
In August it becomes official that Robert is signed with Sony Classical, working with long time friend, famous musician and composer Jonathan Elias. On November 23, Robert's debut album, "The Futurist", is released and he becomes the #1 best selling new artist in the U.S.

2005
On August 27, Robert marries Susan Levin at the Windy Dunes estate in Amagansett, Long Island, New York. Around 150 guests attends the ceremony, among them Keanu Reeves, Billy Joel and Sting. Billy Joel sings 'Just The Way You Are' during the ceremony, and later both Billy Joel and Sting performs for the guests under a clear-topped tent. PHOTO

2007
In September 2006 Robert landed his biggest role yet as Tony Stark, the lead character in the $100 million-plus-budgeted movie "Iron Man".

2008
Robert and director, Jon Favreau, goes on a world tour in April to promote "Iron Man". They visit Mexico, Australia, Korea, Germany, Italy, England, and then back to New York and L.A. The film is a HUGE hit and earns the incredible sum of $201 million worldwide the first weekend of its release.

The first footage from "Tropic Thunder" causes some people to feel that Robert's role is racist because he "plays a black man." Those who critizise seems not to understand that Robert plays a white actor portraying a black man, and that the film is making fun of method actors, not African-Americans. When the film is released in August, Robert scores his second No. 1 movie of the summer as it grosses $26 million during its first weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters. The performance also rewards him a second Oscar nomination.

No. 2 in Quigley's "Top Money-Making Star of 2008" - the ten stars that generated the most box-office revenue.

2009
In June Robert is included on Forbes "Hollywood's Top-Earning Actors" list (next to Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington) for earning $20 million for his role in "Iron Man 2".

A life size wax figure of Robert as 'Tony Stark' was included at the Madame Tussauds museum in Hollywood when it opened in August, and in December his 'Sherlock Holmes' character was added to Madame Tussauds in London. PHOTOS

Robert received one of Hollywood's greatest honors on December 7, when getting his hands and footprints immortalized in cement outside the Grauman's Chinese Theater.

On December 25, "Sherlock Holmes" set a new record for a Christmas Day opening by bringing in $24.9 million at the box office that day.

No. 5 in Quigley's "Top Money-Making Star of 2009" - the ten stars that generated the most box-office revenue.