Robert Downey Jr. Reflects On His Journey from Chaotic Upbringing to Iron Man

The spotlight has certainly taken its toll on Robert Downey Jr. over the years. But much like his beloved MCU character Tony Stark, there's an undeniably powerful force inside Robert that keeps him pushing forward. When we sat down over iced coffees, we found ourselves unpacking the fraught relationship Robert had with his father — the experimental, countercultural filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. — whose unconventional lifestyle created lasting ripples throughout the family. Their shared documentary, “Sr.”, stands as a powerful testament to the healing they found. Plus, we talk about sobriety, the belief it took to become Iron Man, and the full-circle moments spanning the decades since we first crossed paths on the set of Chaplin.

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0:00 - Intro
2:48 - Two neighbors sharing coffee
3:48 - Working together and learning from each other on Chaplin
7:26 - Discussing the documentary “Sr.” about Robert’s father
10:32 - Robert’s sense of play and joy for acting
13:43 - Robert’s upbringing and family's self-destruction
15:23 - David compares his upbringing
16:41 - Seeking what's missing — New York and California
20:21 - The opposing reasons they got into acting
21:23 - Robert’s mother's influence and the big turning point
23:39 - "We're here, we do some stuff, and then we die"
25:39 - Recovery, honesty and community
33:59 - Obsessing over preparing for Iron Man
37:29 - More discussion of “Sr.”
44:01 - What Robert learned from his father’s transformation
47:10 - Reading a passage from Sr.’s film Greaser’s Palace
48:58 - Greaser’s Palace connection to Oppenheimer
50:07 - Will Robert go into the family business of directing?
53:41 - David’s post-interview reflection