Iron Man Star Robert Downey Jr Opens Up About His Past Struggles With Drugs; Reveals He Was Revived From A ‘Near-Coma’ To Shoot A Scene

Marvel’s Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr has acquired a massive fan base globally after his superhero movie. Fans enjoyed watching him as Iron Man aka Tony Stark in the Marvel movie series and showered lots of love as well. While Downey Jr is one of the most respected, highest-paid, talented, and loved Hollywood stars today, not many are aware of his struggles with drugs and jail time. Now, Robert Downey Jr opened up about his past struggles, while speaking with David Letterman.

Talking to David Letterman on the show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, the Iron Man star shared how he had to be revived from a ‘near-coma’ to shoot a scene, but recalled how he was never ‘blotto’ on shooting set. He said, “Back then, when I was a kid, doing that, you could say that it was ‘fun’, but it was pretty stressful too.” The actor then started talking about his role in the 1995 film Home for the Holidays, directed by filmmaker Jodie Foster and said, “She was critical of just being like, ‘Well, looks like you’re getting away with it on this one. I wouldn’t try this again because we’re kind of a forgiving group.’ I was like, ‘Wasn’t that last take great?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re great. It’s going great.’”

As Robert Downey Jr shared what filmmaker Jodie Foster said to him and continued, “There was a single crossover, and I call it the most relaxed performance in the history of cinema.” While the actor called his performance the most relaxed in the history of cinema, when Letterman listed the names of some drugs in front of him, asking him if he used them, the actor nodded. Later, he exclaimed, “By the way, I like drinking a lot too,” and revealed how he used drugs from the age of 8, to 38.

The Sherlock Holmes actor also disclosed how Foster had penned down a letter to him when he was in prison. He also continued to talk about how the medical association would call alcoholism or addiction a ‘brain disease’ and said, “As the AMA [American Medical Association] will say that alcoholism or addiction is essentially a brain disease, but it’s a brain disease that people don’t want to take the cure for when it’s offered, so it’s a very insidious thing.” Meanwhile, as Downey Jr spoke about his drug use and difficulties, he credited his wife for getting him through that phase in life. Time and again, the actor speaks highly of his wife. Also Read: Matthew McConaughey Reveals He Was ‘Blackmailed Into Having Sex For The First Time At 15’, Was Molested By A Man At 18