Sometimes we don’t get our big break in life until we’ve hit rock bottom. Maybe it’s life’s way of trying to get us to appreciate it more whenever it happens?

I know for Robert Downey Jr. this was the case.

Now I’m not a big Marvel guy, but I like Spiderman and Ironman as much as the next guy. And when I found out about Robert’s backstory before he became the face of Marvel, I liked him that much more.

He was actually born into a family that was already in the show business. His father, Robert Downey Sr., was a pretty big filmmaker at the time, but like anyone in Hollywood in the 60’s and 70’s, he was an avid drug user.

So much so, that Robert’s father introduced him to marijuana when he was just six years old. Setting in stone his early life of addiction.

Despite his early-found love for drugs, Robert Downey Jr. went on to build a decent acting career by playing in movies like Less Than Zero (1987) and Chaplin (1992) which he was actually nominated for an Oscar.

But from the late 90’s going into the 2000’s, Robert’s addiction only got worse and was arrested multiple times on charges for cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.

One of his most famous instances of being arrested was when he was pulled over and was found with heroin, cocaine, and a .357 Magnum. While on probation—not even a month later—he was found passed out in a neighbor’s house he had broken into by mistake.

Because of his record and going in and out of rehab, studios stopped hiring him, and by 2001, he was unemployable, and essentially broke.

But in 2003, he met his current wife Susan Downey who made him get serious about getting sober. She helped him embrace meditation and therapy and ultimately got him to quit drugs for good.

Then in 2008, Robert got the audition of a lifetime. Marvel was looking for a man named Tony Stark, a flawed genius with a troubled past.

At this point, Robert had made a clean name for himself, but his past still lingered closely behind. Marvel knew right away they’d be taking a risk if they were to hire him, but Ironman director Jon Favreau saw something in him that he just had to have. And so, Robert was hired.

And I think we all know it paid off.

Today, Robert Downey Jr. is one of the highest paid actors in the world and is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and still talks about his past addiction as a reminder that anyone can bounce back and make name for themselves.

As he said himself, “Remember that just because you hit rock bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”

No matter where you feel you are in life, it can always get better. It can always turn in your favor. You just have to be ready for it.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still in the middle of reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. The classic text on manifestation and how to channel your faith towards the eventual attainment of your goals.

Quote Of The Week - “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” — Joseph Campbell