5 Lesser-Known Robert Downey Jr. Roles Better Than Tony Stark 

Robert Downey Jr. has already become synonymous with Tony Stark, but the actor has had other, less profitable, but even more outstanding and striking roles.

1. Less Than Zero, 1987

The first truly outstanding work in Robert Downey Jr.'s career was his role in the drama Less Than Zero, where the actor played a young drug addict. The director, Marek Kanievska, advised Robert and his co-star, Andrew McCarthy, to go to a party together to get a better feel for their characters. It ended with Downey howling at the moon, and McCarthy had to pull him out of temporary confinement.

At the time of working on the film, the actor was experiencing real problems due to drug addiction, and the situation only worsened during and after the filming. According to Downey, the role showed him the possible tragic consequences of the lifestyle he had at the time.

2. Chaplin, 1992

Downey Jr. achieved worldwide fame in 1992 when he portrayed the legendary comedian in Richard Attenborough's movie Chaplin. Robert was able to perfectly convey the facial expressions and gestures of Charlie Chaplin.

Downey Jr.'s acting not only received good reviews, he was deservedly nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, but unfortunately the victory went to Al Pacino for the role in Scent of a Woman. However, loyal fans of Downey have been calling this role the best of his career, and even Chaplin's daughter Geraldine, who played his mother in the film, was delighted with Robert's performance.

3. Heart and Souls, 1993

In 1993, Robert Downey Jr. suddenly started singing. Now everyone knows about the actor's musical talent: in 2004, he made his debut with the solo album The Futurist. If you want to hear the young Iron Man sing, Ron Underwood's Heart and Souls is a good choice.

The movie tells the story of Thomas, who is possessed by the spirits of the dead who want to complete their earthly affairs and finally leave the world in peace. In addition to his excellent singing skills, Robert demonstrates his extraordinary acting talent, as he has to embody five characters at once: the cynical man Thomas and four ghosts.

4. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 2005

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang brought Downey back to the big screen after a difficult period of drug addiction. He completed a course of rehab treatment and, after landing one of the lead roles in Shane Black's debut film, came back to the attention of major film studios.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a black comedy in which Robert played the unlucky thief Harry Lockhart who, while hiding from the scene of a crime, accidentally ends up at an acting audition and goes straight to Hollywood. But not everyone knows that the movie starred not one, but two members of the Downey family: the nine-year-old Harry Lockhart was played by Robert's son, Indio Downey.

5. The Judge, 2014

The Judge, directed by David Dobkin, is the first major movie produced by Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan's production company, Team Downey.

According to Dobkin, he and Robert decided to make his character, attorney Hank Palmer, as similar as possible to Tony Stark at the beginning of the film to play with the audience's expectations. The characters are indeed similar in some ways, but the focus in The Judge is solely on the complex family relationships, and Downey brilliantly displays his dramatic talent.