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Robert Downey Jr.'s Resurgence Is Great News for Roger Clemens!

Kim Hollis: Robert Downey Jr., the star of Iron Man, has been incarcerated on two separate occasions for stays of four months and almost a year, respectively. Iron Man represents his first commercial blockbuster after years of low budget, evocative indie performances. Is this the most surprising career ascension since Tim Allen's? Is there any other actor to whom you can accurately compare Downey Jr.?

Tim Briody: I wouldn't necessarially call it a career ascension, but it's almost like his entire career has been building for him to one day play Tony Stark. I can't think of more perfect casting in the history of movies.

Pete Kilmer: Having Downey's background of drugs and the lows he sunk to, makes his personal story a real pleasure to see. With all the current Hollywood *stars* on TMZ, in court, and in the news for drinking, drugs and whatnot...it's a real pleasure to see someone come through it and achieve the success that Downey has. This character and possible story arc is tailor-made for him.

Joel Corcoran: I'm as surprised and pleased as Tim and Pete about Robert Downey Jr.'s new found fame and glory. About the only actors I could compare to Downey are John Travolta's return to prominence in Pulp Fiction, or Rob Lowe's resurgence on The West Wing. But if Iron Man turns into a solid franchise - which it should - then Downey's ascension will have eclipsed everyone else's.





Kim Hollis: I think the Travolta comparison is pretty good, and probably comparisons to Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean aren't that far off either. This is such a good performance - is it possible Downey gets Oscar attention for it? I would not have said yes before this weekend, but since Depp was nominated for Pirates, it's not entirely unprecedented.

Pete Kilmer: Well, since it's a bit early for Oscar talk....I do think Downey's performance should be considered. The character of Tony had a real arc to it, and Downey nailed it. Boy, an Oscar nom for a super hero movie? Imagine the talent that would want to do super hero movies after that.

James Wood: I'm really, really looking forward to his take on "Demon in a bottle" era Stark. Which hopefully will be emerging in the next film.

David Mumpower: What is most remarkable to me about Downey's ascension is how rare it is for celebrities to serve significant jail time anyway. When you think about it, even one four month stint in jail is a rarity for a famous actor these days. This man's personal journey has been such a train wreck that he served that long twice. For him to now overcome his demons long enough to offer stunning performances in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man is out of nowhere as a pitcher hitting a home run. Even the Tim Allen comparison is imperfect since his prior incarceration wasn't publicized until long after he was a celebrity. I am having trouble coming up with the name of a popular actor who is getting work on a consistent basis yet had previously served significant jail time over the past ten years. It's just that rare.

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