Photo: Insidefoto/PR photos

Whether or not you’ve seen his latest film, Sherlock Holmes (see previous post for my review), one thing for certain is that Robert Downey Jr is the man of the moment.

From his role in the TV series Ally McBeal, to the hugely successful blockbuster Iron Man, Downey Jr has always been a big acting talent.

But that’s not the only reason to like him. In fact, here I countdown the top 6 reasons why we like Robert Downey Jr:

6. His background - Ok, so let’s get the first obvious thing out of the way. Yes, Robert Downey Jr is proof that ‘bad boys’ can change their ways. After being arrested for drug offences and even spending some time in prison, Downey Jr has no doubt made a big comeback as his career hits an all-time high (no pun intended).

5. Charisma - Although he may not enjoy having to do countless interviews and answering the same questions over and over again (“How did it feel to wear the Iron Man suit?”), Downey is true Hollywood material. He understands the limelight that surrounds him and is not afraid to use it to his advantage. Downey relishes in assuming control of his interviews and though at times you can’t exactly call him modest, Downey knows how to work the interviewees and audiences worldwide with his charm (and now I mention it, he’s quite easy on the eyes as well ;D).

4. Musical talents - Apart from his obvious talent for acting, Downey is a man of many skills. Besides being a star of the screen, Downey is also quite the musician. He’s sung on several soundtracks for his films and also released his own album, The Futurist.
While promoting his film Tropic Thunder, Downey and co-stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black also performed alongside Gladys Knight as back up singers “The Pips” in what is a very entertaining musical number.

3. Sense of humour - If you’ve seen him interviews, you will know what I mean. Robert Downey Jr is one witty guy! It’s like his mind is always ticking away with clever things to say – no doubt he would’ve been the class clown in highschool. For proof, check out this clip of funny Downey moments. And here is a clip of a funny promo Downey, Stiller and Black did for Tropic Thunder.

2. All-round nice guy - As you can probably gather from the above, overall Downey Jr seems like just a genuinely friendly guy. In interviews and in public he seems like a down-to-earth individual who may relish in the spotlight and attention but at the same time can poke fun at himself and doesn’t take life – or acting – too seriously.

1. Great actor - Well, of course most people would know and admire Downey for his supreme acting talent. He’s been nominated for the Academy Award twice (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 2009 for Tropic Thunder and Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1993 for Chaplin), as well as BAFTA awards for the same roles (which he won for Chaplin). He’s been nominated for and won countless other awards but it doesn’t take an award to prove his acting abilities. From TV series (Ally McBeal and Saturday Night Live), to comedies (Tropic Thunder), to dramas (Good Night, and Good Luck), actions blockbusters (Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes) and biographical films (Chaplin), Downey is able to seamlessly slip into convincing character, proving why he is definitely one of the biggest talents of Hollywood.