Full Name=Robert John Downey Jr.; Profession=Actor, producer, and occasional musician whose work spans film, television, and streaming drama; Nationality=American; Born=April 4, 1965; Birthplace=Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States; Generation=Generation X, coming of age in the 1980s with the so-called “Brat Pack” era of teen films; Chinese Zodiac=Wood Snake (Year of the Snake, 1965), associated with strategic intelligence, depth, and transformation in Chinese astrology; Zodiac Sign=Aries, a cardinal fire sign traditionally linked with initiative, courage, and pioneering drive. Age in 2026 = 61 (he turns 61 on April 4, 2026, having turned 60 on April 4, 2025); Marital Status=Married to producer Susan Downey (née Levin) since August 27, 2005, following an earlier marriage to musician and actress Deborah Falconer from 1992 until their divorce was finalized in 2004; Children=Three children: firstborn son Indio Falconer Downey (b. 1993) with Deborah Falconer, and two children with Susan Downey—son Exton Elias Downey (b. 2012) and daughter Avri Roel Downey (b. 2014); Description=Robert John Downey Jr. is one of the most globally recognizable and commercially successful screen actors of his generation, with his films as a leading actor grossing over 14.3 billion dollars worldwide, placing him among the highest‑grossing actors of all time and making his April 4 birthday a focal point for popular culture and fan celebrations; the son of underground filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. and actress Elsie Ann Ford, he made his acting debut at age five in his father’s film “Pound,” grew up between New York and Los Angeles, and immersed himself in performance from childhood, which laid the foundation for his incredibly versatile screen presence; he gained early prominence in the 1980s through roles in films like “Weird Science” and “Less Than Zero,” and earned major critical acclaim in the early 1990s with his transformation into Charlie Chaplin in “Chaplin” (1992), a performance that won him a BAFTA for Best Actor and earned him his first Academy Award nomination; despite this promise, his 1990s career was derailed by highly publicized struggles with addiction and repeated legal troubles, including arrests and incarcerations that made him a symbol of squandered talent even as peers and critics continued to praise the intensity and nuance of his work; through determined recovery, professional discipline, and key support from collaborators (including his future wife Susan, whom he met on the set of “Gothika”), Downey staged one of Hollywood’s most dramatic comebacks, reviving his reputation with a Golden Globe–winning turn on the television series “Ally McBeal” and gradually rebuilding trust with studios and audiences; his casting as Tony Stark/Iron Man in Marvel’s “Iron Man” (2008) proved career‑defining, as his witty, vulnerable, and charismatic interpretation of the billionaire superhero anchored the emerging Marvel Cinematic Universe across ten films, from “Iron Man” through “Avengers: Endgame,” and helped reshape blockbuster storytelling while elevating him to the status of the world’s highest‑paid actor between 2013 and 2015; beyond Marvel, he has demonstrated remarkable range by portraying detective Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” films—winning a Golden Globe for the role—and by embracing both comedy and drama in projects such as “Zodiac,” “Tropic Thunder” (which brought another Oscar nomination), “The Judge,” and diverse later work; his performance as Admiral Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” (2023) marked a late‑career pinnacle, earning him the Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and underscoring his reputation as a serious character actor as well as a blockbuster star; together with Susan, he co‑founded the production company Team Downey, through which he has produced films and television projects, and he has continued to expand into prestige television and theater, including a high‑profile miniseries adaptation of “The Sympathizer” and a Broadway debut in the play “McNeal,” reflecting a mature phase of his career centered on artistic exploration as much as commercial success; widely profiled as a dedicated father, long‑term partner, martial arts practitioner (notably Wing Chun), and advocate for recovery, Downey is frequently cited as a modern archetype of redemption and self‑reinvention, embodying the perseverance, intensity, and charisma often associated with both Aries and the Snake in astrological symbolism—qualities that contribute to his status as the single most internationally famous figure born on April 4 across film, celebrity culture, and contemporary mythmaking; Cause of Death= Not applicable; Robert Downey Jr. is alive and active in film, television, and stage work as of 2026.