10 Actors Who Brilliantly Reinvented Themselves

No story is quite as unlikely, entertaining and inspirational as the comeback of Robert Downey Jr. With roles in Weird Science (1985) and Johnny Be Good (1988), RDJ was slowly but surely breaking out as an exciting new star. With his Oscar-nominated performance in Chaplin (1992), it looked as though the up-and-comer had become the new star on the block.

Unfortunately, his demons and addictions got the better of him in the early stages of his career, and though he managed to keep appearing in films throughout the 90s and the early 00s, he didn't quite reach the level he had with Chaplin. He became sober in 2003, and went on a journey to reclaim his career with a role in the dark comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005).

After a few critical and commercial failures, the actor was cast (in an act deemed at the time as a major risk) to play Tony Stark in Jon Favreau's Iron Man (2008), which was a massive success and set in motion the seemingly unstoppable box-office topper that is the MCU.

He starred in ten films in the Marvel franchise, during which time he became the highest paid actor in the world and one of the most popular figures in modern cinema. Roles in Sherlock Holmes (2009) and its sequel (2011) have only hammered home RDJ's place as a mega-star, and considering the path he was on in the early 00s, it's a wonder to see where he has ended up.