How's that for a comeback, huh? Robert Downey Jr. - who once seemed set to fade away into relative obscurity after a dangerous addiction to drugs and alcohol continually threatened to destroy both his career and his personal life - now rules as one of Hollywood's best and most beloved movie stars. Such a transformation has the actor made in recent years, that's it's difficult to even remember a time when he wasn't on top. And I think he's here to stay, people. I mean, who doesn't like Robert Downey Jr.? There's arguably no other actor working the movies today capable of turning up in pretty much anything and oozing quite the same levels of natural charisma. Because that's what Downey Jr.'s all about, isn't it? Whether he's playing a character who's supposed to be the epitome of cool (
Iron Man), or some misguided twerp (
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), that slick confidence simply seeps through - you can't help but root for the guy. But Downey Jr. is more than just a charisma machine. He's an actor of remarkable talent, and one who has shown audiences a whole spectrum of emotions and characters over the course of his career. Downey Jr. has lived a turbulent life, after all, and yet he's always been able to tap into that rawness and infuse it into his performances. The actor, like most, has his fair share of detractors: there are some who claim he's a mumbling, one-note showboat, tone deaf and prone to scenery chewing. To celebrate one of Hollywood's true icons (and the release of
Iron Man 3), join us as we take a look back at 5 awesome performances and 5 that sucked, courtesy of Robert Downey Jr., who's certainly had one hell of a career thus far...