Robert Downey Jr. is an actor.
Robert John Downey Jr. ( born April 4 , 1965 ) is an American actor . He starred as the title character in the 1992 film Chaplin , which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor and won him the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role . Beginning in 2008 , Downey began portraying the role of Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , appearing in several films as either the lead role , member of an ensemble cast , or in a cameo . Downey Jr. has also played the title character in Guy Ritchie 's Sherlock Holmes ( 2009 ) and its sequel ( 2011 ) .