Robert Downey Jr.’s 10 Greatest Roles (Ranked)

7. David Seton Barnes, Soapdish (1991)

Downey was already a veteran of late 1980s teen fare like Weird Science and Johnny Be Good when he nabbed a role in this Sally Field comedy about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans at a fictional soap opera. And he nearly walks off the film as a slimy young producer who schemes with a wannabe starlet (the hilarious Cathy Moriarty) to replace Sally Field’s character as the show’s longtime grande dame.

Watch it: on Max

6. Paul Avery, Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher’s thriller about the hunt for the so-called Zodiac Killer who terrorized the Bay Area in the late ’60s and early ’70s is another underrated gem. In his first postrehab starring role (alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo), Downey plays a newspaper reporter whose confident façade erodes when the killer begins to threaten him. In a devastatingly authentic art-imitates-life twist, we also watch his character fall deeper into an alcoholic haze amid his inability to crack the case.

Watch it: on Paramount+

Note: Paramount+ provides a discount to AARP members and pays AARP a royalty for the use of its intellectual property.

5. Harry Lockhart, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)

After his well-publicized stint in rehab, Downey began his Hollywood comeback in this darkly comedic neo-noir with a witty script by writer-director Shane Black. Downey plays to type as a small-time crook who heads to Hollywood with his longtime crush (Michelle Monaghan) and a private investigator (Val Kilmer) hired to prep him for a studio screen test. Downey fires one-liners like bullets from a Gatling gun, making you wish that he and Kilmer had made a whole series of buddy detective movies together.

Watch it: on Apple TV, Prime Video

4. Lewis Strauss, Oppenheimer (2023)

Downey finally won Oscar gold in Christopher Nolan’s three-hour drama as a bureaucratic villain who seeks to strip J. Robert Oppenheimer of his security clearances when he begins showing regret about the nuclear arms race resulting from his work. Almost unrecognizable with his retreating gray hair and browline glasses, the actor holds the snark in check to play a man whose pettiness reveals the dark side of power.

Watch it: on Peacock

3. Kirk Lazarus, Tropic Thunder (2008)

It’s hard to imagine any other actor in this century who could get away with blackface – let alone earn an Oscar nomination for doing it. But Downey went all-in as a craven Australian actor who goes deep Method to play a Black staff sergeant in Vietnam. He surgically dyes his skin, gets a fresh scalp of kinky hair and sinks into a full-jive accent that he won’t drop even when the cameras stop rolling. It’s a fully committed performance – one that would get most actors committed to Hollywood jail. Downey’s unwavering commitment to the bit also helps to ground a comedy steeped in absurdity.

Watch it: on Paramount+

2. Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin (1992)

Downey scored his first Oscar nomination in the title role in Richard Attenborough’s biopic of the silent-film star. Despite a rather conventional script, Downey turns in a riveting central performance – nailing both Chaplin’s British accent as well as his distinctive mannerisms (and walking style) while convincingly playing the actor from youth to old age. Plus, Downey did all his own stunts.

Watch it: on Paramount+

1. Tony Stark, Iron Man, Iron Man through Avengers: Endgame (2008-2019)

There were doubters who said that American audiences would never embrace a superhero like Iron Man, known only to comic book die-hards before Downey donned the metallic red suit and made the character a pop culture phenomenon. Given his well-publicized past, the actor had to audition for the role. But can you imagine anyone else making this franchise a hit? He nailed the persona of an arrogant billionaire who was quick with a quip but ultimately willing to stick out his neck to save humanity – a first-class jerk you can’t help but root to succeed.

Watch it: on Disney+