Turnaround

Since then, Downey's life has significantly turned around. He became a husband again in 2005, when he married actress Susan Levin, whom he'd med two years before on the set of the thriller, Gothika. He's an ardent student of Wing Chung kung fu, and through the support of his family and friends, he's been able to stay clean.

One of the people to play a key role in his turnaround is Mel Gibson, with whom Downey co-starred in Air America (1990). Gibson stuck by his friend's side, even as Downey's life was completely unraveling, and when Downey was unable to get something as routine as an insurance bond due to his past troubles with the law, Gibson found him work, casting him in the 2003 filmThe Singing Detective. The two actors remain close friends today.

Also in 2003, Downey starred opposite Halle Berry in Gothika, which did better at the box office than it did with the critics. He continued to dedicate himself to his craft, playing a supporting role in the critically acclaimed Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and the lead in the independent drama A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), which he also co-produced. In Zodiac(2007), Downey played a journalist who gets wrapped up in the hunt for the infamous Zodiac Killer.

In 2008, Downey transformed from an often critically admired actor to a box-office star. He played the wealthy industrialist-turned-crime fighter Tony Stark in the smash hit Iron Man (2008), which grossed more than $318 million. Taking a huge risk, Downey then starred in the comedy Tropic Thunder(2008) with Ben Stiller and Jack Black; he played a white actor pretending to be a black actor in this war movie spoof. His efforts received mostly positive reviews, with Variety magazine's Todd McCarthy stating that "the audacity of Downey's performance" was one of "the best reasons to see the film." Downey garnered a number of accolades for his performance in Tropic Thunder, including an Oscar (best performance by an actor in a supporting role), Golden Globe (best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture) and Screen Actors Guild (outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role) award nominations.