Photo credit TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images

For those of you born after 1991, Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t always the cool smooth guy portraying cooler smoother guys on the silver screen. In fact, many of his past exploits sound more like a joke on 30 Rock about insane movie star Tracy Jordan’s past than this dapper genteel everyman.

But it’s true, kids. RDJ had his dark times. As dark as a steer’s tuccas on a moonless prairie night. His rise back to the top is nothing short of an astounding testament to his strong resolve and his unquestionable talent. As the son of underground actor/director Robert Downey Sr., Robert grew up surrounded by films and actors. When Robert was just 6 years old, his father offered him a marijuana joint, kicking off a drug habit that would eventually lead to several arrests and rehab clinics. So maybe the dad from that David after the Dentist video should be a little more careful.

Before his arrest, however, RDJ was enjoying the beginnings of a highly successful career. He was the first regular cast member of Saturday Night Live (he was part of the cast during the 1985-86 season) to be nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar for his role as Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic, Chaplin.

After devoting himself to recovery from his drug problems, Robert Downey Jr. is now one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood. From rehab the climb was slow, but eventually his talent won out. After getting some well-received supporting roles in Disney’s The Shaggy Dog and the deplorably underrated Zodiac, as well as the lead in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Downey Jr. landed the role of Tony Stark in Marvel’s box office hit Iron Man, as well as a sequel, cameo spots in other Marvel films, culminating in 2012’s The Avengers. Shortly thereafter, he starred with Jude Law in the widely acclaimed screen adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes II: A Game of Shadows comes out December 16th.