Robert Downey Jr. Fun Facts: 15 things you might not know about the Marvel superstar

Photos: Associated Press

15 things you might not know about Robert Downey Jr.

Born into an acting family, Robert Downey Jr. was one of the hottest names in the business until his career was derailed by multiple run-ins with the law.

As he celebrates his 53rd birthday this week, take a look at our list of interesting facts about Downey Jr. and his return to stardom.

-Mike Rose, cleveland.com

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Photo: Associated Press

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1. He was born in New York

Robert John Downey Jr. was born April 4, 1965 on the island of Manhattan.

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Photos: Associated Press

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2. He comes from a movie family

Robert Downey Sr. was a filmmaker and Downey Jr.'s mother was an actress.

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Photo: Associated Press

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3. He has other famous relatives

Downey Jr. is related to both Harry Connick Jr. and Barbara Walters.

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Photo: Associated Press

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4. He's been acting since he was a kid

Robert's first movie experience was in his father's film 'Pound' when he was only 5.

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Photo: Associated Press

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5. Was he a 'Brat'?

While not considered a core member of the 80s band of young actors referred to as the 'Brat Pack,' many consider him part of the larger group associated with the Brat Pack.

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Photo: Associated Press

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6. A power couple

Downey Jr. once dated actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

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Photo: Associated Press

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7. He has his own company

Robert and his wife Susan own their own production company, Team Downey.

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Photo: Associated Press

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8. He's got a set of pipes

Downey Jr. often lends his vocal talents to the soundtracks of films he is in and has released his own album.

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Photo: Associated Press

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9. With friends like these...

Downey Jr. was once let out of rehab for a day to shoot a music video for Elton John.

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Photo: Associated Press

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10. Don't call it a comeback

Following being cast as Tony Stark in 'Iron Man,' Downey Jr. rose to the ranks of Hollywood's megastars.

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Photo: Associated Press

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11. He's top of the list

Robert is currently tied with Chris Evans for the most appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Photo: Associated Press

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12. He almost played another billionaire playboy

Prior to 'Iron Man,' Robert was also considered for the lead role as Bruce Wayne in 'Batman'. Downey Jr. went on to appear with actor Michael Keaton in the latest 'Spider-Man' film.

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13. Foreign affairs

Due to his prior criminal record, Robert had trouble entering some countries to promote 'Iron Man' including Japan.

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Photo: Associated Press

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14. Other potential roles

Could you imagine Robert as Maverick in 'Top Gun' or Ferris Bueller or Edward Scissorhands? They are all roles he was in the running for.

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Photo: Associated Press

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15. From 'SNL' to Oscar

Downey Jr. may not have had a stellar career on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ but he was the first member of the regular cast to receive and Oscar nomination for ‘Best Actor’ for (for ‘Chaplin’). Both Joan Cusack and Dan Aykroyd had previously been nominated, but for supporting roles.

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