Robert Downey Sr has sadly passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 85. He had suffered with Parkinson’s disease for a number of years.
According to his wife, the iconic filmmaker who was also father to actor Robert Downey Jr. passed away in his sleep at his home in New York.
Before he died, he had suffered with Parkinson’s disease for five years.
As well as being a filmmaker, the star was also an actor, writer and producer and was known for his acting appearances in known acting appearances in Magnolia, Boogie Nights and To Live and Die in LA.
(Image: WireImage)
His last acting credit was in 2011, where he starred in the action-comedy Tower Heist alongside actors Casey Affleck, Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy.
In 2015, the star also had made uncredited appearance on Saturday Night Live as himself.
Born in Manhattan, New York in 1936, Robert Downey Sr first made his mark in the film industry when he created basement budget films that aligned with the Absurdist movement in the 1960s.
(Image: FilmMagic)
In 1961, while working with film editor Fred von Bernewitz, the star began writing and directing low-budget 16mm films that gained an underground following.
He began with the film Ball’s Bluff (1961) which was a fantasy short that portrayed a Civil War soldier who awakens in Central Park in 1961.
He later moved on to big budget film making and created Greaser’s Palace in 1972.
(Image: WireImage)
Downey Sr was married three times and was first married to actress Elsie Ann Downey, with whom he shared two children with, actress-writer Allyson Downey and actor Robert Downey Jr The marriage later ended in divorce in 1975.
The star’s marriage was to actress-writer Laura Ernst but she sadly died in 1994 from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
He later remarried in 1998 to author Rosemary Rogers.
Since the news broke of his passing, fans have paid their tributes to the star on social media.
Taking to Twitter, one fan said: “RIP Robert Downey Sr. So sorry for your loss @RobertDowneyJr.”
Another said: “RIP to the fabulous Robert Downey Sr. A maverick filmmaker whose work you absolutely need to familiarize yourself with ASAP. I remember he came to the Burns once at the invitation of Jonathan Demme for a conversation after a screening of his acid western, ‘Greaser’s Palace.'”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
