Robert Downey Sr. passes away, son Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute
- By Web Desk -
- Jul 08, 2021
Veteran actor and director Robert Downey Sr. passed away in his sleep on Wednesday after years of battling Parkinson’s, his son, Avengers star Robert Downey Jr. announced. He was 85.
RDJ took to Instagram to pay a heartfelt tribute to his father, best know for his 1969 satire film Putney Swope. “Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s,” said Downey Jr.
“He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout,” he wrote, adding a special shoutout for his stepmother.
“According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Downey Sr.’s most celebrated work. Putney Swope, is hailed as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” -the film starred Arnold Johnson as the only black man on the executive board of an advertising firm and who is accidentally put in charge.
He also gave his now-Hollywood star son his first acting role in the 1970 film Pound which featured humans playing dogs waiting to be euthanised.
Downey Sr. also served as the director for some episodes of The Twilight Zone, as well as appearing in small roles in Boogie Nights, Tower Heist, etc.