Initially Famous For: Being the hyper-talented wunderkind who could be both incredibly funny or incredibly moving as an actor. Downey was able to go from being the lead in romantic comedies to being nominated for Academy Awards for more dramatic fare. His turn as Charlie Chaplin was astonishingly good and vaulted him to the top of everyone’s best actors list.What Happened? He loved the drugs and they really loved him. Eventually it got to be so bad that Downey was in and out of jail and was essentially blackballed from making movies because no-one would insure him. He was basically the male Lindsay Lohan, minus the red hair, the giant breasts and the proclivity for blowing random dudes. Then again, who knows what went on while he was in jail?
The Comeback: Downey got clean and started making movies again, and once he proved that he could keep his shit together without snorting the contents of the entire nation of Colombia, his profile began to rise with each movie, until finally he landed the role of Tony Stark in Iron Man, the success of which combined with Downey’s ridiculous charm and talent, made him one of Hollywood’s alpha males.
How’s the Comeback Going? Well, Robert Downey, Jr. is on the short list for biggest star in the world so, uh, I’d say it’s going pretty well. With the Iron Man franchise, the Sherlock Holmes franchise and now the Avengers franchise, Downey is not only going to be very busy for the foreseeable future, but also almost absurdly successful. Seriously, who has a better career than Robert Downey, Jr. right now? Considering that a decade ago he spent most of his time in courtrooms and jail-cells and that in between he was less hirable than Steven Seagal I’d say that his comeback ranks as one of the most epic of all time, and that’s why it’s number one on this list.
Source:
http://guyism.com/celebrities/biggest-celebrity-comebacks.html