Few celebrities know as much about trying to bounce back from their own demons quite like Robert Downey Jr.. The rise, fall, and rise again of the “Iron Man” star is so well-known, it’s partly what made his portrayal of Tony Stark so perfect. RDJr’s past behavior, drug addictions, and run-ins with the law were a reliable source of celebrity news fodder throughout the 90s and early 2000s, costing him acting jobs and landing him behind bars. [If you haven’t seen David Letterman‘s “My Next Guest” episode with RDJr, it’s on Netflix, and we HIGHLY suggest it.]
Whether it was these incidents specifically, or a life philosophy in general, Downey seems to be a believer in second chances. And now he’s helping give one to troubled actor Armie Hammer.
To make a long story short, Hammer had a very public fall from grace when details about his sexual fetishes and allegations of abuse came to light. Dropped by his talent agency and with the only projects to his name being things that were already filmed, the actor dropped out of the public eye. His appearance in the Cayman Islands wasn’t out of the ordinary as he lived there for some time. But seeing him working at a resort and selling time shares was not expected.
Enter Robert Downey Jr..
One of the places Hammer went to after things started falling apart was rehab. A six-month stay at rehab center Guest House was apparently paid for by RDJr.. Additionally, Downey has continued to financially assist Hammer to some extent, though the exact details aren’t known. Apparently while in Hollywood, Hammer was staying in property owned by RDJr..
It’s just as possible that this is Downey’s way of paying it forward. He’s previously said Hollywood needs to “forgive” Mel Gibson– specifically for substance abuse, not the anti-semitism stuff. Mel worked with RDJr on the 1990 film “Air America”, and the two have been close ever since. So close that after Downey’s career bottomed out in the early 2000s, it was Gibson who paid the insurance bond for RDJr to appear in “The Singing Detective.”
We can safely say if Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man incarnate, was giving us a second chance, we wouldn’t want to mess that up. For his sake, if for no other reason.
