quiet paws.

I have loved many movie men over the years, with many of these early screen affairs igniting and extinguishing themselves during the eighties, the decade of my childhood. However some of the most special of actors have stayed with me beyond the pesky boundaries of the decades. As it turns out Robert Downey Jr is one such person who still manages to charm me today.

That’s not to say that our twenty year relationship hasn’t had its ups and downs. Like any affair of the heart or mind, often those artists we love the most are those who disappoint us the most when they fall below our expectations. This is true for me even if the nature of that relationship is as indirect as that between actor and audience member.

Before this year is over and in honour of my twenty year appreciation of Robert Downey Jr. I thought I’d share a quick timeline of scattered memories…

• In 1989 I remember falling in love with RDJ in ‘Chances Are’ a movie about true love, soulmates and destiny. I don’t remember too much at all of the film, but no doubt its quality has not held up all that well.
• In 1991 I drew a black & white portrait of RDJ for a high school art project (though admittedly I chose him because I had an easy picture to reproduce my drawing from… I was ever the lazy artist). I remember having a lot of trouble getting his nose right.
• In 2000 I started watching Ally McBeal based purely on his addition to the cast; he was just too charming to resist. Sometime after this he was arrested (again) and I remember feeling frustrated at him for wasting the opportunity because I adored his character.

So that brings me to relatively recent times where Robert Downey Jr. is once again doing good in life and in the land of movies with his recent efforts in Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes… happy times indeed! Here’s to the next 20 years!!