All About Robert Downey Jr.’s son – Exton Elias Downey

Who is Exton Elias Downey?

Exton Elias Downey was born on 7 February 2012, in Los Angeles, California, USA, and is known only for being the son of Robert Downey, Jr. His father is one of the most successful Hollywood actors of recent years, best known for his work within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), in which he portrayed the character Tony Stark, or Iron Man.

The Wealth of Exton Elias Downey

As of mid-2020, Exton Elias Downey’s net worth relies solely from the success of his father. Being one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, Robert’s net worth is estimated to be over $300 million.

He’s appeared in various high profile films since the 1970s.

Life So Far – Family

Exton’s father met his mother, Susan Levin on the set of the film “Gothika”; she’s a producer who previously worked for Silver Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment. At the time, his father was finalizing a divorce from actress Deborah Falconer after their marriage had broken down due to Robert’s struggle with drug addiction. Robert made many approaches, and was turned down several times by Susan, as she didn’t want to start a relationship while on set.

Despite his initial reservations, especially about actors being notoriously difficult in relationships, their relationship worked ,and he proposed to her just before her 30th birthday. Exton is their first child, and grew up alongside an older half-brother, Indio Falconer Downey. Exton is of very mixed Jewish, Irish, French, Scottish, Swiss and Hungarian descent from his parents. A few years after their marriage, his younger sister was born. Since then, he has lived life mostly away from the spotlight, as his parents prefer him to grow up without pressure from the entertainment industry.

Mother – Susan Levin

Susan grew up developing a love for the film industry, and not necessarily as an actress, as she became more inclined towards the creation of films. She was academically gifted and matriculated from Schaumburg High School as a valedictorian, then enrolled at the University of Southern California, from where she graduated as summa cum laude, completing a degree in film production. She then quickly became involved with the production and development of films with Threshold Entertainment, working on several “Mortal Kombat” projects during the 1990s.

She then joined Silver Pictures, where she worked on films such as “Ghost Ship”, “Swordfish”, and “House of Wax”. It was during her time there that she began a relationship with Downey – the two would later work on the film adaptation of “Sherlock Holmes” starring Downey. After completing more films for Silver, she left to start a production company with her husband, Team Downey, established in 2010 and partnered with Warner Bros. Some of the films they’ve produced include “The Judge” and “USS Indianapolis”. Aside from her professional work, she’s been credited as the biggest help towards his recovery from drug addiction.

Father – Robert Downey, Jr.

Robert is the son of Robert Downey Sr., who was also an actor. He grew up in a family of actors, but at a young age he had a lot of troubles, particularly with drugs as his father struggled with life as an addict. He had his first experience with marijuana as a child, and has associated his emotional bond with his father as that with drugs, which made it more difficult for him to move away from use.

He made his professional acting debut as a child, appearing in supporting roles in his father’s films. Wanting to pursue a similar career, he took up ballet lessons before taking classes at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center.

During his teenage years his parents divorced, and he moved to California with his father. There he attended Santa Monica High School, but wasn’t intent on pursuing a formal education, so he soon dropped out of school pursued acting opportunities. While he had numerous failures at the start, he began gaining more attention for his acting following an appearance in “Tuff Turf”, alongside James Spader.

Drug Problems – Robert Downey Jr.

In the 1980s Downey became a part of the Brat Pack, following a string of successful coming-of-age films. Some of his successes during this time included “Weird Science”, “Pretty in Pink”, and “Less than Zero”.

As the decade progressed, he pursued bigger roles and larger paychecks. He worked alongside Mel Gibson in “Soapdish”, and other films included “Chances Are”, and portraying the titular comedian in “Chaplin”, which gained him a nomination for best actor. Other films he worked on during the 1990s included “Short Cuts’, “The Last Party”, and ‘Restoration”.

However, during the mid-1990s, Robert became involved in a string of arrests, all of which pertained to drugs. His addiction was spiraling out of control, and after a particular incident in which he drove under the influence, he was sentenced to three years of probation, then in 1999 he was sentenced to three years in prison on multiple charges.

His career crashed during this period, though he was able to post bail, dependent on spending a year in drug rehabilitation. In 2000, he began gaining attention once more, and for his work in “Ally McBeal” he was nominated for an Emmy. However, he was arrested once more on possession of drugs.

Career Comeback – Robert Downey Jr.

After years of struggle with drugs, Robert finally decided that it was enough and again sought help with his addiction. He was finally able to return to film in 2003 with “The Singing Detective”, thanks to the help of his close friend Mel Gibson, and continued with projects such as “Gothika”, “A Scanner Darkly”, and “The Shaggy Dog”.

While he had returned to acting, he didn’t achieve another blockbuster until 2008’s “Tropic Thunder” which put him back on the market.

At around the same time, he was cast as the title character in “Iron Man”, essentially kick-starting what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first film was highly successful, launching the franchise, and eventually leading to the creation of “The Avengers”. He remains closely tied to many of the franchise’s actors, producers, and staff with his possible final appearance as Tony Stark in “Avengers: Endgame”.

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