Jodie Fosterrecalls directingRobert Downey Jr.in the 1995 movieHome for the Holidays, while he was in the midst of his addictions. A year after working on the movie, Downey Jr. ended up being arrested as his dark years began, something Foster could see coming to the actor.
Home for the Holidays
When her teenage daughter opts out of Thanksgiving, single mother Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) travels alone to her childhood home for an explosive holiday dinner with her dysfunctional family. Claudia quickly tires of her parents, her long-suffering sister (Cynthia Stevenson), her snobby brother-in-law (Steve Guttenberg) and her nutty aunt (Geraldine Chaplin). But the evening gets interesting when sparks fly between Claudia and her brother’s handsome friend Leo Fish (Dylan McDermott).
Robert Downey Jr. has been one of Hollywood’s great comeback stories, after finding himself at an all-time-low, only to come back to be one of the biggest actors working in the industry. This is something that was topped off this year byhis Oscar win for Best Supporting actor inOppenheimer. As part ofEsquire Magazine’s feature on the actor, Foster shared her memories of working with him back when his darkest hour was looming. Remembering speaking to him privately at the time, Foster recalled saying to him:
Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve given in this film. But I’m scared of what happens to you next. Right now you are incredibly good at balancing on the barstool. But it’s really precarious, and I’m not sure how that’s going to end.
She continued to note that there was always something special about Downey Jr., but in the end, he needed to work things out for himself to get to where he is now. She said:
“What was so interesting about him then was what a genius he was—there was more creativity in his little finger than I will ever have in my whole life—but he did not have the discipline. He was so out there that all of that wonderful talent was kind of just, like, flailing his arms in the water and making a big mess. But it was in there somewhere, right? Because now he is somebody who’s become disciplined almost as a way of surviving. I have faith in people’s ability to change if they want it, and he really wanted it.”
Robert Downey Jr. Saw His Career Collapse Before He Could Rebuilt It
Downey Jr. appeared inHome for the Holidayswith Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Steve Guttenberg, and Claire Danes. However, just months after the film opened in November 1995, the actor wasarrested for the possession of heroin, cocaine, and an unloaded gun. He was given three years of probation, which then became a near-four-month jail sentence after he dodged a drug test. This was followed by him being given a three-year sentence for skipping another test in 1999, and then another drug-related arrest just months after he was released early.
‘He Had to Insure Himself’: Jake Gyllenhaal Recalls the Challenges Robert Downey Jr. Faced Filming Zodiac
Robert Downey Jr. had a high insurance premium once he began his acting comeback in 2003 following years of drug abuse.
After being seen as an outcast in the industry he had chosen to make his name in, the road back to Hollywood was not easy, but somehow he succeeded in continuing to work in small roles even through his darkest times. After finding his way back to leading roles a few years later, the actor rebuilt his reputation to the point that, in 2008, he stepped intothe career-defining role of Tony StarkinIron Man. The rest, as they say, is history.
If you want to revisit Robert Downey Jr.’s appearance inHome for the Holidays, the film is streaming on Paramount+.
