Robert Downey Jr recalls his early jobs, says he got fired from shoe shop because he had ‘sticky fingers’
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA: Robert Downey Jr, the star of 'Oppenheimer', revealed some of his early jobs before he became a Hollywood icon.
He also shared his thoughts on his career and destiny at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival where he received the Maltin Modern Master Award.
Robert Downey’s odd jobs before acting
The 58-year-old actor had a candid conversation with film critic Leonard Maltin at the event on Friday, February 9.
The 'Iron Man' star opened up about his struggles and failures in his youth when he tried different occupations outside of acting.
“Well, I worked at a sandwich shop. I worked at a shoe store, but I had sticky fingers and I got fired after two weeks,” he said.
“This is before those closed-circuit cameras where they monitor who might be sitting. … I was not very good at it," People reports.
He continued, “And I worked in clubs and I worked at Thrifty’s in Santa Monica. I made it to busboy, but I didn’t really have the panache to be a waiter, I was told, so I had to resort to theater.”
Robert Downey’s family and film industry
Downey was born into a showbiz family as the son of director Robert Downey Sr who passed away at the age of 85 in 2021.
The 'Zodiac' star made his film debut at five years old in his father’s 1970 movie 'Pound', but he had to wait for his big break in the 1980s and his comeback in the 2000s.
Maltin asked him if he believed his success was due to destiny. Downey replied, “Yeah, I think this is what I was supposed to do.”
The Maltin Modern Master Award is named after Maltin and was established in 1995 “to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry," according to the film festival.
Robert Downey Jr’s praise for his 'Oppenheimer' co-star Cillian Murphy
Robert Downey Jr’s latest role is Lewis Strauss, a key figure in the Manhattan Project, in Christopher Nolan’s 'Oppenheimer.'
The film, which received 13 Oscar nominations, also stars Cillian Murphy as the titular physicist. Downey had nothing but admiration for his co-star who is also nominated for Best Actor.
He said, “Cillian is straight man to no one. He is just, I think, beginning to understand by the reaction he gets when he comes to places that he’s a f*****g force of nature.”
The event, according to reports, also featured Downey’s longtime friend Rob Lowe and other guests who praised his achievements and talents.
Downey is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards on March 10.
