Filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., father of Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr., has passed away. The director died at the age of 85, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s for more than five years and died in his sleep at home in New York.
The news was confirmed by his son on social media. Mourning his father’s death, Robert Downey Jr. shared a monochrome photo of his father on his Instagram, writing: “RIP Bob D. Sr. 1936-2021 … the ravages of Parkinson’s ..he’s a true temperamental filmmaker Were, and remained remarkably optimistic the entire time..”
He continued, “According to my stepmother’s calculations, they were happily married for over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downie, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Downey Sr.’s most famous work was the 1969 film Putney Swoop, which starred Arnold Johnson as the only black man on the executive board of an advertising firm. It was praised for its progressive satire on race in America and corporate culture.
Downey Sr. also appeared as an actor in minor roles in Boogie Nights, The Family Man and Tower Heist.
Born in New York City in 1936 as Robert Elias Jr., he later changed his surname to Downey—the name of his stepfather—in order to enlist early in the military. After the military, he coincidentally got into film production while living in New York with his sister.
The late filmmaker is survived by children Alison Downey and Robert Downey Jr. and wife Rosemary Rogers.
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