13
May
Reinvention 101: 5 Lessons From Robert Downey, Jr.
1. Concentrate on getting ahead one step at a time. Whether you need to vanquish some inner demons or escape from a bad stretch in your life, or you’re simply trying to find a new passion in life, you’re more likely to get there through patient plodding rather than big, sweeping dramatic gestures. Remember that Downey’s comeback, from rock-bottom to superstar, took a good seven years of struggle, in which he had to work long and hard to prove his commitment to sobriety and regain his credibility as a professional.
2. Don’t be too proud to accept help. Even after Downey seemed to have his drug addiction in check, producers were reluctant to hire him because insurance companies didn’t like the odds that he would flake out and not finish a movie. That’s when Mel Gibson stepped in. Gibson offered to put up Downey’s insurance bond. Downey not only did his work as promised but also turned in an excellent performance — proving to Hollywood that he still had the chops to be a star. If he had been too proud to accept Gibson’s generosity, who knows what would have happened to him?
3. Believe that in the end, your talent will enable people to overlook your past mistakes. The tipping point of Downey’s career comeback was Iron Man, the 2008 blockbuster that firmly established him as a marquee attraction. But in many ways, Downey was an unlikely choice for the role of a costumed superhero, even one whose alter-ego was playboy industrialist Tony Stark. But as director Jon Favreau explained, Downey’s acting skills made him overlook those negatives, and the director worked hard to persuade Marvel Comics — which owned the character and was dead-set against Downey — that he was the man for the part.
4. It’s never too late to develop self-discipline. As an addict, Downey was in such despair about his inability to stay away from drugs. Nevertheless, the actor has managed to stay sober since 2003. He developed the discipline to do that in large part by taking up Wing Chun, a Chinese martial art that emphasizes close-in hand-to-hand combat, and demands intense focus and inner calm. “Wing Chun teaches you what to concentrate on, whether you’re here or out in the world dealing with problems,” Downey explains. “It’s second nature for me now. I don’t even get to the point where there’s a problem.”
5. Don’t be afraid to play in an ensemble. It’s easy to think of success — or salvation — as an individual endeavor. But one of the reasons The Avengers has been getting overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics is that Downey resists the temptation to take over the movie. Instead, he has the discipline — and the self-confidence — to hold back and fit into director Joss Whedon’s vision. Similarly, if you can find a way to harness your talents and fit into a team of other strivers — even if it means trading riffs rather than being the lead soloist — you may have an even better shot at a successful second act.
source: yahoo.com
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