Robert Downey Sr. dead at 85
NEW YORK (New York Daily News/TNS) – Robert Downey Sr., iconic filmmaker of breakthrough anti-establishment classic films such as Putney Swope and Greaser’s Palace, died early Wednesday morning in his sleep at his home in New York City, his wife told the Daily News.
Downey, who turned 85 last month and had been battling Parkinson’s disease, also appeared in the movies Boogie Nights, Magnolia and To Live And Die in L.A.
The filmmaker, actor, producer and writer was a lifelong New Yorker and the husband of bestselling author Rosemary Rogers and father of actor Robert Downey Jr.
A heartbroken Robert Downey Jr. told The News, “I will miss him forever.”
Rogers was at home with Downey Sr. when he died. He succumbed after suffering from Parkinson’s for more five years.
“Last night, Dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s,” Downey Jr. wrote Wednesday in an Instagram tribute.
“He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout. According to my stepmom’s calculations, they were happily married for just over 2,000 years,” the Iron Man actor continued.
“Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and
our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Downey Sr. achieved early success during a career that spanned more than five decades as a writer and director of independent films that offered commentary on the era and contributed to the counterculture movement.
After garnering attention for works such as 1961’s Balls Bluff and 1964’s Babo 73, Downey’s profile ascended with the 1969 release of Putney Swope, a satirical take on the advertising industry of New York City.
Putney Swope proved to be a revelation with enduring impact, as the Library of Congress chose the movie for its National Film Registry in 2016.
Three years later, Downey came out with Greaser’s Palace, a Western about a man capable of creating miracles such as bringing back the dead or helping sick people recover.
Downey Jr. appeared in 1972’s Greaser’s Palace as a child, as did Downey Sr.’s other child, daughter Allyson, and his first wife, Elsie Downey.