MOVIES

Blockbuster Movie Stars Who Used To Be Box Office Poison

Robert Downey Jr. has Oscar gold in his cabinet for 2023’s “Oppenheimer,” and even more plain old gold in his bank account for his run as Tony Stark. As hard as it is to believe now, Downey was once the textbook definition of “box office poison.” While Downey shot to fame quickly in his career, albeit in some early roles he would like you to forget about, his celebrity status was more for his extracurricular activities than his considerable acting prowess. Sure, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the title role in 1992’s “Chaplin,” but he was more notorious for antics such as trespassing and passing out at his neighbor’s house.

But hey, bad behavior is excused if you bring the bling. Alas, Downey didn’t. For the first 25 years of his career, Downey didn’t make one movie that grossed more than $100 million. It was so bad, he even brought big bankable stars down with him, as with 1990’s “Air America,” one of Mel Gibson’s biggest bombs, and “Soapdish,” a major dud on Sally Field’s resume. 

Downey’s turnaround came slowly but surely in the new millennium, thanks to his buddy Gibson putting up the money to insure him for “The Singing Detective,” and director Jon Favreau going to bat for him as Tony Stark. It worked pretty well: Downey’s inaugural “Iron Man” film grossed $585 million worldwide, four times his previous biggest earner, “Gothika,” and launched the most successful franchise ever.

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