Happy birthday Robert Downey Jr! 13 roles that make him his generation's biggest...

Robert Downey Jr turned 52 on Tuesday. The actor, popular for playing genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark (Iron Man) in the Marvel movies is a rare kind of movie star. Not only has he found a new lease to his career (after battling addiction for most of the ‘90s and early 2000s) he has gone on to star in not one, but two major franchises (Sherlock Holmes), with a third on the way (Dr Doolittle).

Outside the movies, Downey has taken on the persona of Stark in real life as well, posting snarky, witty jokes on his social media accounts (which attract millions of followers).

But before this phase 2 in his career, Downey Jr has a closet full of memorable roles, ever since he made his debut as a child in 1970.

Let’s take a walk down the rocky, winding memory lane that is Robert Downey Jr’s career, with stills from his most notable roles.