Heart & Souls was a mainstream vehicle in which Downey Jr. was able to show off his multiple talents in a portrayal as a conduit to 4 souls stuck in limbo.

He sings. He dances. He plays both cocky douche and charming Good Samaritan (often at the same time) with ease. His talent for mimicry is also on full display in the films several “possession” moments, one of which sees the talented thesp belt out a rip roaring version of the Star Spangled Banner.

Restoration was a period piece which received well deserved kudos for its spectacular art direction and costume design, yet not nearly enough Downey’s bravura performance.

At a little over 2 hours, Downey is never off screen, and he works it to his advantage in his portrayal of a gifted physician trying to escape his destiny during the rapturous reign of King Charles II (Sam Neil).

Fulfilling the requirements of helping his character reach his arc while providing entertaining and moving viewing is no mean feat, yet Downey pulls it off (with a bad wig to boot!)

Oliver Stone’s hyper kinetic hardcore satire on violence and the media is chock-a-block full of wonderful over the top performances, with Downey’s turn as an Australian media personality a highlight, in its coupling of his OTT theatrics (gotta love the thick Aussie accent) and passionate zeal in his characters anything goes approach to exploiting a story.

Up to this point, Downey had been a fixture in many a teen flick, often playing support to the likes of Anthony Michael Hall.

It was only fitting that his breakout role be in a film which positioned itself as an anti-John Hughes flick, with Downey’s portrayal of a high school graduate so full of promise, only to succumb to the lure of hard drugs in the synthetic pastel hell of 1980s Los Angeles both an exhilarating and depressing watch for what was happening on the screen, and behind the scenes in Downey’s own tumultuous life.

The rejuvenation of the world’s most popular sleuth needed an actor of intelligence and charisma, expectations which Downey more than meets up to.

What was unexpected was the macho bravura which Downey injected into the role, resulting in a Sherlock Holmes who was as much about breaking bones as well as breaking cases, Downey contemplating director Guy Ritchie’s penchant for stories involving hard men doing bad things, all with a cheeky smile and gusto for the physical.

David Fincher’s criminally underrated true life film about 3 souls obsessed with capturing the infamous Zodiac killer, saw Downey receive limited minutes yet steal the show, regardless.

The role of San Francisco Chronicle journalist Paul Avery could have been run-of-the-mill if placed in another actor’s hand, yet such is the gifts which Downey possesses that in his hands Avery became a wonderfully quirky, eternally hip, and suitably tenacious investigative journalist who loses himself in the hunt for a forever unreachable mad man.

It was a casting choice both ballsy and obvious. The moment Downey appeared in Iron Man it seemed only right that he be the one to don the red and gold armour, and secure his position on top of the Hollywood ladder.

Like Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve before him, Downey took on an iconic comic book character and made it his own, more than adequately portraying Tony Stark’s vast complexities while injecting a fervent eccentricity and lively spirit. Good luck to anyone who has to follow.

Downey’s slow and tumultuous comeback saw him take on many a supporting role (Wonder Boys, Gothiika) before securing his much deserved place as a leading man in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

And what a role it was: a fast talking career thief, posing as an actor, navigating the shark infested waters of Hollywood, while investigating a homicide/kidnapping case alongside a gay private detective (Val Kilmer) and long time crush (Michelle Monaghan).

Throughout it all Downey delivers comedy gold, delivering writer/director Shawn Black’s snappy dialogue with gusto. Key dramatic moments are also delivered with equal passion.

In a career filled with ballsy choices, Downey’s un-PC –and potentially career derailing – turn in war film satire Tropic Thunder takes top spot.

Black face is rarely seen as acceptable. Yet Downey went beyond that in his portrayal of an egotistical Australian method actor, who undergoes a surgical procedure (his skin is dyed black) in order to play an African American soldier.

What follows is a performance teetering on offensive parody in his turn as a “dude playing the dude, disguised as another dude!”, yet manages to come up aces in his coupling of Blaxploitation man Fred Williamson and Danny Glover, mixed with a heavy dose of racial ignorance.

A well deserved Oscar nomination capped off a comeback worthy of Downey’s talents.

Portraying a legend is a daunting task. Portraying one as iconic and talented as Charlie Chaplin seemed downright impossible.

Yet it was a challenge which Downey took to with rigorous passion, engorging himself in all things Chaplin in order to become –not imitate – both The Tramp and the sad clown behind the moustache, in a role which saw the multi-talented Downey exhibit his knack for the comedic, the dramatic, and (perhaps most important of all) the physical, all in one sitting.