Robert Downey Jr has paid tribute to his "true maverick" filmmaker father after his death at the of 85 earlier this week.
The 56-year-old MCU star took to Instagram in an emotional post made on Wednesday, July 7, uploading a black and white image of his late father.
Downey Jr captioned the post:
"Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson's.
"He was a true maverick filmmaker and remained remarkably optimistic throughout... According to my stepmom's calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years.
"Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you."
The filmmaker, best known for projects such as Babo 73, Putney Swope, Greaser's Palace, and Too Much Sun, had been battling Parkinson's for over five years prior to his passing.
He also starred as an actor in movies such as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and To Live and Die in LA, and directed a number of episodes of popular TV series such as Sticks and Bones and The Twilight Zone.
Downey Sr reportedly had a complicated relationship with his son and seemed to profess the belief that he was in some way responsible for the Iron Man lead's later issues with addiction.
Per a 2008 article by The Guardian, Downey Sr recalled that he had once jokingly passed his son a joint when he was just six years old.
The director stated: "I go, 'You ought to try a little of this instead of drinking.' I passed him a joint. And suddenly I knew I had made a terrible, stupid mistake ... giving a little kid a toke of grass just to be funny."
Per Salon, in a 1988 interview for the book The New Breed, Downey Jr claimed that substance abuse was something he and his dad actually engaged in as a form of bonding.
He stated: "When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how."
In addition to his son, Downey Sr is survived by his daughter Allyson Downey, and his spouse, author Rosemary Rogers.
Our thoughts are with Downey Sr's family, friends, and fans at this time.
