Filmmaker and actor Robert Downey Sr. dies, son Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute

Robert Downey Sr. — filmmaker, actor and father to Robert Downey Jr. — has passed away. He was 85.

According to his son, he died "peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s."

"He was a true maverick filmmaker, and remained remarkably optimistic throughout," the Iron Man star wrote in an Instagram post.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. Official (@robertdowneyjr)

Downey Sr. was known for writing and directing the 1969 satire "Putney Swope," which eventually became a cult classic.

His other projects as director include 1997's "Hugo Pool" (1997) and "Rittenhouse Square" (2005).

As an actor, he appeared in "To Live and Die in LA" (1985), "Boogie Nights" (1997), and "Tower Heist" (2011). —JCB, GMA News