Editing Robert Downey Jr. (section)

===2001–2008: Recovery and comeback===
After five years of substance abuse, arrests, rehabilitation, and relapse, Downey was ready to work toward a full recovery from drugs and return to his career. In discussing his failed attempts to control his addictive behavior in the past, Downey told [[Oprah Winfrey]] in November 2004 that "when someone says, 'I really wonder if maybe I should go to rehab?' Well, uh, you're a wreck, you just lost your job, and your wife left you. Uh, you might want to give it a shot."<ref name="OprahPartTwo">{{YouTube|0_K_3h1KBS8|''The Oprah Winfrey Show''}}, second segment, November 22, 2004. Retrieved March 16, 2013.</ref> He added that after his last arrest in April 2001, when he knew he would likely be facing another stint in prison or another form of incarceration such as court-ordered rehab, "I said, 'You know what? I don't think I can continue doing this.' And I reached out for help, and I ran with it. You can reach out for help in kind of a half-assed way and you'll get it and you won't take advantage of it. It's not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems ... what's hard is to decide to do it."<ref name="OprahPartTwo" />

Downey got his first post-rehabilitation acting job in August 2001, lip-syncing in the video for [[Elton John]]'s single "[[I Want Love]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1445963/20010803/john_elton.jhtml |title=Elton John Casts Robert Downey Jr. In His New Video |access-date=May 3, 2008 |last=Schumacher-Rasmussen |first=Eric |date=August 3, 2001 |publisher=MTV News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315085700/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1445963/20010803/john_elton.jhtml |archive-date=March 15, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Video director [[Sam Taylor-Wood]] shot 16 takes of the video and used the last one because, according to John, Downey looked completely relaxed and "the way he underplays it is fantastic."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/j/john_elton/news_feature_101201/ |title=Elton John: California Love (Interview) |access-date=May 3, 2008 |last=Rankin |first=Rebecca |publisher=MTV News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726214913/http://www.mtv.com/bands/j/john_elton/news_feature_101201/ |archive-date=July 26, 2008 }}</ref> Downey was able to return to the big screen after [[Mel Gibson]], who had been a close friend to Downey since both had co-starred in ''Air America'', paid Downey's insurance bond for the 2003 film ''[[The Singing Detective (film)|The Singing Detective]]'' (directed by his ''Back to School'' co-star Keith Gordon).<ref name="gibson"/> Gibson's gamble paved the way for Downey's comeback, and Downey returned to mainstream films in the mid-2000s with ''[[Gothika]]'', for which producer [[Joel Silver]] withheld 40% of Downey's salary until after production wrapped as insurance against his addictive behavior. Similar clauses became standard in his contracts throughout the 2000s.<ref name="insurance">{{cite episode |title=Robert Downey Jr. |series=Shootout |series-link=Shootout (TV series) |network=[[AMC (TV network)|AMC]] |airdate=July 14, 2006}}</ref> Silver, who was getting closer to Downey as he dated his assistant Susan Levin (later [[Susan Downey]]), also got the actor the leading role in the [[comedy thriller]] ''[[Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]]'', the directorial debut of screenwriter [[Shane Black]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/lethal-weapon-wunderkind-party-boy-892186|title='Lethal Weapon' Wunderkind (and Former Party Boy) Shane Black Is Back ... and Still Looking for Action|access-date=May 13, 2016|last=Svetkey|first=Benjamin|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108152533/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/lethal-weapon-wunderkind-party-boy-892186|archive-date=January 8, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

After ''[[Gothika]]'', Downey was cast in a number of leading and supporting roles, including well-received work in a number of semi-independent films: ''[[A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints]]'', ''[[Good Night, and Good Luck]];'' [[Richard Linklater]]'s dystopian, [[Rotoscoping|rotoscoped]] ''[[A Scanner Darkly (film)|A Scanner Darkly]]'' (in which Downey plays the role of a drug addict); and [[Steven Shainberg]]'s fictional biographical film of [[Diane Arbus]], ''[[Fur (film)|Fur]]'', in which Downey's character represented the two biggest influences on Arbus's professional life, [[Lisette Model]] and [[Marvin Israel]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/10/AR2006111000293_pf.html |title=A 'Fur'-Fetched Portrait of Arbus? Precisely! Says the Filmmaker |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Frey |first=Jennifer |date=November 12, 2006 |access-date=May 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111131919/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/10/AR2006111000293_pf.html |archive-date=November 11, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Downey also received great notice for his roles in more mainstream fare such as ''Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'' and [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Disney's]] poorly received ''[[The Shaggy Dog (2006 film)|The Shaggy Dog]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mike |last=D'Angelo|title=Actors of the Year |page=7|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/the-screen/greatperformances1207-7|work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|access-date=July 10, 2014|date=November 20, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103121925/http://www.esquire.com/features/the-screen/greatperformances1207-7|archive-date=January 3, 2015}}</ref>

On November 23, 2004, Downey released his debut musical album, ''[[The Futurist (Robert Downey Jr. album)|The Futurist]]'', on [[Sony Classical]], for which he designed the cover art and the track listing label on the CD with his son Indio.<ref name="AlbumCredits">As listed in the credits on the CD version of ''The Futurist''.</ref> The album received mixed reviews,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2004/12/09/TheScene/Sound.Byte.Robert.Downey.The.Futurist-825969.shtml |title=Robert Downey Jr. The Futurist |work=[[The Heights (newspaper)|The Heights]] |first=Nicole |last=Pensiero |date=December 9, 2004 |access-date=August 6, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108053050/http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2004/12/09/TheScene/Sound.Byte.Robert.Downey.The.Futurist-825969.shtml |archive-date=January 8, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://music.msn.com/music/album-review/robert-downey-jr/the-futurist/ |title=The Futurist: Critic's Review |publisher=MSN Music |last=Collar |first=Matt |access-date=August 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616071434/http://music.msn.com/music/album-review/robert-downey-jr/the-futurist/ |archive-date=June 16, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but Downey stated in 2006 that he probably would not do another album, as he felt that the energy he put into doing the album was not compensated.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2006/mar/26/features.magazine37 |title=This Much I Know: Robert Downey Jr |work=The Observer |location=UK |last=Horkins |first=Tony |date=March 26, 2006 |access-date=May 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213142940/http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2006/mar/26/features.magazine37 |archive-date=February 13, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2006, Downey returned to television when he did [[voice acting]] on ''[[Family Guy]]'' in the episode "[[The Fat Guy Strangler]]". Downey had previously telephoned the show's production staff and asked if he could produce or assist in episode creation, as his son Indio is a fan of the show. The producers of the show accepted the offer and created the character of [[Pewterschmidt family|Patrick Pewterschmidt]], [[Lois Griffin]]'s long-lost, [[Mental disorder|mentally disturbed]] brother, for Downey.<ref name="Sheridan">{{cite AV media |people=Sheridan, Chris|year=2005|title=Family Guy season 4 DVD commentary for the episode 'The Fat Guy Strangler'|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

Downey signed on with publisher [[HarperCollins]] to write a memoir, which in 2006 was already being billed as a "candid look at the highs and lows of his life and career." In 2008, however, Downey returned his advance to the publishers and canceled the book without further comment.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25801610 |title=Robert Downey Jr. postpones memoir |publisher=MSNBC |last=Italie |first=Hillel |date=July 30, 2008 |access-date=January 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926000959/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25801610/ns/today-books/ |archive-date=September 26, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2007, Downey appeared in [[David Fincher]]'s mystery thriller ''[[Zodiac (film)|Zodiac]]'', which was based on a true story. He played the role of ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' journalist [[Paul Avery]], who was reporting on the [[Zodiac Killer]] case.<ref>{{cite web|first=Paul|last=Harris|title=So Who Was the Zodiac Killer?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/apr/15/usa.world|work=The Guardian|access-date=September 2, 2014|date=April 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710095041/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/apr/15/usa.world|archive-date=July 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>