There's just something about Robert Downey, Jr.

When I was a kid and Ally McBeal was still a show that my parents were enthused about watching, I remember catching the previews for it on my favorite television network, Fox.  And to this day, I remember seeing Robert Downey, Jr. as some lawyer who I can't remember.  But even at ten years old, I knew there was something special about him.  I can't explain why or how or anything like that, but I knew I was drawn to him.

Then, a few years after that, me and my now ex-boyfriend went to see Zodiac, and there he was again.  Though Robert's (I may call him Robert?) part wasn't big, it didn't matter.  He still had his easy charm and confident swagger that caused him to steal every scene he was in.

When I had first encountered Robert, I was too young to comprehend all the scandal and problems he was going through.  After watching Zodiac, I knew more about it and felt that he was truly coming to his own, that no matter how many times he came back in this entertainment world, he would somehow succeed.  I try to rtationalize why, at my age and with my uninformed mind, I believed in him.  He would get clean and be okay and then he wouldn't.  It was like a bad cycle that seemed endless.  But me trying to think logically about faith would be like trying to define love.  It's not quite possible.  All I knew at the time was that somehow, he was going to succeed, and I would be one of the many people behind him, not the first in line but definitely not the last, waiting for that day.

That day finally came when Iron Man opened with Robert as the star.  He was a super-hero; an arrogant, intelligent, and very attractive super-hero.  The ultimate deadly weapon and an exaggerated version of the actor himself.  The cast, the script, the effects, and Mr. Jon Favreau as director were all superb.  There wasn't just one person who made the movie.  But I went because of Robert (and because my brother wanted to see it).  That was Robert's comeback, and since then, he's been on fire.

His beautiful wife is probably the biggest reason he's stayed on the straight and narrow, along with his beloved son.  (This, of course, is all conjecture on my part, so please don't quote me.)  But above all else, Robert had to want it.  He had to want to be clean, better, focused.

And we are so lucky he wanted it badly enough.

Last night, Robert won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes even though the safe choice would have been Daniel Day-Lewis in Nine.  Both phenominal actors nominated with other amazing actors.  But Robert has never been the safe choice which is probably why I bet on him in the first place.

What can I say?  He hasn't let me down yet.