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Ode To The Junior

First Bossy has a confession. She’s never been that crazy about Robert Downey, Jr., and Bossy knows what you’re thinking, “But Bossy, what about the talented and the talented?” To which Bossy answers:

robert-downey-jr-young

Robert Downey Jr. always seemed so Hollywood child star and ungrounded to Bossy. What with the drugs and the drunk driving and the drugs:

robert-downey-junior-arrested

And even after Robert Downey Jr. got clean and was once again embraced by movie studios who were securing million-dollar insurance policies against his potential behavior, Bossy couldn’t stop looking at his eyes and his pallor to make sure he wasn’t sliding back downhill:

robert-downey-jr-eyes

But then suddenly, ooooh, there he was and he had matured and there was grey in charming facial hair that partially obscured spoiled expressions and, well, hello Robert Downey Jr.

robert-downey-junior-car

And, you know, there’s also this:

robert-downey-jr-recent

Bossy’s recent reevaluation of Robert Downey Jr. got Bossy thinking about something. Namely, the junior part of Robert Downey Jr. Namely, who is the original Robert Downey? Namely, why does Bossy keep saying namely?

robert-downey-junior-and-dad

Pictured above, Robert Downey Sr. is an actor, screenwriter, film director, producer, and father to Robert Downey Jr. This got Bossy thinking about other famous actors who are juniors. Like him:

cuba-gooding-jr

It turns out Cuba Gooding Jr.’s father’s name is coincidentally Cuba Gooding Sr., and he’s a singer who fronted the soul group The Main Ingredient — and Bossy knows what you are thinking again, you’re all Who are The Main Ingredient? Or Maybe you’re all, Who is The Main Ingredient? Or maybe it’s, Who Be The Main Ingredients, but in whatever case Bossy will answer you with just one word: Everybody Plays The Fool.

cuba-gooding-jr-and-dad

Next there’s him:

ed-begley-jr

Ed Begley, Jr. was on some doctor show before hurling off the ecological deep end, but it may interest you to know Ed Begley Sr. was also an actor. His career began in radio and carried him through many notable films, such as the television show Bonanza:

ed-begley-sr

Finally we come to Frank Coghlan, Jr.

coghlan-jr

Frank Coghlan Jr. was a popular freckle-faced child star during the silent movie era. And this is Frank Coghlan Sr.

lord-gah

If you enjoyed this stalker post, you might like this one where Bossy stalks John Cusack.

Or maybe this one when Bossy and Cusack had a baby.

And this is what Bossy was up to one year ago today.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I too saw Robert Downey Jr. with new appreciation ~ he starting to look like Johnny Depp’s older brother now that his face has thinned down & matured.

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  2. Very funny post. RDJr. looks a bit like an older, former-drug addicted Hugh Jackman these days. Only, HJ is and always will be WAY cuter.

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  3. As someone who has loved RD,J her whole life, all I can say is BACK OFF, HE’S MINE. Every drug-taking, booze-swilling, self-entitled, famous-brat inch of him. He’s so pretty, it makes my head hurt.

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  5. OH, what BH said. Totally. But with more caps on the CUTE part. Because oooo, I like that whole scruffy/older/colostomy bag thing going on. What does that say about me? That I like geriatric men or that I’m over forty?

    When RDJr. came along my mother SO knew who he was because she was familiar with RDSr. And someday we’ll be going “Oh, RDIII, whatever, I remember his dad….”

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  8. Ditto to BH, bless you for seeing past the gossip. And a little something to add to your name analogy.

    Their real last name (Sr. and Jr.) is Elias. Sr. changed it long ago — Jr. wanted it back for a long time, but now knows it doesn’t matter.

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  9. I’ve always, always loved RDJr.

    Oh sure, he fell on hard times, but then he picked himself up, then fall back down–waaaaaay down–again. And it was after that fall that I broke up with him because he appeared to be a relentless bad boy and I was ready to settle down at that point. But I never stopped loving him! Now that he’s back again, I love him eeeeeeven more with his mature, showered, healthy-eater looks.

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  10. I am in 100% agreement with the entire evolution of Mr. Downey Jr.’s appeal, especially with the HELLO! portion. He has grown and matured into a very, very handsome man who can, but always has, act his ass off.

    Oh, and one Junior that many find appealling and I find not-so-much? Harry Connick. He scares me a bit, but that’s a whole different therapy session there.

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  13. Chut uh David! If Bossy just happens to want to blog about the MOST GORGEOUS MAN IN THE HISTORY OF MAH VIDA, then who are we to have qualms wiff it?!

    And Egg Benedict Jr. was on “St. Elsewhere” aka a show that I watched with my parents every night when I was a tot! It’s the quintessential hospital drama!

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  14. Like dgm, I have always loved RDJ. When he was a bit player in Weird Science, when he was in Tuff Turf with James Spader, and when he was a drug addict in Less Than Zero (that was a stretch, right?) I loved him in Good NIght and Good Luck (with George Clooney), and in countless other movies that I can’t remember. There were several times when I thought he was going to kill himself with the drinking and the drugs. But he is the ultimate comeback story. I even went to see Ironman (not my favorite genre, the superhero thing) because he was in it. I just, not 15 minutes ago, got back from seeing Sherlock Holmes, and it was a lot of fun. Also with the Sherlock Holmes was a preview for Ironman II, which will be required viewing this summer. But my all time favorite movie of his is Chaplin. If you haven’t seen it, go rent it. Then come to my blog and thank me. 🙂

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  15. Dang, I forgot… @Maria, his son’s name is actually Indio, and I think he’s about the age of my oldest daughter, 16-17 ish? I haven’t seen any pictures of him since he was about 12, but I’ll bet he’s a hottie. Ahem…I mean, I’ll bet he’ll be a hottie when he’s 18, and not one minute before. I wonder if he acts?

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  18. I’m sitting here at work and it’s quiet and I get to the part about Ed Begley and the part “…before hurling off the ecological deep end…” and this huge hiccup of a laugh came bursting out. Hilarious! And yeah, Robert Downey, Jr. is definitely maturing well.

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  21. I fell in love/back in love with RDJ when I saw “When the Levees Broke” and it showed him in a boat, in New Orleans, helping people escape their flooded houses. That’s heart. Hollywood, take note.

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  23. Yes, RDJ has come a long way and I find myself thinking he is dreamy. Not so much in the younger years, but I was also younger too and well…RDJ just seemed so old!

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  25. If Robert Downey Jr. knocked on my door today with millions of dollars and a private jet plane to take me anywhere I want to go…I MIGHT consider leaving my husband for him. Otherwise? Suck it Bobby.

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  26. Why is it that men get more attractive as they get older and we women just get older? NO FAIR! Seriously, young RDJ=buffoon who can act; mature RDJ=hottie who happens to be one hell of an actor.

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  27. I’m not informed about the ecological deep end, but I need to be…made me laugh anyway…is that like Nick Noltes staying (young) deep end?
    And Egg Benedict Jr…..laugh laugh

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  30. Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Mom uses my library. Like, multiple times a week. And she very often just casually drops the fact that she’s his mom. We know!!! ::eyeroll::

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  31. Thanks for that educational post Bossy. I learned something new, like Robert Downey has a father. He looks particularly hot in that picture above his Dad. Wow.

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  33. I heart RDJr for several reasons. Firstly, because he made a movie with my husband Jude Law. Secondly, his acting is the same in EVERY movie… goofy, sarcastic, cool; I know what to expect, and thirdly… because he overcame his urges of walking into neighbors’ homes and sleeping in their beds. Or was that Margot KIdder? I get them confused.

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  35. I was surprised at how much Cuba Gooding, Jr. looks like his dad. Robert Downey,Jr. has come a long way and grown up a bunch…or at least he looks like he has anyway.
    He was in “In Bruges” last year, I think. That was a good movie…funny as all get out.

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  37. I get where you’re coming from. How do I reconcile the yumminess that is the scruffy-haired RDJ with those many, many National Enquirer covers of my youth, all of which showed him in some state of overdose-addled undress, usually outside a Best Western or Quality Inn? And then he was in “Iron Man” and I suppose his acting was all fine and good but GOOD GOD THAT DOPE GWYNETH PALTOW was in it and no one can concentrate on the other actors when GOOD GOD THAT DOPE GWYNETH PALTROW is around. She’s like a stinky cheese. Yes, just like that.

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  39. I LOVE Robert Downey Jr!!! in spite of all his problems, he is so yummy!!!!! funny funny Bossy – I love you too!

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  40. You know, the whole JUNIOR thing is something I don’t get. Not at all. With ALL of the names in the world why do people feel the need to give their kid a copy of their parent’s moniker?? I don’t know anyone in the country who has ever named their kid ‘junior’… well, anyone that is not American.

    All that aside, I am with Bossy and BH on this one. Love him onscreen, and the goatee works an’ all… but if he was sharing physical space with me, I would be suspiciously checking his pupil dilation… Just sayin’…
    🙂
    BB

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  44. This was a very informative post BOSS–who knew that Cuba Gooding Sr. was so hot??

    And I know …..RD Jr. is getting red-hotter by the second.

    I hate men. They get better …..(looking, at least). We get better, yeah ……just not in the looks department (usually, at least)

    Note to self: must reinvent-self as hot old woman

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  45. Never gave him a second thought til my son begged me to take him to see Iron Man… now he and I are both counting down the days til Iron Man 2.

    Always thought he was a spoiled brat… but, oooh… Tony Stark has seved him well!

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  46. Sorry Cheap Chick, josh, and whoever else blah blah carries on about Robert Downey Jr… Oh sure, I dropped him like a hot potato during the mug-shot era, but WHO DIDN’T?! He’s MY Husband #2. Or maybe he’s #3 or 4, depending on how well he can cook; I’ve got a couple other hotties from cooking shows in the queue also. Ever since Bossy claimed John Cusack I’ve had to expand my list…

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  47. Robert Downy, Jr. was the diffference between IRON MAN being a run-of-the-mill superhero movie and “Wow that was fun to watch on the airplane to Paris” sort of thing.

    He makes even the worst dre(c?)k watchable. Remember that movie with two girls and a guy where he gets it on hot and superheavy with Heather Graham in her Rollergirl days? It was called…hang on…..the film did have a name….um……

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  48. Did you see him in Sherlock Holmes? OMG! Incredible. My only questions is what deal with the devil did he make that he looks so fantastic after years and years of heroin abuse.

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  49. Downey,Sr. had two film masterpieces in the distant past:
    Putney Swope in 1969;and Greaser’s Palace in ’72

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  50. Wow – so much information at one time – and I can’t concentrate on any of it…I didn’t even know who he was until Allie McBeal and look at him now. Thank you, Bossy.

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  52. What a fun post. I’ve sometimes been told I look like a cleaned up RD, J. I’m not bragging here…it’s just weird. But you’re right, he did get better looking with age. Thank Gawwd I’m a guy; people are more forgiving of aging men.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog pad. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and we share the same kind of snarky humor.

    Cheers!

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  54. Robert Downy Jnr has always been yummy. I’m glad he’s grown into himself.
    When he was messed up on drugs, I remember him saying…
    “It’s like I’ve got a shotgun in my mouth, with my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of gun metal.”

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  55. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… thanks for that. I know there were more pictures AFTER Mr. Jr of other Mr. Jrs but I have to say… who cares?

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  56. Gotta say – I love a BAD boy! Always liked RDJ – think he’s a decent actor – but I can understand why people don’t care for him too…………fantasy is a powerful thing!

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  58. An important Jr. overlooked: Nick Jr. I wonder if he can act?

    Kate@And Then I Was a Mom, your Gwyneth comment — TWICE — made me make donkey noises. Thank you. : )

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