“I wasn’t worried about whether I was going to go insane; I was very well aware I was insane.” —Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. is quite brilliant — if you are able to overlook his image of the ultimate Hollywood bad boy whose exploits (from drug use to jail time) are splashed all over tabloids on a regular basis.

Born in New York in 1965, Downey Jr. began his career with several roles in films directed by his father, quickly graduating to roles obtained on merit, such as “Baby, It’s You” (1983) and “Weird Science” (1985). Neither those nor his long-term stint on television’s “Saturday Night Live” are well remembered by comparison to his performances in “Less Than Zero” (1987, cocaine addict), “Air America” (1990, pilot), and “Two Girls and a Guy” (1997, two-timing actor).

The role of Robert Downey Jr.’s career is definitely that of the famed composer in “Chaplin” (1992), which garnered Golden Globe, British Academy, and Oscar nominations. My personal favorite is his Aussie sleaze reporter in the 1994 controversial star-studded ensemble gem “Natural Born Killers.” Another interesting bit is that Downey Jr. is a semi-accomplished composer with several film credits, including the aforementioned “Two Girls and a Guy” and “Chaplin.”

All the more depressing, seeing as his career has all but come to a halt; even his fantastic performance as Calista Flockhart’s love interest in television’s “Ally McBeal” didn’t endure his troubles with the law (he was dropped from the show’s cast mid-season). I, however, have faith: With two lead roles in films scheduled for release in 2003 (“The Singing Detective” with Robin Wright Penn and Mel Gibson, and “Whatever We Do” with Amanda Peet and Tim Roth), Downey just might rebound — or do even better than simply coming back. Fingers crossed…