20 Little Known Facts About Robert Downey Jr.’s Wife Susan

Who Is Susan Downey?

They say “behind every great man is a great woman.” The same goes for actor Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey, his wife. Ever since Iron Man hit theatres in 2008 launching the MCU, Downey Jr. has been one of the most loved and famous celebs in the world. Moreover, he has always admitted that he wouldn’t be who he is today without help from Susan Downey.

We know how Pepper Potts helps Tony Stark become one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Similarly, Susan Downey also made sure her husband persevered and met his true potential after being in a very public downward spiral. Furthermore, she has also been instrumental in helping RDJ get some of the most important roles in recent times. In saying so, she has proved to be the perfect partner for him, both in professional as well as personal life.

However, there are several facts about Susan’s life which many may not be aware of. Read on below to find out what they are:

20)Susan Downey Is Exceptionally Intelligent:

Susan is basically the Tony Stark of the Downey family. And she has the report cards to prove it. Susan Downey graduated from Schaumburg High School in 1991 as class valedictorian. She then studied at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. It is here where she got a degree in film production. She graduated from college summa cum laude, an achievement which requires a GPA of 3.9 or higher.

2. She Played An Important Role In The Live-Action Mortal Combat Franchise:
Everyone knows that Robert Downey Jr. played a huge role in launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But only a few fans are aware of the fact that his wife was also instrumental in the development of a popular action-packed franchise. Robert Downey Jr.’s Wife oversaw the development and production of the feature films Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Additionally, she was also the producer of the 22-episode TV series Mortal Kombat: Conquest.

3. Susan Downey Met And Fell For Robert During Production Of “Gothika”:
Susan first met Robert Downey Jr. during her first full-credit producer job for the 2003 thriller Gothika. Robert and Halle Berry were the stars of the film. In one of his interviews, the Iron Man actor states that his most memorable recollection about shooting Gothika was “romancing the producer.” Moreover, despite Susan’s initial restraint, it wasn’t long before the two entered into a relationship.

4. Susan Downey Had Some Serious Doubts About RDJ At First:

Susan’s first impression of Robert was that he was “weird.” And it is due to this that she turned down his romantic advances twice. This is also because she didn’t think that their relationship would even last through the completion of shooting Gothika. In one of her interviews, she explained that one of her biggest concerns revolved around the fact that “he’s an actor; I have a real job.” She also struggled to sympathize with Robert’s addiction struggles. Therefore, she gave Robert an ultimatum that he had to stop partying if he wanted to be with her.

5. Robert Proposed To Her While He Was Still Married:

It took some time for Susan to fully embrace her relationship with Robert. However, he fell hard for her right from the start. And it was only a matter of time that he started proposing marriage. The first time he did so, his divorce hadn’t yet finalized. So, he was actually still married to Deborah Falconer.

6. Robert And Susan’s Wedding Included Serenades By Sting And Billy Joel:

Six months into their relationship, Susan Downey accepted the African sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring that Robert gave her. But, she insisted on a two-year-long engagement. This was her way of making sure that Robert would stay true to his promise to give up drugs entirely. So, when he did, they finally got married in a large and glamorous Hamptons wedding in 2005.

During the wedding, the couple enjoyed songs by Sting and Billy Joel.

7. She’s The Reason Robert Was Able To Get His Life Back On Track:
Robert Downey Jr. has had substance abuse problems. These problems had also threatened to completely destroy his acting career. However, Susan’s refusal to accept addiction as an excuse for poor behaviour forced RDJ to make some drastic changes to his lifestyle.

8. Susan Downey Helped Robert Become Sherlock Holmes:

When Susan was in London producing RocknRolla, she met up with director Guy Ritchie. He had just been hired by Warner Bros. to shoot his first big-budget action movie, Sherlock Holmes. This movie was one in which Susan was a co-producer. It is here where Susan proved to be instrumental in convincing Guy Ritchie to cast Robert for the titular role.

9. Robert Downey Jr.’s Wife Sacrificed Her Career To Work Closer To Her Husband:
Susan has worked very hard over the years to get to a position in the corporate world. Eventually, she found herself holding the dual posts of Co-President of Dark Castle Entertainment and Executive Vice President of Production at Silver Pictures.

Under this position, she oversaw the development and production of feature films released under both banners. This includes Thir13en Ghosts as well as Swordfish. In saying so, she was practically living her dream career. However, she gave it up so she could spend more time and work closer to her husband.

10. She Didn’t Think  Robert Downey Jr. Was Deserving Of His “Best Actor” Award
Sherlock Holmes was Robert and Susan’s most financially successful joint venture to date. However, when the film earned Robert a Golden Globe Award nomination for “Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy,” Susan Downey told him not to get his hopes up.

He ended up winning the award. Moreover, in his acceptance speech, he joked, “first of all, I would like to thank Susan Downey for telling me that Matt Damon was going to win, ‘so don’t bother to prepare a speech.'”

11. Susan And Robert Formed Their Own Production Company:
Susan left her positions at Dark Castle Entertainment and Silver Pictures so she could spend more time with her husband. Moreover, in 2010, the Downey couple announced the formation of their Warner Bros.-based production company Team Downey. They did so because they wanted to spend time together and have a life together. Also, within Team Downey, Robert likes to be involved with the more creative side of things. On the other hand, Susan is in charge of putting a production together.

12. Her Name Is Permanently Etched Onto Tony Stark’s Arm:

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s costume and makeup experts have worked hard to make sure fans never saw the tattoo. But, in reality, Tony Stark actually has a tattoo on his bicep. Robert Downey Jr. got a tattoo which reads “Suzie Q” on his arm as a tribute to his wife. But, he has to keep it covered for most of his film roles.

13. Guy Ritchie Says Susan Downey And Robert Have A Symbiotic Relationship:
Guy Ritchie got to know Susan and Robert very well during their time working on Sherlock Holmes together. He is also one of the very few people who has had the chance to see how perfectly this couple complements each other.

According to him, “Maybe it’s because they started their relationship working on a movie together, so it’s natural to them. But the reason I call them perfectly symbiotic, it’s that they each represent the other side of each other’s coin.” He then explains, “There’s no clashing over the same space, although they’re always looking in the same direction. It’s a very rare thing they have.”

14. Susan Downey Worth An Impressive $20 Million All On Her Own:
Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic portrayals of both Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes helped him earn an estimated net worth of over $300 million. However, he is not the only provider of the Downey family. Susan has worked as a producer. And this work has helped her achieve a net worth of approximately $20 million.

15. Susan Downey Lives In A $10.5 Million Home:
In 2017, the Downey’s purchased The Edward DeRose Windmill Cottage in New York for a staggering $10.5 million. This 8,500 square foot cottage has 7 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. Moreover, it also has a windmill structure which contains an office and library. The property includes 4 acres of land for the pool, tennis court and gardens.

16. She Gave Her Children Incredibly Unique Names:

In February 2012, Susan Downey gave birth to her child to Robert Downey Jr. They had a son whom they named Exton Elias Downey. Two years later, they were expecting another child. And this time, it was a daughter. So, when she was born in November, they named her Avri Roel Downey.

17. She’s Her Husband’s Producer Of Choice:
Susan and her husband’s main goal was to keep all of Robert’s future projects in the family. This is because this way the two wouldn’t have to spend extended periods of time apart. The actor was immediately supportive of the idea. And one of the biggest reasons for this was because Susan Downey is genuinely his favourite producer.

18. Susan Didn’t Really Care About Her Personal Life Until Robert Came Along
Ever since she was 12 years old, Susan knew that she wanted to work in the movie business. And it is due to this that she was always singularly focused on achieving that goal. She didn’t spend much time thinking of her future outside of work. This is until Robert Downey Jr. came into her life. She says that she was never the girl who thought about getting married. Moreover, being in a relationship was never her priority. However, when the two of them came together, she got this sense of hope, excitement and possibility.

19. She’s Basically A Human GPS:
According to the Iron Man actor, one of his wife’s many surprise skills is that she’s a walking GPS. Furthermore, she can figure out how to get places without help. He says, “She’s still the person who always knows the most direct route from A to B.” “If you’re trying to get through traffic from Malibu to Burbank, or wherever, she’ll beat nav every time. She must have the most branched neural pathway system in history,” says the actor.

20. She’s Totally Cool With Robert’s Onscreen Romance With Gwyneth Paltrow:

It has to be awkward watching your husband kiss another woman on the big screen. However, Susan Downey never had any problem with Robert’s romantic scenes. This includes the ones opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

According to her, “Oddly, there’s nothing strange about it. Gwyneth’s so funny because they have great on-screen chemistry, but afterwards, she’d be like, ‘Ugh, it’s like kissing my brother.'”