Two weekends ago, I helped out with the Iron Man 2 junket as part of my internship. During the international press conference, one journalist asked Robert Downey, Jr. a simple questions, "Did you used to dress up as superheroes when you where a child?" Instead of giving a typical answer, RDJ wittily answered, "Well, in my childhood, no. But in my thirties and right before I was about to get arrested...absolutely." A large wave of good-natured laughter filled the audience.
The intense transformations of star identities - RDJ's image from being perceived as a drugged-out has-been to a suave A-list actor, for example - occur all the time, and the public seems to pass over and accept the almost instantaneously. How is it that these stars manage to do this? Do they just have really good PR people? Or do that completely disregard their past?
I think that the answer is a complex one, and one that many don't think too deeply about. Robert Downey, Jr.'s answer to the reporter is especially telling. He relates back to his "old self," thereby acknowledging a not so bright past, but also simultaneously separating his current image from what it used to be. This mention of his past actions also bring a sense of authenticity to his personality - he admits who he used to be, but he also affirms that he is no longer that person. Therefore, in bringing his dark past to the forefront, he both shows that he is a real person and distances himself from what his older star persona - more so, even, than if he were to not mention it at all.
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