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"Robert Downey Jr reprises his role as Tony Stark this week for Marvel&amp;#039;s superhero blockbuster The Avengers. The actor is something of a Hollywood renaissance man, having put his well-documented personal problems behind him and established himself in three major franchises - Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes and The Avengers. &amp;gt; The Avengers review: Marvel&amp;#039;s heroes assemble on screen Digital Spy takes a look at five of Robert Downey Jr&amp;#039;s best roles: Less Than Zero (1987) The first movie in which he was credited as Robert Downey Jr, this Bret Easton Ellis adaptation saw the young actor play a drug addict who steals from his family to fund his habit. Ellis was quite scathing about this movie on its release, but reserved praise for Downey Jr and his co-star James Spader.      Chaplin (1992) Downey Jr donned big eyebrows and a moustache for Richard Attenborough&amp;#039;s biopic about legendary screen icon Charlie Chaplin. Critics were wowed by the actor&amp;#039;s touching performance, so it was hardly a surprise when he picked up a BAFTA win and an Oscar nomination for his performance.  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) After years in the wilderness, Downey Jr hit the comeback trail with a brilliant performance as criminal Harry Lockhart in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Val Kilmer provided strong support as private investigator &amp;#039;Gay&amp;#039; Perry van Shrike, while writer-director Shane Black would later go on to reunite with Downey Jr on the forthcoming Iron Man 3.      Zodiac (2007) David Fincher&amp;#039;s absorbing thriller centred on the hunt for the Zodiac killer in the &amp;#039;70s. An obsessive streak (perhaps in tune with the film&amp;#039;s director) ran through this movie, as Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal - a crime journo and political cartoonist respectively - go on the hunt for the murderer terrorising San Francisco&amp;#039;s Bay Area. Intriguingly, Hulk star Mark Ruffalo also features in Zodiac.      Iron Man (2008) Downey Jr&amp;#039;s comeback was complete when Jon Favreau cast him as billionaire arms manufacturer-turned-superhero Tony Stark in Iron Man. There were wise-cracks and spectacular action sequences aplenty, as Stark&amp;#039;s road to redemption in the movie mirrored that of its star.      Should Sherlock Holmes, Tropic Thunder or Wonder Boys have made this list? Leave your comments in the space below. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a378211/robert-downey-jr-avengers-stars-top-5-movie-roles/>