Between his Oscar-nominated role in 1992's Chaplin and a lifetime of memorable performances in between then and now, few can question Robert Downey Jr.'s chops as an actor of superb caliber. But remember that time he earned his second Academy Award nomination for Tropic Thunder, one of the most flagrantly outrageous comedies of the 2000s? Downey Jr. is the definition of "get you a man who can do both." Although he thrives in both comedies and dramas with equal flair, he seems especially suited to the former. He possesses a certain spark, an innate awareness of successful comedic timing that, while undoubtedly trademark, rarely feels repetitive. Humor is deeply difficult to perform and the efforts of comedians are often overlooked by the Academy, which makes his Tropic Thunder nomination even more of a testament to his range. So, could he do the public a service and go back to making funny movies, please?

RELATED: From 'Sherlock Holmes' to 'Chaplin,' Robert Downey Jr. Best Performances

Robert Downey Jr. Was Made for Comedies

Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Some actors are chameleons. Some have a style. Downey Jr. epitomizes both lines of thought. He's a chameleon operating within a recognizable batch of characteristics. Even if he were covered in layers of hypothetical prosthetics, it would be impossible not to recognize his novel way of reading lines. He wields his talents according to his own sense of rhythm, not unlike a musician (which is an appropriate comparison, given his experience as a singer). What's so recognizable about his vocal patterns is how that droll, almost laconic baseline is punctuated with the snappy, the sharp, and the unexpected.

There's a noticeable flow to his pacing and always a sense he's using words as off-kilter but very deliberate punctuation. He radiates impulsive flippancy but also wields shockingly acute honesty as deftly as an irreverent one-liner. And when he combines those modulated sensibilities with subtle facial twitches and yearning brown eyes, the result is a winsome, refreshing, and undeniable magnetism. Downey Jr. is captivating precisely because he routinely ventures to different places than his fellow actors. He puts his unmistakable stamp on every role while working from the inside out to ensure that the character is a person in his own right rather than a tired caricature.

Before Iron Man revived his career and cemented him into film history (quite a one-two punch), Downey Jr.'s career followed a similar trajectory to other working actors of the 1980s and 1990s. He balanced dramas and comedies in relatively equal measure, whether by choice or luck. He was a tertiary member of the Brat Pack, a group of young actors who routinely co-starred in films together that included Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Anthony Michael Hall. Downey Jr. performed alongside the latter in the teen comedy Weird Science and the lesser-appreciated Johnny Be Good. Other comedies included Rented Lips and Too Much Sun, both directed by his father Robert Downey Sr., Soapdish, and 2003's The Singing Detective. Like any good leading man of the era, Downey Jr. also dipped his toe into rom-coms with Chances Are, Heart and Souls, and Only You. Dramas included the aforementioned Chaplin, Natural Born Killers, Richard III, and Home for the Holidays (technically a dramedy), with the actor turning in especially stand-out performances in the George Clooney-directed Good Night and Good Luck and David Fincher's razor-taut thriller Zodiac. In television, Downey Jr. sauntered and serenaded his way through Ally McBeal. (We don't have to talk about his one season on Saturday Night Live.)

Robert Downey Jr.’s Best Comedic Performances

Robert-Downey-Jr.-Kiss-Kiss-Bang-Bang
Image via Warner Bros. 

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a 2005 black comedy homage to film noir and pulp detective fiction, marks one of Downey Jr.'s best comedic performances (and a criminally underrated one, at that). He stars as Harry, a petty criminal turned aspiring actor, and teams up with his childhood crush (Michelle Monaghan) and a viciously sour detective (Val Kilmer) to unravel a web of murderous conspiracy. Many genre tributes exist, but few movies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang exist. Writer-director Shane Black's understanding of hard-boiled detective tropes and his mastery over self-aware humor results in a script that sings and stings in equal measure. Some jokes punch down in an unfortunately dated manner, but even with exceptional turns from Kilmer and Monaghan, the film relies on Downey Jr.'s kooky, amiable, and gleeful performance as the unreliable narrator from hell to carry its lunacy from start to conclusion. It's a case of uniquely berserk material meeting a uniquely bonkers execution, with Downey Jr. snapping off some of the best rejoinders of all time while also embodying the love-struck soft boy. No movie prior to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and none after until Iron Man let the actor waltz to his individual tune with such spry panache.

Now, for the elephant in the room: Tropic Thunder. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang's occasional tasteless quips pale in comparison to a script as socially outdated as the dinosaurs. Nevertheless, it summons all of Downey Jr.'s aforementioned strengths and shoves them into an immersion blender to produce a scathing critique of self-indulgent method actors and the Hollywood studio system as a whole. The inexcusable lengths that Downey Jr.'s Kirk Lazurus goes to are meant to be mockingly lambasted, but having him in Blackface for most of the film's runtime was a horrendous mistake, to put the situation very lightly.

To his credit, Downey Jr. dispenses the appropriate amount of absurdity without a crack in his personal acting facade. In this performance, subtlety gets tossed out the window and crushed by a truck. He has yet to surpass some of his Tropic Thunder line readings when it comes to sheer embellishment. The inherent savagery in future performances like Due Date and Sherlock Holmes owes everything to Tropic Thunder and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; with better scripts and more pointed experience under his belt, Downey Jr. could cook up a serving of flawless irascible savagery for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Adult comedy suits Downey Jr. most, but his early forays into rom-coms highlight an underutilized skill set. Romantic comedies in general require a specific je ne sais quoi from their actors, and Downey Jr. slots into the requirements as smoothly as if he were born into Classic Hollywood. The dialogue's rapid-fire nature suits him, and there's an essence of Cary Grant to his dashing charm, quick witticism, and adorable, doe-eyed earnestness; one can easily imagine him sailing through the screwball comedy era without breaking a sweat. (As someone who already advocates for the return of rom-com cinematic domination, we both deserve and need Downey Jr. starring in a lighthearted, clever romance.)

‘Iron Man’ Changed the Game

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark testing his equipment in 'Iron Man'
Image via Paramount Pictures

When it comes to the titular Iron Man, the character of Tony Stark proved a once-in-a-lifetime synthesis of actor and character. Sometimes the two personas seemed nigh-inseparable. From the first film onward until Avengers: Endgame, Downey Jr. commanded absolute attention and made the proceedings sway to his beat. He truly carried the Marvel Cinematic Universe on its back, because without Downey Jr.'s heart and commitment, would Marvel exist as the powerhouse it is today? Tony's nonstop snark even became the MCU's staple, but few of his successors copied it in a way that emerged naturally from the characters instead of feeling like a studio mandate.

It should once again be noted that Downey Jr. is a phenomenal actor no matter the genre or tone he sets his mind upon. Even Tony Stark, his best-known role and a man never lacking a saucy remark, was infused with enough pathos that it poured from the screen, making his redemption arc wholly believable and sympathetic. He never appeared to take Tony's anxiety attacks, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder lightly, nor his misguided actions born from fear and gut-rotting guilt. He remained a grounded figure in an increasingly fantastical superhero world and a relatable MCU character who meant a great deal to fans with mental health conditions.

Come Back to Comedy, RDJ, Please!

Robert Downey Jr and Bonnie Hunt in Only You
Image via TriStar Pictures

With Christopher Nolan's somber Oppenheimer releasing later this year and a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo recently announced, not to mention a Park Chan-wook miniseries The Sympathizer, Downey Jr.'s post-MCU hiatus might be taking its own hiatus. This, of course, is all well and good, as any Downey Jr. on a quality project is quite welcome. But let’s not continue to deprive the world of his talent pantheon. Dark comedy, romantic comedy, slapstick, anything: please return us to a world where he shines in such roles as only he can. Make us laugh again, RDJ!