Robert Downey Jr. has played a college punk, an outcast who got beaten up a lot, an x-rated star and even a little dog, among other things. But none of these roles has been as outrageous as Robert's real life! Robert, who will be 22 this year, was born in New York. He has one older sister named Alison, who is a 23 year old writer! Their father, Robert Downey Sr., is a well-known filmmaker who directed a movie called Putney Swope and a very offbeat film called Pound. And yep, that was Robert's very first acting job!

"When I was five dad said 'Hey, do this,'" Robert smiles as he remembers his acting debut. "I played a dog in a pound. We were all going to get gassed unless we got taken, so that was our motivation!" he explains. "It was a real art piece." Well, that's an understatement. Did the five-year-old Robert understand what it meant? "Sure. I just didn't know why we had to keep doing it over and over and over again," he chuckles.

With the movies surrounding his life like this, it was only natural that Robert become an actor. In fact, he didn't even have to give it that much thought - "I wasn't so concerned because it was always so much around me!" Did Robert ever feel the need to take acting classes? "I think everyone does; you know, when you're working you're' studying acting," he observes. "I never went to any conventional methods. But if Jack Nicholson or someone I admire or respect taught a class, I'd go."

Being the son of a famous director, Robert might have felt he'd have a hard time living up to his father's name if he went for an acting career. But of course, that was NOT the case for brown-eyed Robert! "It didn't hamper or help me, really," he says honestly. "No one really knew who he was when I'd go to meetings. Or people who did would just say, 'That's nice. Let's see if we like YOU or not.'"

And judging from Robert's great performances in the movies, lots of people did! According to Robert, the only problem with having a famous director dad was "Having to be uprooted and moved around all the time. I'd say 'Dad, I just met this nice girl.' He'd be like 'Pack your bags -- we're moving to London!' He was always wanting to go somewhere for a new writing vibe." Despite this setback, when Robert decided to be an actor, his parents were all for him. "They were the best, really great," he smiles happily. "They always knew that I could succeed at whatever I wanted to do."

And of course, he would -- once he got over the two major bummer experiences of his film career. The first, of course was playing a pound puppy. And what was the second, Robert? "I got this movie called Baby It's You," he explains. "It was my first major film role, and all my friends went out and saw it. And then they called it MAYBE It's You because they cut out all my parts."

Bet they're sorry they did that now! But it certainly didn't keep Robert from going for more movie roles in Tuff Turf, Back To School, The Pick-Up Artist and his latest, Rented Lips. Robert was also able to do comedy, something most actors have trouble with. In fact, Robert was so funny he was chosen out of a zillion other comedians to be a regular for a season of Saturday Night Live! The idea of appearing live in front of a million TV viewers would reduce anyone to a mass of quivering lemon-flavored Jell-O, and even cool-as-ice Robert was no exception. What was his biggest fear? "Not remembering my lines. Which is what made me a quick study because out of my extreme paranoia of freezing on stage it meant I always knew my lines as well as I could."

But if there's a bright side to stage fright, Robert will find it. "It's kind of like a pleasant pain in your stomach, 'cause you know you're about to do something you want to do, especially if your parents are there, or your peers," Robert grins. "Your parents are going to be supportive... which is great. Your real good friends will just say 'It was weak' or 'It was good.'"

Robert had some good training to get over his stage fright when he did some theatre work in New York. "I did a play called Fraternity that a guy named Jordan Budde wrote. The director, Gideon Schein, knew I was going to start getting movies, and he said 'Never forget the theatre.'" And did he? "Yep," jokes Robert. "I'm really into it, but I've just forgotten about it for now."

By this time you may have guessed that there's a lot more to this slightly off-beat actor than just acting! Robert happens to have some very definite opinions on certain subjects. Like what? Well, like school, f'rinstance. "I think learning is important," Robert begins. "I think whatever medium you choose to learn in is up to you. But if I have kids I don't think I'll send them to school! I think I'll teach them languages from the time they're born. By that time things will be different anyway... because there will be computers so you can learn at home." Wow! That's pretty radical!

Robert also has some pretty strong feelings about drugs. "Saying 'I can handle it' is one of the saddest analogies there is. It's like saying 'I can handle someone hitting me with a shovel,' but why put yourself through it?" he shrugs. Well, that makes sense!

Another interesting thing about Robert is dangling from his ear! One of Robert's ears is pierced, and in his earlobe is an earring with a Yin-Yang symbol on it. Yin-Yang is a symbol of opposites, like white and black, good and bad, etc. What does it mean to Robert? "To me it means the above and below, or the masculine and feminine aspects of individuality. I dig it."

So Robert, speaking of femininity (ahem), what kind of girls do you fancy? (Sneaky, eh?) "I have a girlfriend, so I guess her," Robert hints of his romance with actress Sarah Jessica Parker. "She's smart and well spoken and funny. She could be an interior decorator if she wasn't an actress!" he laughs.

Robert believes in a relationship having a great deal of trust -- which, strangely enough, has gotten him into some weird trouble! Listen to this: "I went to Red Square (a club in Los Angeles) last night. It's fine unless situations arise where some girl comes up and goes, 'Hi, you know I really like you,' and I say 'Why did you just walk away from your boyfriend and come over and talk to me?' It really makes me feel bad to see women do that to guys."

But wait just a minute Robert. Haven't we seen your girlfriend Sarah with the famous face of Michael J. Fox? "There was this article about her and Michael Fox in The Enquirer," Robert giggles. "She just went out to dinner with the man and the article was saying they were, like, horseback riding and couldn't stay away from each other!" But doesn't that kind of stuff make Robert jealous? "No!" he insists. "I definitely can't believe anything I read in the National Enquirer -- such as Noah's ark was a submarine built by space aliens!"

Ah, that is weirder than a little boy playing a dog.