Warner Bros. / Fox Television
Robert Downey Jr., currently a recognized star of the blockbuster genre, has an impressive collection of performances to his credit. His portrayal of Tony Stark, the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, also known as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has placed him among the most adored and esteemed actors in Hollywood. However, during the mid-2000s, Downey was working to regain the trust of the entertainment industry and his fans who had watched him rise to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, only to witness his fall due to numerous arrests for illegal substances and multiple jail terms between 1996 and 2000.
Fortunately, Downey managed to rebuild his life and career. His roles in the TV series “Ally McBeal” and films like “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” boosted his reputation. Despite initial doubts from Paramount Pictures, director Jon Favreau cleverly cast Downey as Tony Stark in “Iron Man,” marking a turning point in his career. Before that, Downey made a brief appearance on Seth MacFarlane’s popular animated sitcom “Family Guy.”
Like Downey, “Family Guy” also experienced a resurgence in the mid-2000s. The show was cancelled by Fox in 2002 after just three seasons. With the advent of DVD releases for TV shows, “Family Guy” garnered a new fan base, leading to its revival in 2005. Downey made a guest appearance as Patrick, the long-lost brother of Griffin family matriarch Lois (Alex Borstein), in the “Family Guy” episode titled “The Fat Guy Strangler,” during the show’s fourth season.
So, what led Downey to participate in the revival of “Family Guy”? The answer lies with his son.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Desire to Produce an Episode
Fox Television
The 17th episode of the fourth season of “Family Guy,” titled “The Fat Guy Strangler,” features Downey as Patrick. Patrick has been institutionalized since childhood and develops an unhealthy obsession with strangling overweight men after witnessing his mother’s affair with “The Honeymooners” star Jackie Gleason, putting Peter Griffin (MacFarlane) at risk. Downey’s role in this episode, unusual even for him at this stage of his career, was influenced by his son’s fandom of “Family Guy.”
The episode commentary on the fourth season’s DVD release reveals that Downey contacted the show’s production team expressing interest in producing or assisting with an episode, as his son was a fan of the series. The team decided to create a character for him to play, thus marking Downey’s place in “Family Guy” history. In the same commentary, McFarlane praised Downey’s performance, highlighting the unique and slightly eccentric personality he brought to the character.
While Downey hasn’t returned to “Family Guy” since his career took off with Marvel, his character Patrick did reappear in the season 10 episode “Killer Queen,” voiced by Oliver Vaquer. Downey’s schedule is quite packed, but perhaps “Family Guy” can persuade him to make another guest appearance. After all, MacFarlane has stated that the show will continue as long as the audience is interested, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. So, why not invite the renowned Avenger back for some more fun?
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
