Duba wurin da ke ƙasa sannan ka amsa tambayar daga baya a cikin harshe ɗaya kamar yadda wurin yake:  Passage: An haifi Downey a Manhattan, New York, ƙarami na yara biyu. Mahaifinsa, Robert Downey Sr., ɗan wasan kwaikwayo ne kuma mai shirya fina-finai, yayin da mahaifiyarsa, Elsie Ann (née Ford), 'yar fim ce wacce ta fito a fina-finan Downey Sr. Mahaifin Downey yana da rabin Yahudawa na Lithuania, kashi ɗaya cikin huɗu na Yahudawa na Hungary, da kuma kashi ɗaya cikin huɗu na Irish, yayin da mahaifiyar Downey ke da asalin Scottish, Jamus, da Switzerland. Sunan asalin dangin Robert shine Elias wanda mahaifinsa ya canza shi don shiga cikin Sojoji. Downey da 'yar uwarsa Allyson sun girma a Greenwich Village.Da yaro, Downey "ya kewaye da kwayoyi". Mahaifinsa, mai shan miyagun ƙwayoyi, ya ba Downey damar amfani da marijuana yana ɗan shekara shida, abin da mahaifinsa ya ce daga baya ya yi nadama. Daga baya Downey ya ce shan miyagun ƙwayoyi ya sa shi da ubansa sun kusaci juna: "Sa'ad da ni da mahaifina muke shan miyagun ƙwayoyi tare, sai ya zama kamar yana ƙoƙari ya nuna mini ƙaunarsa ta hanyar da ya sani kawai". Daga baya, Downey ya fara ciyar da kowane dare yana shan barasa da kuma "yin kira dubu don neman kwayoyi".A lokacin yaro, Downey yana da ƙananan ayyuka a cikin fina-finai na mahaifinsa. Ya fara wasan kwaikwayo yana da shekaru biyar, yana wasa da kare mara lafiya a cikin wasan kwaikwayo na ban dariya Pound (1970), sannan kuma yana da shekara bakwai ya bayyana a cikin gidan sarauta na Greaser (1972). A lokacin da yake da shekaru 10, yana zaune a Ingila kuma ya yi nazarin ballet na gargajiya a matsayin wani ɓangare na babban tsarin karatu. Ya halarci Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center a arewacin jihar New York a lokacin da yake matashi. Lokacin da iyayensa suka sake aure a shekarar 1978, Downey ya koma California tare da mahaifinsa, amma a shekarar 1982, ya fice daga makarantar sakandaren Santa Monica, kuma ya koma New York don neman aikin wasan kwaikwayo na cikakken lokaci. Downey da Kiefer Sutherland, wadanda suka raba allo a wasan kwaikwayo na 1988 1969, sun kasance abokan zama na shekaru uku lokacin da ya fara zuwa Hollywood don neman aikinsa a wasan kwaikwayo.  Tambaya: Menene sunan mahaifiyar Downey?
Elsie Ann ta yi aure