HOLLYWOOD – Chaplin and Iron man star Robert Downey Jr today retired from acting and got a job as a librarian.
Robert Downey Jr retired as an actor after a series of hits, in order to concentrate on his work as a librarian.
The Less Than Zero star spoke with the Studio Exec EXCLUSIVELY about the change in direction:
I’ve always loved libraries. I like the atmosphere and the smell of books and old carpet. When I was a child I’d go tot he library and just hang out. Even as I began to work in films, I’d always find time to visit the local library wherever we were shooting. Sometimes the librarian would let me stamp out a couple of books and I tell you, I was hooked.
What appeals to you about library work?
The promotion of education, encouraging the love of reading, giving homeless people a warm place to sleep in the afternoon. All these things are important to me. But most of all I love shushing people. To give a correctly loud and sharp shhhh! has to be the most satisfying thing in the world. I’ve worked with some of the best directors in the world; the most talented actors and actresses, but nothing compared to shushing a teenager and seeing the respect and fear in their eyes. Iron Man is nothing to Librari Man!