WASHINGTON — Actor and filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. has died at the age of 85, his son, actor Robert Downey Jr. announced on Wednesday.
Downey Jr. wrote on Instagram that his father "passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson’s…he was a true maverick filmmaker.”
"According to my stepmoms calculations, they were happily married for just over 2000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you," Downey Jr. added.
Downey Sr. was best known for directing such films as "Putney Swope" and "Greaser's Place." He also appeared in "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia" and "To Live and Die in L.A."
According to PEOPLE, Downey Sr. was born as Robert Elias Jr. and changed his last name for his stepfather, when he wanted to enlist in the Army but was too young.
Downey Sr.'s last on-screen appearance came in 2011's "Tower Heist," where he played the character Judge Ramos, PEOPLE noted.
He is survived by his third wife, author Rosemary Rogers, and his two children, Robert Downey Jr. and Allyson Downey.
