Du Lingshan, Class 17, Junior 2, Shenzhen Middle School Instructed by Wu Ge, Dan Fournier

深圳中学 初二（17）班 杜灵珊 指导老师：吴戈, Dan Fournier

    Have you ever seen the movie “Sherlock Holmes” or “Iron Man?” If your answer is no, how about “The Avengers?” If you watched them carefully, you might know the man behind the mask. He’s Robert Downey Jr.

    Downey was born in New York. His father is also an actor. Downey proved his dramatic talents by acting in an endearing movie when he was 5 years old. When he was 12, his parents divorced. Many in his family struggled with drug addiction. It’s worth mentioning that Downey was introduced by his father to cannabis for the first time at the young age of 8. Since then, Downey began to take drugs.

    In the following months, Downey didn’t study well and his teachers couldn’t bear him, so he dropped out of high school before he could graduate. After that, he made films but continued to have a drug problem. Soon he became a famous actor.

    But everything went bad in 1996 when Downey became addicted to heroin. He trespassed people’s houses and carried guns illegally, and was arrested in 1997. The next year, Downey fought with his inmate and got hurt. He was discharged from prison because of the injury.

    In 1998 he was arrested again. In the following years he was forced to try his best to give up drugs. It’s said that one day he bought a hamburger and ate it, but soon he felt very uncomfortable. He realized that he had taken too many drugs. After that, he made up his mind to correct his wrongdoings.

    Every day, Downey practiced martial arts to discipline himself. And when he couldn’t control his desire, he chewed gum instead. Although the feeling was extremely awful, he beat the odds and obeyed the rules of the drug rehabilitation center. Gradually, he took less and less drugs. Finally, Downey used his staunch willpower to give up drugs in 2003. He said that the lengthiest years in his whole life were from 1998 to 2003. Downey got out of the drug rehabilitation center and made films again. Everyone should admit that it was an amazing journey for him.

    He has turned into a wonderful actor, playing the famous characters of Sherlock Holmes, and Iron Man. He has become increasingly famous. Now he is no longer an addict, but still very strong-minded.

    That’s him, Robert Downey Jr., the actor I admire the most. He used to be addicted but finally he rehabilitated himself.

    As a matter of fact, everyone may err, small or big ones, just like Robert Downey Jr. He has proved to me that willpower works wonders. So, never give up on yourself. If you are strong-minded enough, you’ll make it through the difficulties.