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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Funeral services were pending today for filmmaker and actor Robert Downey Sr., father of Oscar-nominated actor Robert Downey Jr.
The senior Downey died Tuesday night, his son announced on his Instagram page.
“Last night, dad passed peacefully in his sleep after years of enduring the ravages of Parkinson's,'' Downey Jr. wrote. “He was a true maverick filmmaker and remained remarkably optimistic throughout.''
According to Variety, Downey Sr. died in New York. He was 85.
In his Instagram post, Downey Jr. wrote, “According to my stepmom's calculations, they were married for just over 2,000 years. Rosemary Rogers-Downey, you are a saint, and our thoughts and prayers are with you.''
Downey Sr. gained a cult following in the 1960s with his low-budget, underground films. But he gained mainstream attention with the 1969 film “Putney Swope,'' a send-up of Madison Avenue. His son made his film debut in his father's 1970 film “Pound,'' and he went on to appear in seven more of Downey Sr.'s productions.
Downey Sr. also appeared in more than a dozen films, including “Boogie Nights,'' “Tower Heist,'' “Magnolia,'' “Too Live and Die in L.A.'' and “Hail Caesar.''
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