Roma Downey and Robert Downey Jr. are both famous actors who have starred in many movies and TV shows. But are they related by blood or marriage? The answer is no. They are not related at all, despite sharing the same last name and having some similarities in their backgrounds.
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Roma Downey: An Actress, Producer, and Author from Northern Ireland
Roma Downey was born on May 6, 1960 in Derry, Northern Ireland. She is an actress, producer, and New York Times Best-Selling author who recently produced the hit movie On a Wing and a Prayer starring Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham which shot to number one on Amazon prime when it premiered spring of 2023
She is best known for playing Monica the angel in the CBS television series Touched by an Angel for nine seasons. She also produced and appeared as Mary, mother of Jesus, in the mini-series The Bible for the History Channel, which was watched by over 100 million people in the United States
She has performed on stage with the Abbey Theatre, The National Theatre of Ireland, and has appeared both on and off Broadway. She played the leading role of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the Emmy award-winning miniseries A Woman Named Jackie for NBC
She is married to Mark Burnett, a producer and president of MGM Television and Digital Group. They have a daughter named Reilly Marie Anspaugh and two stepsons named James and Cameron Burnett
She is an ambassador for Operation Smile, serving on missions to Honduras, Vietnam, and Jordan. She was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016 and was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the Arts, Drama and to the Community in Northern Ireland in 2021
Robert Downey Jr.: An Actor, Producer, and Singer from New York City
Robert Downey Jr. was born on April 4, 1965 in Manhattan, New York City, New York. He is an actor, producer, and singer who has been nominated for two Academy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood and has appeared in over 80 films
He is best known for playing Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Sherlock Holmes in the Sherlock Holmes films, and Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin. He also starred in films such as Less Than Zero, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Zodiac, Tropic Thunder, The Judge, and Dolittle
He is the son of Robert Downey Sr., an actor, writer, producer, cinematographer, and director of underground films, and Elsie Ford, an actress who appeared in his father’s films. His paternal grandfather was of Lithuanian Jewish ancestry and his paternal grandmother was of Irish Canadian and Hungarian ancestry. His mother was of Scottish, German, and Swiss German descent. His father was born “Robert Elias” and changed his last name to “Downey” after his stepfather James Downey when he was a minor
He is married to Susan Downey, a producer and former executive vice president of production at Silver Pictures. They have a son named Exton Elias Downey and a daughter named Avri Roel Downey. He also has a son named Indio Falconer Downey from his previous marriage to Deborah Falconer
He is a supporter of various charities such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Motion Picture & Television Fund Foundation, and Random Act Funding. He was pardoned by Governor Jerry Brown for his past drug offenses in 2015 and received the Disney Legends Award in 2019
Conclusion: No Relation Between Roma Downey and Robert Downey Jr.
Roma Downey and Robert Downey Jr. are not related by blood or marriage. They have different parents, grandparents, spouses, children, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and careers. They only share a common last name that comes from different sources.
The rumor that they are related may have started because they both have Irish ancestry or because they both have worked with Mark Burnett (Roma’s husband) who produced The Bible mini-series that featured Robert as Satan (a role that was later cut out due to controversy). However, these are not enough to establish any kinship between them.
Therefore, it is safe to say that Roma Downey is not related to Robert Downey Jr.
