Actor Robert Downey Jr. is among the 91 criminals California Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned on Thursday. Brown has a tradition of pardoning former criminals during the holiday season.
Back in 1996, Downey was convicted for driving under the influence, having a concealed weapon in his vehicle and possessing a controlled substance, notes The Sacramento Bee.
As the Associated Press reports, Downey spent a year in prison in 1999 after violating his probation.
“By completion of his sentence and good conduct in the community of his residence since his release, Robert John Downey, Jr. has paid his debt to society and earned a full and unconditional pardon,” the pardon reads, notes The Los Angeles Times.
During the ‘90s, Downey struggled with substance abuse, but he has been one of the most consistently successful actors of the past decade. Since debuting as Iron Man in 2008, he has played the character in two more solo movies and in the two Avengers films. He will be playing Iron Man again in Captain America: Civil War. The actor was also nominated for an Oscar for his role in the Ben Stiller comedy Tropic Thunder.
Downey also contributed to Brown’s 2014 re-election campaign and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame.