Robert Downey's son Indio books first lead movie role, bringing personal connection to character
A New Film Lead
Downey has been cast as Damien in Love in Vein, an upcoming film from writer-director Will De Los Santos. The 33-year-old musician is Robert Downey Jr.’s eldest son.
The film is adapted from Ryan Leone’s novel Wasting Talent. It is scheduled to shoot in Los Angeles during March and April 2027. The story places Damien amid drugs, relationships and music, while people around him grapple with desire, dependency and escape. Its setting is Los Angeles’ underground scene.
Honoring Ryan Leone’s Book
De Los Santos said Leone’s novel offered an unvarnished account of addiction, love and Los Angeles. Since Leone’s death, the director said, bringing Love in Vein to the screen has become more meaningful to him. He said he hopes to respect the author’s voice and preserve the book’s rawness rather than make its themes less difficult.
Downey’s Recovery History
Indio has faced addiction in the past, a subject his father discussed publicly more than a decade ago. In a 2014 Vanity Fair interview, Robert Downey Jr. reflected on family influences and the challenges of helping someone through hardship.
Robert Downey Jr. later celebrated his firstborn on Facebook, praising his continued dedication to recovery. His son’s past also included a 2014 arrest and felony cocaine-possession charge. The charge was dismissed in 2016 after Indio completed a 20-month drug diversion and rehabilitation program.
Key points
- Indio Downey will play Damien in Love in Vein, written and directed by Will De Los Santos.
- The film adapts Ryan Leone’s novel Wasting Talent and is set to shoot in Los Angeles in March and April 2027.
- The story explores addiction, love, relationships, music and survival.
- Indio’s cocaine-possession charge was dismissed in 2016 after he completed a 20-month rehabilitation and diversion program.