Downey Jr.: Singer, Songwriter

Most of us know Robert Downey Jr. for his work as an actor. But the star of the big and small screens has also been making music. His debut CD, "The Futurist," was released recently.

And he

"I think it's (performing) something that's been in my heart for a long time," Downey tells co-anchor Harry Smith. "I don't know. I thought, seeing as I'm pushing 40, it's time to do something a little more courageous than just make faces for cash and chicken."

Is that what he calls his acting, Smith asks. "I don't even know where that came from," Downey says, laughing.

Originally, Downey says he wanted to be a musician, but an acting job came along first. He started playing the keyboard and writing songs some 20 years ago, around the same time that he was beginning his acting career in New York.

And while in L.A., he liked to entertained friends at home, playing on a red lacquer piano. "I don't even know if the company's still in business. I think they only made pianos so they could paint them silly colors," Downey says. "I used to entertain my friends, and then, it developed into something more serious."

His smoky-voiced, expressive singing was a highlight of his Emmy-winning performance on the Fox series "Ally McBeal."

And although, "The Futurist" is his first album, three songs the actor composed have appeared in his films.

The CD includes eight songs Downey wrote, plus covers of the Yes classic, "Your Move" and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." He sings and plays a number of instruments on it as well, including the piano.

Downey notes, "I remember when people used to say, 'Robert, your songs are kind of depressing.' I was, like, 'Well, I'm just singing what I know.' But I found in looking back at them more recently, they're not any more. There's a variety of moods in the album. But, you know, it was formed by my experience, for sure."

Today, he says he is very happy. The reason? On Aug. 27, he plans to wed Susan Levine.

"It helps. It helps," he says. "She's a great gal and I'm not saying that I buy too much into the whole soulmate or everyone-has-their-ultimate-partner thing, but it certainly seems like it's panning out that way."

Referring obliquely to Downy's struggle with substance abuse, an apologetic Smith says, "Forgive me for saying this, but those of us who watch you and appreciate your talent, we are happy for you."

Downey says, "It seems to me if you stick it out long enough, and you don't give up whatever it is you keep bumping your head up against, sooner or later you'll figure it out - as long as there's no permanent tragedies occurring.

"It's interesting for me now because there are friends of mine and people who I know peripherally, or I get to watch the news and see people still struggling in various ways - whatever their issues are - and it's heartbreaking to see people not be able to figure out what seems so clear to the rest of us. Obviously, I've been on the other side of that, too. It's nice to be on this side of the struggle."

Downey also designed most of the packaging for the CD, including the inside booklet cover, for which he created a painting.

He is currently shooting the film, "Shaggy Dog" with Tim Allen. And he's completed two other movies that haven't been released yet: "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (his song "Broken" is the end title song) and "Scanner Darkly," directed by Richard Linkletter.