The duo have been friends for decades, having starred in “Weird Science” and on “SNL” in 1985.

Anthony Michael Hall recalls visiting Robert Downey Jr. ‘in the clink,’ breaks down their ‘long history’

The duo have been friends for decades, having starred in “Weird Science” and on “SNL” in 1985.

By Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale is a senior writer at **. She has been working at EW since July 2026. Her work has previously appeared on Us Weekly and J-14.

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August 19, 2026 12:44 p.m. ET

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Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Michael Hall on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1986. Credit:

Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

- Anthony Michael Hall reflected on his decades-long friendship with Robert Downey Jr.

- The *Breakfast Club* alum recalled visiting the Oscar winner “in the clink” during his past brushes with the law.

- “We just have a long history together,” Hall said.

Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr. go way back.

“I’ve been there for him. Years ago, when he was in trouble with the law, he spent a little time in the clink — so to speak — I went to visit him,” Hall said during the Aug. 19 episode of Danielle Fishel’s *Teen Beat *podcast. “We just have a long history together.”

Hall was referring to Downey’s multiple drug-related arrests, which took place between 1996 and 2001. The *Avengers *star has spoken candidly about his past struggles, which led to a court-ordered rehabilitation program. Downey has been sober since 2003.

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Hall told Fishel on Wednesday that he got Downey an audition on *Saturday Night Live*, which led to the latter’s 1985 casting. That same year, the two also worked together in the movie *Weird Science*.

“I wrote a script with [him] and his father [the late Robert Downey Sr.] right after we did *SNL*,” Hall continued. “We had a project a couple of years back that we’re trying to get made, unfortunately, it didn’t. It very much, by accident, mirrored that show *Succession*, which took us by surprise. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out.”

Anthony Michael Hall; Robert Downey Jr.

Amy Sussman/Getty; Emma McIntyre/Getty

Hall called the *Iron Man* star a “good friend” of more than 40 years.

“I’m really proud of his success,” the *Breakfast Club** *actor shared. “He’s had just a great career. He’s a great guy. Despite all the great success he’s had, he’s very real, very down-to-earth guy. He’s cool.”

Both Hall and Downey discussed their friendship during Peacock’s *SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night** *docuseries, released last year. The former onscreen duo — who had a one-year stint on the show in 1985 at ages 17 and 20, respectively — reflected on being paired up and what it was like as two of the younger castmates.

“Michael Hall said to me, I’m gonna go do *SNL*. I’m gonna get you an audition and I bet you’re gonna get yourself on the show too,” Downey said during the January 2025 episode. (The Marvel star has since become the only *SNL *alum to win an Oscar. He secured the Best Supporting Actor trophy during the 2023 Academy Awards for his performance as Lewis Strauss in *Oppenheimer*.)

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Hall quipped that he’s “still waiting” for Downey to “repay” the favor all these years later. “Come on Iron Man, you got it in ya,” he added.

Downey, meanwhile, left *SNL *with several life lessons.

“I learned so much in that year about what I wasn’t,” he said. “But there’s not a more exciting 90 minutes you could have, whether you are any good or not.”

Listen to Hall’s full interview below.

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