Downey Jr. Joins 'Ally'

Wednesday August 12, 1998 12:00 AM EDT

One week after being released from prison, Oscar-nominated actor Robert Downey Jr. has landed an acting job on FOX's "Ally McBeal." Downey Jr., 35, will appear in the Oct. 23 season premiere of the David E. Kelley series and will play "a mysterious stranger with a knack for understanding Ally (Calista Flockhart)," according to a statement released by FOX. Downey Jr. was released from state prison in Corcoran, Calif., on Aug. 2 after his jail sentence for drug possession was re-computed and an appeals court ruled that after 12 months, his time had been served. The day after his release he checked himself into a residential drug treatment center, where he is expected to stay during his eight-episode stint on "Ally." In a statement Downey Jr. is quoted as saying, "David's a genius, Calista's awesome, and once again I have a choice of shirt colors."

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