Robert Downey Jr. Wins First Oscar Of His Career for “Best Supporting Actor” In Oppenheimer

Iconic American actor Robert Downey Jr. won his first Oscar for “Best Supporting Actor” in the popular 2023 film “Oppenheimer.”

Despite the tough competition in the category, facing stars such as Robert De Niro for “Killer of The Flower Moon,” Mark Ruffalo in “Poor Things,” and Ryan Gosling in “Barbie,” this is the third Oscar nomination Downey Jr. has received in his career.

Robert has previously been nominated for Oscars for his roles in the 1992 film “Chaplin” and “Tropic Thunder” in 2008.

“Oppenheimer,” directed by Christopher Nolan, was released in July last year and received a significant response after going viral on social media. Robert even went as far as to say Oppenheimer was “the best film I’ve ever been in.”

In his acceptance speech, Downey Jr. thanked his wife, Susan, his children, and the entire cast of “Oppenheimer,”including Christopher Nolan.

“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order.”

He then joked, “I’d like to thank my veterinarian — I meant wife — Susan Downey over there. She found me, a snarling rescue pet, and loved me back to life. That’s why I am here. Thank you.”

People

Downey Jr. also detailed the experience of battling his nerves leading up to this year’s Oscars ceremony.

“Susan and I were trading anxiety level check-ins this morning,” he tells PEOPLE. “So at certain points, without knowing what I thought I was going to say, she was giving me feedback in a vacuum about what it maybe should or shouldn’t contain or eliminate. But it worked out fine and I could tell that she wasn’t disappointed by the time I got back to my chair.”

“Even when we just checked into the hotel where we got ready, [Susan] comes in, she puts down her purse, she sits down and she starts. I have a 85-point process of making the room our own,” he tells PEOPLE, grinning: “I was outside, I was rearranging furniture. I mean, it’s pretty freaky.”

People

Congratulations!

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