It finally happened: Robert Downey Jr. is an Oscar winner! The actor took to the Academy Awards stage to accept his trophy for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. And it is a performance I knew would win him praise from the start.
I am unapologetically a fan of Downey Jr.’s filmography, slowly working my way through all of his films. When I saw him as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, I knew he would easily be a frontrunner this award season. Downey Jr. has previously been nominated for his work in Chaplin (1992) and Tropic Thunder (2008). But it was his work in Oppenheimer where he showed his versatility as an actor.
While his role as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was some of his best work to date, his performance was often overshadowed by the sheer spectacle of the MCU. As someone who has followed his career, finally seeing him get recognized for his work was truly something special.
In his speech, RDJ thanked his wife, Susan Downey, for bringing him back to life. He always thanked her, and tonight’s lovely speech was no different.
RDJ’s career spans decades and he even thanked his rough childhood during his speech as his way of acknowledging his past (while also thanking his entertainment lawyer who would try to get him insured).
I am just beyond proud of RDJ. He has consistently been one of the most talented performers out there and to see him go from movies like Less Than Zero to winning an Oscar for working with Christopher Nolan just warms my heart. He is someone who I thought would not have worked well with Nolan given his love of improv (and Nolan’s hatred of it) but the two made something special together with Oppenheimer and this is beyond deserved.
(featured image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
