Robert Downey Jr wins his first Oscar for ‘Oppenheimer’

Robert Downey Jr. won his first Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s film “Oppenheimer,” 30 years after receiving his first nomination.

Earlier, Robert Downey Jr had been nominated in 1993 for Best Actor for “Chaplin” and Best Supporting Actor in 2008 for “Tropic Thunder”.

The Sunday night completed an awards season sweep for Downey as his victory at the Oscars joined his previous supporting actor wins at the Golden Globes, Critic’s Choice Awards, SAG Awards and BAFTA Film Awards.

The Hollywood actor in a light-hearted speech said he would like to thank his terrible childhood, pausing for the audience’s laughter, “and the academy — in that order.”

Robert Downey Jr also thanked his veterinarian Susan Downey, his wife, saying that she loved him back to life and that’s why he is here today.

The actor also gave his thanks to his “Oppenheimer” collaborators, especially director Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, and fellow Oscar nominees– Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt.

Downey, who has been open about his past struggles with drug addiction, revealed in his 2022 documentary “Sr”. In the documentary, he paid tribute to his filmmaker father.

When he was 28, a series of arrests for drug-related charges and a year in prison followed Downey’s first Oscar nod.

This season, Downey dominated award shows with his charismatic acceptance speeches.

The actor, at the Critics Choice Awards, decided to read directly from reviews that he earned over the years.

Robert Downey Jr was nominated at the Oscars for supporting actor alongside Robert De Niro, Sterling K. Brown, Mark Ruffalo and Ryan Gosling.

What do we know about Oppenheimer?

Christopher Nolan won his first Oscar on Sunday night for directing, writing, and producing the 2023 epic biographical drama film “Oppenheimer.”

The film stars include Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.

The film is presented with two different timelines interwoven together. The first is “Fission” playing out in color and the second is “Fusion” in black and white.

Click HERE to see the full list of Oscar nominees