The Oscars witnessed one of the saddest moments when the late Heath Ledger won the Oscar for Best Supporting Role for playing Joker in The Dark Knight. The entire industry was in tears as the actor, unfortunately, passed away before getting to witness his magnificent achievement. While nobody could comprehend the untimely loss of such a gem of an actor, Robert Downey Jr.’s heartbreaking reaction at the moment caught the attention of several fans.
Robert Downey Jr. was one of the nominees for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar alongside Heath Ledger in the 2009 Oscars. While everybody was almost sure Ledger would win the award for his exceptional performance as the Clown Prince of Crime, other prominent actors like Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Michael Shannon were also in the race.
Heath Ledger’s demise had a heavy impact on Robert Downey Jr.
Almost the entire auditorium felt the absence of Heath Ledger when the actor’s name was announced as the winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It was too soon for the world to lose such a talent. Ledger’s sincerity in his craft can be seen in the arduous and insane route of preparation he took for The Dark Knight.
Although Ledger’s casting was initially met with controversy, it became a pop culture icon with time. To prepare for his role, the actor secluded himself in a hotel room for six weeks and maintained a character diary. Additionally, he also experimented with his voice. All these culminated in one of the most perfect castings ever. Unfortunately, he did not live to witness his achievement as he passed away in 2008 due to an accidental overdose of prescribed drugs.
When Heath Ledger’s parents and his sister came to receive the Oscar on his behalf, we could watch the renowned celebrities in tears for their late colleague. While the reactions of Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, Christopher Nolan, and Anne Hathaway were significant, Robert Downey Jr.‘s silence spoke volumes.
Robert Downey Jr. was nominated in the same category for his hilarious and phenomenal performance in Tropic Thunder. Robert Downey Jr. also experienced a lot of ups and downs in his career due to his past drug-related problems. He was even arrested multiple times before he went to be one of the most popular actors for playing Iron Man in the MCU.
Robert Downey Jr. also had a beautiful reaction to Heath Ledger’s posthumous Golden Globe win
Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker also brought him a win at the 2009 Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor. When Christopher Nolan recently received the Golden Globe for Oppenheimer, he shared that it was not his first time on the stage. The director shared an anecdote about the “complicated and challenging” moment when he received the award on behalf of Ledger at the 2009 ceremony.
The Inception director shared that when it was becoming difficult for him, he looked down at the audience and spotted Robert Downey Jr., who gave him a look of support (via BuzzFeed).
“In the middle of speaking, I looked down at Robert Downey Jr., [who] caught my eye and gave me a look of support. The same look [he’s] giving me now — the same love and support he showed so many people in our community over the years.”
Robert Downey Jr., who could not win the award back then in 2009 recently won a Golden Globe for playing the best supporting actor in Oppenheimer. He is also a hopeful winner in the same category at this year’s Oscars.
The audience was moved when Nolan addressed Heath Ledger in his latest Golden Globe speech. Besides being a good actor, Ledger was also a very good human being. Jake Gyllenhaal also shared how the Candy actor boycotted the 2007 Oscars as the ceremony wanted him to joke about the gay romance shown in his film Brokeback Mountain.
