Robert Downey Jr. is enjoying the award season as he already took home every major award for his role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as Admiral Lewis Strauss. Apart from winning a BAFTA, he has also won a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award. And, everyone has a firm belief that he will win this year’s Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role as well.
But, he got the news of his Oscar nomination in a very unusual way. In his recent chat with PEOPLE, the Iron Man actor sheds light on how his wife, producer Susan Downey woke him up to share the good news. Oppenheimer this year bagged 13 Oscar nods, more than any other film of 2023.
Robert Downey Jr. Got Nightmares Before Oscar Nod for Oppenheimer
Robert Downey Jr. has an unusual backstory of the time when he received the news of getting an Oscar nomination. He is nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for Oppenheimer. Other nominees in the category include Ryan Gosling (Barbie) and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things).
While sharing the interesting story of how his wife informed him about it, he told PEOPLE:
“I was having this nightmare that the kittens [Willow and Winifred] had taken one of my Nicorette wrappers, and I was going to get in trouble.”
He also stated that though getting a nomination is exciting, the true reward for him was being able to spend time with his co-stars, including Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, and Matt Damon.
“The reward was the experience,” he said of working with them. “There is a bond and we have just huge respect for each other.”
This is his third Oscar nomination. He lost the previous two times but there is a strong buzz this time, he is certain to win his first Academy Award.
Will this be the Year Robert Downey Jr. Finally Have the Coveted Award?
Despite legal troubles and a tarnished public image, Downey Jr. earned acclaim for his performances, winning two Golden Globe Awards, one for his role in the TV show Ally McBeal and another for portraying Sherlock Holmes. Despite being nominated for Oscars twice, including a Best Supporting Actor nod for Tropic Thunder and a Best Actor nomination for his role as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, he faced disappointment each time.
Expressing his perspective on the Oscars in an interview, Downey Jr. humorously remarked,
“…I’m probably going to win it one year when someone else deserves to win it. Why? Because it’s my time, goddammit. And that’s the way s*it works around here…Welcome to Hollywood, b*tch! I’ll see you at the Vanity Fair party and I’ll be holding that golden statue you deserve ’cause guess what? It happened to me too!” (Via IMDb)
This year, Oscar buzz surrounds him once again for his role in Oppenheimer. The question on everyone’s lips: will he finally be recognized by the Academy for a performance that truly shines? Only time will tell.
