Prior to the ‘Oppenheimer’ actor winning his first Academy Award for his role in the Christopher Nolan-directed film — Kimmel poked fun at his career lows and battle with addiction in his opening ceremony monologue.
Robert Downey, Jr. has shared his honest thoughts about the joke Jimmy Kimmel made at his expense at the 2024 Oscars ceremony.
Prior to the Oppenheimer actor winning his first Academy Award for his role in the Christopher Nolan-directed film — Kimmel poked fun at his career lows in his opening ceremony monologue.
The enthusiastic crowd was less certain what to do with Downey, as Kimmel poked fun at his struggles with drug addiction — calling Oscar night “one of the highest points” of his career. RDJ took it on the chin, pointing to his nose and hilariously clapping back a silent, “Keep it going, keep it going,” when Kimmel tried to linger.
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In a new Esquire profile on Downey, the actor was asked about the joke and how he really felt about his past being the butt of a joke in front of the world.
“I don’t care,” Downey Jr. told the publication. “I love Jimmy Kimmel. I think he’s a national treasure.”
The Iron Man star referenced his past addiction struggles throughout the interview and how when he was deemed too much of a risk to hire, Jodie Foster, stepped up and cast Downey in Home for the Holidays, deep in the throws of his addiction.
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“I took him aside at one point during filming and said, ‘Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve given in this film,'” Foster recalled to the publication.
“‘But I’m scared of what happens to you next. Right now you are incredibly good at balancing on the barstool. But it’s really precarious, and I’m not sure how that’s going to end.'”
Now the world knows how it ends. A ‘happily ever after’ story is definitely underway after creating a career-defining role of Lewis Strauss which led him to win his first Oscar. It looks like the only way is up for RDJ and returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t off the cards either.
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When asked if he would make his way back to the team…
“Happily,” he says. “It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, ‘Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige’. It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.”
Check out Esquire‘s full profile on Downey here.
