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Sunday night was likely a high point of Robert Downey Jr’s decades-long Hollywood career, as the beloved A-lister and former Iron Man star took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
The arc of Downey Jr’s career has truly been one of the most storied in Hollywood history, as the A-lister famously rose and fell and rose again — beginning as a young prodigy, becoming a bit of a problem child, and then rounding into one of the highest-paid and well-respected actors in the world.
Thanks to Jimmy Kimmel, however, Downey Jr. wasn’t able to get through the night without being reminded of his past demons, as the ceremony’s host made a crack about RDJ’s former substance abuse issues that many movie fans online found to be tasteless, as evidenced by the viral tweet calling Kimmel out for it.
RDJ wasn’t the only winner on the night to appear a bit miffed by one of Kimmel’s jokes, as cameras also seemingly caught Best Actress winner Emma Stone calling him a “p—-“ after he made a crack about Poor Things.
Furthermore, Downey Jr. also wasn’t the only person associated with Oppenheimer to walk away with Oscar gold as the Christopher Nolan-directed film won in six other categories, including Best Director for Christopher Nolan and Best Picture. The film also won for Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.
“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order. I’d like to thank my—veterinarian, I meant wife Susan Downey, over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet, and it loved me back to life. And that’s why I’m here. Thank you,” Downey Jr’s predictably charming and self-effacing acceptance speech began.
“Here’s my little secret: I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris knew it, Emma made sure she surrounded me with one of the greatest cast and crews of all time; Emily, Cillian, Matt Damon…It was fantastic and I stand here before you a better man because of it. What we do is meaningful, and the stuff we decide to make is important,” he continued.
Downey Jr. will next be seen on the small screen as he’ll be starring in the HBO series The Sympathizer, which is set to premiere on HBO and MAX on Sunday, April 14.