Robert Downey Jr.'s First Oscar Win Is A Bigger Deal Than You Think For One Reason
The 96th Academy Awards finally gave Robert Downey Jr. his dues. Tonight was a special night for the "Oppenheimer" actor — even if host Jimmy Kimmel made a cringe joke about Downey during his opening monologue. After previously being nominated for Oscars with "Chaplin" and "Tropic Thunder," Downey finally took home his first Academy Award tonight for his supporting role as Lewis Strauss in "Oppenheimer." In the lead-up to Oscars night, Downey Jr. was considered a front-runner for the award, with many dubbing "Oppenheimer" as a career-best performance for the "Iron Man" star. Now, the actor can finally bask in the golden statue's glory, and rest easy knowing that he made history.
Historically speaking, it turns out that he is the first "Saturday Night Live" cast member to take home an Oscar. That's a fact many Downey fans don't know, as he's mostly beloved for his stint as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 1985, he joined the iconic, ever-enduring variety sketch series as a main player. Unfortunately, season 11 was a critical misfire and suffered from mediocre ratings — and is one of the worst seasons of "SNL" according to Looper's rankings too.
When it came time for season 12, Downey Jr. was replaced, ushering in a new era for the series. Downey Jr. is one of many "SNL" cast members who lasted just one season.
Robert Downey Jr. has never shied away from his short stint on SNL
It's sort of hilarious how Robert Downey Jr. is the first "Saturday Night Live" actor to win Oscar gold as he's widely remembered for being just fine on the show. Rolling Stone notably ranked all the "SNL" cast members in 2015 and ranked the "Oppenheimer" superstar last. Ouch.
For what it's worth, Downey knows that the gig wasn't for him and is glad that he was able to move on from it. "I learned so much in that year about what I wasn't. I was not somebody who was going to come up with a catchphrase. I was not somebody who was going to do impressions. I was somebody who was very ill-suited for rapid-fire sketch comedy," he explained during a July 2019 interview with Sam Jones on "Off Camera"
Now, the actor is one of the most celebrated performers of his generation. But he's not the only cinematic icon from "SNL" who has been nominated for an Oscar. Bill Murray was notably nominated for Best Actor for starring in the drama film "Lost in Translation." Fellow funnyman and "SNL" standout Eddie Murphy was also nominated for starring in "Dreamgirls."
Downey Jr.'s acceptance speech was as charming as ever
Of course, Downey Jr.'s Oscar acceptance speech brought some of his signature sass and sarcasm to the table. "I'd like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy — in that order," he began. But quickly, the "Oppenheimer" actor sweetened his tone, thanking his wife and fellow production partner, Susan Downey, for supporting him through life's ups and downs. "I'd like to thank my veterinarian — I meant wife, Susan Downey over there," he quipped. "She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That's why I'm here."
Originally, the Hollywood couple met when Downey Jr. starred in one of Susan's films, "Gothika," and eventually got together after an unsure start to their decades-strong romance (via People). The dynamic duo were married in 2005 and have operated Team Downey since 2010, helping to bring beloved productions like "Sweet Tooth" and HBO's "Perry Mason" to life. Next on the horizon for the pair is the upcoming remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo," which is set to be written by Steven Knight ("Peaky Blinders"), according to Deadline. Only time will tell if Downey Jr. also secures a role in this film, but it seems like another film ready to enter the awards season races.