Robert Downey Jr Says He Owes BAFTA 2024 Win To 'That Dude' Christopher Nolan: 'He Suggested...'

Robert Downey Jr won yet another award for his performance in Oppenheimer, as he recently secured the Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the drama features Downey Jr playing the role of Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss. In his signature style, the actor humorously made fun about his acting journey, starting from his teenage years to his Marvel fame, during the acceptance speech. With a touch of sarcasm, he even gave a hilarious shout out to ‘that dude’ Nolan. Interestingly, this win added to Downey Jr.’s BAFTA collection, as he previously earned the Best Actor award for Chaplin in 1992, followed by a nomination in 2009 for Tropic Thunder.

He said, “I’m going to tell you the entirety of my life in 30 seconds. This is the story. Start the clock. When I was 15, I wanted to be Peter O’Toole. When I was 25, I worked for Richard Attenborough with Anthony Hopkins. When I was 35, I finally understood why Dickie thought Tony would be a better role model for me than Peter. When I was 42, I did two films for Guy Richie and learned how to make big Hollywood movies with a civil, British fare. I then played a guy named Tony in the MCU for about 12 Years and then recently, that dude, Chis Nolan suggested I attempt an understated approach as a last ditch effort to perhaps resurrect my dwindling credibility. So, I share this with my fellow nominees. This has been an exceptional year. I owe this to Chris, Emma, Cillian, the cast and crew, Universal, WME and honestly, just, British influence. And I place this at the feet of my Alpha and Omega, Susan Downey.”

At BAFTA 2024, Robert Downey Jr was nominated along with other talented Hollywood icons, such as Robert De Niro for Killers of the Flower Moon, Jacob Elordi for Saltburn, Ryan Gosling for Barbie, Paul Mescal for All of Us Strangers and Dominic Sessa for The Holdovers.

In Christopher Nolan’s biopic about J Robert Oppenheimer, the mastermind behind the world’s first atomic bomb, Downey Jr played the role of Lewis Strauss. As a prominent figure in the US Atomic Energy Commission, Strauss’ mission was to establish Oppenheimer’s alleged disloyalty to the United States, adding a layer of intense conflict to the story.

Oppenheimer emerged as the true winner at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards, as the movie clinched an impressive seven honours. The movie dominated essential categories, securing the prestigious titles of Best Film and Best Director for Christopher Nolan. Cillian Murphy, playing the lead role, earned the Best Actor award. On the other hand, the movie won in categories like Best Editing, Cinematography was awarded to Hoyte van Hoytema and Original Score was won by Ludwig Goransson.

The evening also celebrated Poor Things, collecting five awards, with Emma Stone winning the Best Actress trophy. Da’Vine Joy Randolph received the Best Supporting Actress award for her remarkable performance in The Holdovers.