Robert Downey Jr. Reflects on Career and Thanks Christopher Nolan After BAFTA Win

Robert Downey Jr., after receiving the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Oppenheimer,” took the opportunity to reflect on his career and express gratitude to “that dude” Christopher Nolan.

“At 15, I aspired to be Peter O’Toole. At 25, I worked alongside Richard Attenbourgh and Anthony Hopkins. By 35, I comprehended why Dickie believed Tony would be a more fitting role model for me than Peter,” Downey Jr. shared. “At 42, I collaborated on two films with Guy Ritchie, mastering the art of crafting grand Hollywood productions with a touch of British elegance. Subsequently, I portrayed a character named Tony in the MCU for approximately 12 years.”

He went on, “And then, recently, that dude Chris Nolan suggested I embrace a more subdued approach as a final attempt to, perhaps, restore my fading credibility. So, I dedicate this award to my fellow nominees. It has truly been an exceptional year.”

In Nolan’s monumental biopic depicting the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the creator of the world’s first atomic bomb, Downey Jr. portrayed Lewis Strauss, a prominent member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission who became adversarial towards Oppenheimer, endeavoring to prove his disloyalty to the U.S.

Previously, Downey Jr. had won the BAFTA for Best Actor for his role in “Chaplin” in 1992, and he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2009 for “Tropic Thunder.”

Competing against 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,” Downey Jr. emerged victorious.