Robert Downey Jr. humorously expressed gratitude for his “terrible childhood” as he accepted his first Oscar on Sunday (10.03.24).
The 58-year-old actor, previously nominated for his roles in ‘Chaplin’ and ‘Tropic Thunder’, was awarded the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his work in ‘Oppenheimer’. He also acknowledged his wife Susan Downey in a speech that had the audience at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre laughing.
He quipped, “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy. In that order.
“I’d like to thank my veterinarian, I mean wife, Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and loved me back to life, that’s why I’m here, thank you.”
Robert, nominated alongside Sterling K. Brown (‘American Fiction’), Robert De Niro (‘Killers of the Flower Moon’), Ryan Gosling (‘Barbie’) and Mark Ruffalo (‘Poor Things’), went on to praise the cast and crew of the film, crediting them for making him a “better man”.
“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 great casts 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 then expressed gratitude to his publicist, agent, and stylist, jokingly mentioning he needed the stylist “in case no one else does”, before acknowledging his past struggles.
He added, “My entertainment lawyer Tom Hanson of 40 years, half of which he spent trying to get me insured and bailing me out of [trouble]. Thanks bro.”
In conclusion, he dedicated the award to his children, Avri, Exton, and Indio, saying, “this one’s for you.”
