After 11 years of playing Iron Man in the multi-billion dollar Marvel cinematic universe (MCU), Robert Downey Jr. has returned — this time as an anti-hero. Nominated for his remarkable portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), Downey Jr. finds himself in one of the most competitive categories this year, pitted against the legendary Robert De Niro, internet boyfriend Ryan Gosling, and Downey Jr.’s friend and MCU-mate, Mark Ruffalo. Given he recently won a Golden Globe and BAFTA for his performance, it’s looking increasingly likely that this might just be the year that is Downey Jr.'s golden moment.
With a career marked by epic highs, and gutting lows, and a relentless pursuit of artistic excellence, Downey Jr.'s journey to the Oscars has been nothing short of extraordinary — some might even say epic. The actor started off working with his father Robert Downey Sr. as a child artist in Pound (1970). Soon enough, young Downey Jr. had carved a niche for himself. From his breakthrough role in Less Than Zero (1987) to his uncanny and heartbreaking portrayal of the iconic Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough's 1992 film Chaplin, Downey Jr. quickly established himself as a versatile and compelling actor.
His first Oscar nomination came for Chaplin, but in spite of his wonderful portrayal of the complexity and contradictions of Charlie Chaplin, the award wasn’t his for the taking. That year, Al Pacino got the Oscar for his role in Scent of a Woman (1992).
While Downey Jr.'s talent was undeniable, his off-screen life would make more headlines than his films in the following years. His struggles with addiction and multiple run-ins with the law were mined for scandal. These incidents and how Downey Jr. handled his public appearances also showed just how resilient he was in face of adversity as well as how witty he is. He became a star because of how he charmed audiences, even when he didn’t have a film to peddle.
Downey Jr.’s second Oscar nod came for a hilarious role in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder (2008), in which he played the five-time Oscar-winning method actor Kirk Lazarus. The performance was bold, innovative, and depended on Downey Jr. balancing between slapstick comedy and drama. This time too the Oscar slipped through his fingers, with the late Heath Ledger's iconic and legendary portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) winning the award.
Downey Jr.'s career pivoted when he took on the role of Iron Man, transforming not just his career but the movie business as a whole. To say Downey Jr. made Tony Stark his own is an understatement. The fusion between the actor and character reached a point where the lines between Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr. became blurry even to the public eye.
Having spent a decade in the MCU, accumulating considerable wealth, a stunning collection of cars and stratospheric popularity, Downey Jr. established the production house, Team Downey, in collaboration with his wife, Susan Downey. Team Downey’s list includes hits as well as misses, ranging from critically-acclaimed documentary Sr. (available on Netflix) to the regrettable Dolittle (2020).
While acknowledging how much he’s gained from MCU, Downey Jr. has also spoken frankly about his “dwindling credibility” (not-so-subtly attributed to spending years as Iron Man). Consequently, to be selected by Nolan for the role of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer marked an unmissable opportunity for Downey Jr. — here was a chance to remind everyone that under the armour and beyond the wisecracking charm, there was an actor named Robert Downey Jr.
An antagonist is every actor’s dream, and Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer gave Downey Jr. a chance to not just show how restrained he can be as an actor, but also subvert expectations. Known universally as a hero, the sly and duplicitous Lewis Strauss marked a departure that felt all the more of a surprise because you don’t expect Iron Man to be the bad guy. Strauss has the opposite of a redemption arc, particularly in the third act of Oppenheimer.
Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss is a masterclass in transformation. From make-up, to props and body language, Downey Jr. uses everything at his disposal to create a man who begins as forgettable before revealing just how vindictive and powerful he is. Nolan brings the camera uncomfortably close, allowing us to literally peer into the character and giving Downey Jr. to use the subtlest twitch, the quickest of glances, to convey character and complexity.
As Lewis Strauss, Downey Jr. stepped into a character that bore no resemblance to his own persona — it is almost counterintuitive to cast him in this role, which makes it a challenge. On working with Nolan, the actor said in an interview, “I’m a dedicated martial-arts student, and it is great to spar with someone who is more dangerous than you.”
With all the buzz around Oppenheimer, this might finally be the year that Robert Downey Jr. is able to show there’s more to him than clever one-liners. It would also make for a rather biopic-worthy moment to mark the beginning of the next chapter in the actor’s career. After all, the industry and audiences love a good comeback story, and Downey Jr.'s is one hell of a comeback.