Thirty years after his first Oscar nomination, Robert Downey Jr. has bagged his first Academy Award!

At the 96th Academy Awards last night, the actor won the gong for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rear Adm. Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.

Despite being revered as one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood, Downey had not gotten his hands on the coveted trophy until last night. He had previously been nominated for Best Actor in 1993 for Chaplin and Best Supporting Actor in 2008 for Tropic Thunder.

Jimmy Kimmel jokes about Robert Downey Jr.'s drug addiction in his opening monologue at the Oscars:

Injecting some humor into his acceptance speech, Downey joked: "I'd like to thank my terrible childhood," which elicited more than a few laughs in the audience. He went on to share his gratitude to the Academy. He also praised his wife, Susan, paying tribute to her role in his journey from troubled actor to Oscar winner.

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer was undoubtedly one of the biggest films of 2023, clinching (at 13) the largest number of nominations at this year's Oscars.

Downey won over competitors including Sterling K. Brown for American Fiction, Ryan Gosling for Barbie, Mark Ruffalo for Poor Things, and Robert De Niro for Killers of the Flower Moon.

Credit: Jeff Kravitz / Getty

His victory this time around was perhaps unsurprising considering he recently secured some enviable gongs including supporting actor at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Film Awards, SAG Awards, and Critics Choice Awards.

Downey had been open about his substance abuse in his 2022 documentary Sr., which pays tribute to his late filmmaker father. He spoke candidly about struggling with drug addiction from a young age and his brushes with the law after his first Academy Award nomination 30 years ago when he was 28.

He said he was grateful he did not win the award back in 1993, stating this may have reinforced his reckless behavior.

Before the actor won the award, his past with drug addiction was brought up by host Jimmy Kimmel during his opening monologue - and it didn't go down well with viewers at home.

The 56-year-old actually started well - honoring Barbie star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig, whom many people felt had been snubbed at this year's event.

Credit: Jeff Kravitz / Getty

Then he decided to turn his attention to Downey.

As the audience settled into their seats at the star-studded event, Kimmel wasted no time diving into the fray with a series of razor-sharp quips aimed squarely at Downey's past struggles. "This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr.'s long and illustrious career. Well, one of the highest points," Kimmel teased.

But while Kimmel may have been aiming for laughs, it did look like his remarks hit a nerve with the Iron Man star himself. As cameras panned to Downey, the actor's expression spoke volumes, betraying a mix of discomfort and displeasure. However, there was no Oscars slap here, as Downey was able to shrug off the comments.

Credit: Rich Polk / Getty

Nevertheless, that didn't stop social media users rushing to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their thoughts on the "jokes" - with viewers branding them "unnecessary" and "distasteful".

"That Robert Downey Jr joke was unnecessary," one X user wrote, with a second adding: "@JimmyKimmelLive horrible at hosting the Oscars, the Robert Downey Jr joke was not funny at all."

Another livid viewer tweeted: "Kimmel scraping the bottom of the barrel with Robert Downey Jr drug 'jokes'. Rehashing old news because he can’t come up with any new material. Deafening silence from the audience was so uncomfortable and embarrassing!"

A fourth added: "The Robert Downey Jr jokes are the most distasteful jokes I got so uncomfortable."

Featured image credit: Rich Polk / Getty

Robert Downey Jr. has just won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role!

The huge achievement marks the legendary actor's first-ever Academy Award win, as he took home the prize for his role in the 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer.

Downey Jr. emerged victorious in a fierce battle, triumphing over formidable contenders such as Robert De Niro for Killers of the Flower Moon, Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things, Sterling K. Brown in American Fiction, and his fellow "Barbenheimer" star, Ryan Gosling, for Barbie.

However, the win wasn't quite the result many viewers were hoping for.

Taking to X, several viewers fumed that it should have been Ryan Gosling taking home the Oscar for his role as Ken.

"Ryan Gosling was robbed! You will always be Kenough," one person wrote. A second added: "I love Robert Downey Jr as much as anyone else but come on! Ryan Gosling was robbed. RDJ's character was in #Oppenheimer for 5 minutes while in #Barbie Ken was a vital character. This'll be viewed as a historic mistake by the #Oscars".

A third added: "RDJ is a great actor but Ryan Gosling was robbed #Oscars".

"Robert Downey Jr is a great actor, but he did not deserve that award. He was only in that film for an hour and didn't do much. Ryan Gosling got robbed big time," a fourth vented.

Earlier in the night, viewers flocked to Downey Jr.'s defense after host Jimmy Kimmel made jokes about his past addiction battles.

Kimmel was slammed for "scraping the barrel" with the "uncomfortable" jokes, which left the room void of laughs.

"This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr.'s long and illustrious career. Well, one of the highest points," Kimmel teased. Check out the moment he fell flat below:

"That Robert Downey Jr joke was unnecessary," one X user wrote, with a second adding: "@JimmyKimmelLive horrible at hosting the Oscars, the Robert Downey Jr joke was not funny at all."

Another livid viewer tweeted: "Kimmel scraping the bottom of the barrel with Robert Downey Jr drug 'jokes'. Rehashing old news because he can’t come up with any new material. Deafening silence from the audience was so uncomfortable and embarrassing!"

A fourth added: "The Robert Downey Jr jokes are the most distasteful jokes I got so uncomfortable."

Maybe, in the future, the focus can be on the actor's successes - such as his long-awaited Oscars win.

Featured image credit: Rich Polk / Getty

Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis have just taken home the Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress at this year's 95th Academy Awards.

Quan, 51, and Curtis, 64, won their prestigious prizes for their roles in the widely praised movie, Everything Everywhere All at Once.

This year's Best Supporting Actor category has been one of the most highly-anticipated in recent years, having a range of both veteran and up-and-coming actors on the list of nominees.

But the standout of the evening was surely Quan's momentous win and heartwarming speech.

Quan previously won a Golden Globe for his role, having used his speech to encourage others not to give up on their dreams, thanking the two directors of Everything Everywhere All At Once for believing in him. "As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it, if that was just luck. For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer. No matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid," he said.

"Thankfully, more than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid, and they gave me an opportunity to try again. Everything that has happened since has been unbelievable," Quan added.

His Oscars speech was no different, as he took the chance to thank his wife for supporting him behind the scenes for the past 20 years. In fact, the actor - who was born in Vietnam and spent a year in a refugee camp - revealed that his wife would tell him "every day" that his time was coming, and not to give up on himself. "Dreams are something you have to believe in," he said in his speech.

And over to the women!

Upon hearing her name read out as the winner of the Best Supporting Actress prize, Jamie Lee Curtis was stunned, and could be seen screaming "shut up!"

During her speech, Curtis was sure to praise the entire cast and crew of the movie, saying that they had all won an Oscar.

"My mother (Janet Leigh) and my father (Tony Curtis) were both nominated for Oscars in different categories," Curtis - a self proclaimed 'nepo baby' - said. Holding back tears, she then said: "I just won an Oscar!"

Earlier this year, Quan stated in an interview with NPR that he felt like his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once was written for him, telling the outlet: "When I read the script for the first time, I was overwhelmed with emotion, because it was a script that I wanted to read for many, many years. It was a role that I thought was written for me, and I was just so excited."

He also spoke on his family's decision to move to the US from Vietnam, saying

He added that he loved getting back into acting after 20 years, saying: "I felt whatever that was missing all those years. ... All of a sudden I felt like I was back where I needed to be."

Well done to Quan and Curtis!

Featured image credit: Matthew Horwood / Alamy

It seems it's not just us that can't get enough of wholesome actor Brendan Fraser, as Ke Huy Quan has proven following his viral interaction with the star at the Critics' Choice Awards this weekend.

Fraser, 54, attended the prestigious awards ceremony - which recognizes "the finest in cinematic achievement," according to their site - to collect the best actor award for his role in The Whale. This role - in which Fraser played a depressed 600-pound teacher desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter - has earned him significant praise, especially after a lengthy acting hiatus.

As previously reported, The Mummy actor was blackballed from Hollywood after coming forward with allegations of sexual assault against a former President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), Phillip Berk. In 2018, Fraser told GQ about the distressing alleged incident.

"His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around. I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I thought I was going to cry... in my mind, at least, something had been taken away from me," Fraser stated.

Fraser was blackballed from Hollywood following his sexual abuse allegations against Phillip Berk. Credit: Kristina Afanasyeva / Alamy

As such, Fraser boycotted this year's Golden Globes, despite being nominated for best actor. This weekend, however, he was in good spirits as he attended the Critics' Choice Awards.

The highlight of the night was definitely the moment of pure joy captured on film when fellow actor Ke Huy Quan - who appeared in the hit movie Everything Everywhere All At Once - spotted Fraser in the winners' lounge, running up to hug and congratulate him on his big win.

Fortunately, Critics' Choice managed to record the sweet moment, taking to Twitter to post it with the caption: "There is SO much love for [Brendan Fraser] in the house tonight. Here's the moment Ke Huy Quan spotted him in the Winners Lounge and sprinted over to congratulate him."

Deadline reported that the beloved actor made a heartfelt speech when accepting his award, saying: "It was Herman Melville who once wrote that there are only five critics in America - the rest are asleep. I don't know what it means, either, but I'm sure glad you woke up for me."

He continued: "Darren Aronofsky, I was in the wilderness, and I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you've found me. And like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get to where I needed to be.

"If you, like a guy like Charlie, who I played in this movie, in any way, struggle with obesity, or you just feel like you're in a dark sea. I want you to know that if you too, can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light. Good things will happen."

Fraser's completely adorable reaction to winning best actor was also captured on film and posted on Twitter, to the delight of fans:

We're not sobbing... you are!

Featured image credit: Kristina Afanasyeva / Alamy Stock

Robert Downey Jr. has been awarded many prestigious accolades during his long and illustrious career in the film industry.

From a 'Best Actor' Golden Globe win for his role in the 2010 adaptation of Sherlock Holmes to his multiple People's Choice Award wins for his iconic portrayal of Iron Man in the Marvel series, Downey's really secured a lot of victories in his time.

However, there's always one particular movie that seems to crop up again and again during any Downey-centered discussion - and that's his role in the comedy-action film, Tropic Thunder.

Directed by Ben Stiller, the movie tells the story of a group of actors who were shooting a big-budget war movie and were forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Brandon T. Jackson, Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Bill Hader, Ben Stiller, Matthew McConaughey, and Robert Downey Jr. all star in Tropic Thunder. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty

The 59-year-old played Kirk Lazarus, a character that saw him physically turn himself from a white man to a Black man, in a process that is more commonly referred to as 'blackface'.

As per the Oxford Dictionary, 'blackface' is a term used to refer to the practice of "wearing make-up to imitate the appearance of a black person.

"The use of such make-up was associated with minstrel shows in the United States from the 1830s until the mid 20th century; it is now regarded as highly offensive."

So of course, naturally a lot of people were left feeling uncomfortable and upset by a veteran actor playing a character that uses "pigmentation alteration" surgery to darken his skin and pass off as a Black man.

Back in 2020, he opened up about the issue during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

"My mother was horrified," Downey said, recalling his initial feelings about the position. "'Bobby, I’m telling ya, I have a bad feeling about this.' I was like, 'Yeah me too, mom.'"

He continued: "When Ben called and said, 'Hey I’m doing this thing' – you know I think Sean Penn had passed on it or something. Possibly wisely. And I thought, 'Yeah, I’ll do that and I’ll do that after Iron Man.' Then I started thinking, 'This is a terrible idea, wait a minute.' Then I thought, 'Well hold on dude, get real here, where is your heart?' My heart is... I get to be black for a summer in my mind, so there’s something in it for me.

"The other thing is, I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion, just my opinion."

The 59-year-old then went on to state that "90 percent of [his] Black friends" referred to the movie as "great."

Credit: Robert Gauthier / Getty

"[Ben Stiller] knew exactly what the vision for this was, he executed it, it was impossible to not have it be an offensive nightmare of a movie," Downey Jr. continued. "And 90 percent of my black friends were like, 'Dude, that was great.'

"I can’t disagree with [the other 10 percent], but I know where my heart lies. I think that it’s never an excuse to do something that’s out of place and out of its time, but to me, it blasted the cap on [the issue]. I think having a moral psychology is job one."

He then stated: "Sometimes, you just gotta go, 'Yeah I effed up'", but allegedly in his defense "Tropic Thunder is about how wrong [blackface] is, so I take exception."

The actor has repeatedly denied that his intention with the role was not to offend the masses and instead to highlight the importance of not doing blackface - though fans are seemingly reluctant to accept the Avengers star's reasoning.

As per IndyWire, Downey received critical acclaim for his performance in Tropic Thunder and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The Oppenheimer star opened up about the criticism again during his recent appearance on Rob Lowe’s Literally! podcast, and made comparisons to Norman Lear’s sitcom All in the Family, which also focused on racism themes.

"I was looking back at ‘All in the Family,’ and they had a little disclaimer that they were running at the beginning of the show," he said, per Movie Web. "People should look it up, exactly what it is, because it is an antidote to this clickbait addiction to grievance that [people seem] to have with everything these days."

"The language was saying, 'Hey, this is the reason that we’re doing these things that, in a vacuum, you could pick apart and say are wrong and bad,'" he continued, adding that there "used to be an understanding with an audience" but now "things have gotten very muddied".

Tropic Thunder was directed by actor Ben Stiller. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty

Downey Jr. went on to praise the director, noting that Stiller aimed to fight "against all of these tropes that are not right and [that] had been perpetuated for too long".

In addition to this, the 58-year-old Stiller - who played Tugg Speedman in the film - previously revealed on X that he is still "proud" of the comedy movie, writing: "I make no apologies for Tropic Thunder.

"It’s always been a controversial movie since when we opened. Proud of it and the work everyone did on it," he added.

Featured Image Credit: Steve Granitz / Getty