Robert Downey Jr. reflects on losing first Oscar nomination
What's the story
Robert Downey Jr. received his first Academy Awards nomination for Best Actor in 1993 for the movie Chaplin (1992).
Though he was in the nomination race, RDJ, in a recent interview, said that he's happy he didn't win it.
During an appearance on The View, he opened up about his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin and admitted that losing to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman was a relief, as he was "young and crazy" at the time.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The actor has been nominated three times for the Academy Awards. Apart from Chaplin and his recent Oppenheimer nomination, Downey Jr. was also nominated for Tropic Thunder, a 2009 film, in the Best Supporting Actor category.
However, he hasn't won an Oscar to date.
Of his six Golden Globe Awards nominations, he has won four for Short Cuts, Ally McBeal, Sherlock Holmes, and Oppenheimer.
The reason
Here's why he's happy for not winning it
Talking about the possibility of winning the Oscar at 28, he said it "would have put me under the impression that I was on the right track."
After his initial Oscar nomination, Downey Jr. experienced several arrests and jail time for drug-related offenses in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
He has since discussed his journey to sobriety and battle with addiction, describing that time as "30 years of dependency, depravity, and despair."
Oscar nomination
RDJ on his Oscar nomination for 'Oppenheimer'
Moving on from his first nomination, the Iron Man actor spoke about his latest Oscar nomination for Oppenheimer.
"I was just so happy for all 13 nominations," he said, adding that he was surprised to find out it was Emily Blunt's first Oscar nomination.
Helmed by Christopher Nolan, the film received a total of 13 nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Actor for Nolan and Cillian Murphy, respectively.
Upcoming work
About RDJ's professional front
One of the most popular actors from the West, Downey Jr. is best known for playing Iron Man in the Iron Man film series alongside Marvel's Avengers movies. He also starred in Dolittle and Sherlock Holmes films.
Last seen in Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss, one of the original members of the US Atomic Energy Commission, Downey Jr. will be next seen in the HBO miniseries The Sympathizer.
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