Robert Downey Jr. Wins Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr. won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Male Actor in a Motion Picture. Downey earned the award for his take on Lewis Strauss in the Christopher Nolan-directed film Oppenheimer, which Downey previously called "the best film I have ever worked been in." He opened his acceptance speech by praising the other talent involved in turning the film into a success both with critics and at the box office. "Yeah, yeah, I took a beta blocker so this is going to be a breeze," Downey began. "A sweeping story about the ethical dilemma of nuclear weapons grosses $1 billion. Does that track? No, unless, and because, Universal went all-in on Christopher Nolan to direct Cillian Murphy, with Emma Thomas producing, with Emily and Florence and this cast and crew and help them render a goddamn masterpiece. See, that's not such a leap."

Downey continued, "Dozens of folks have come up to me since the summertime saying that I was, I quote, 'Unrecognizably subtle as Leonard Strauss.' To my fellow nominees, let's not pretend this is a compliment. This is a first time. This is more of a most improved player thing for my dueling career councils, Raskin and Dunlap. They had the gall to say that I needed to restart my career it's so fun proving agents right. Speaking of motivators, my primary caregiver right there, Susan Downey, she has, literally made an art out of extracting me from my comfort zones – That I need to feel safe! – but she's but she's easy on the eyes so whatevs. And lastly, Golden Globes, journalists, thanks for changing your game therefore changing your name. Salute."

Oppenheimer and Robert Downey Jr. Win at the Golden Globes

This is Downey's fourth Golden Globe Award win. This year, beat fellow nominees Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Ryan Gosling (Barbie), Charles Melton (May December), and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things).

Oppenheimer was the big winner in the film categories at this year's Golden Globe Awards, taking home five awards in total, including Best Drama Motion Picture. In addition to Downey's Supporting Actor win, Cillian Murphy won Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture, Nolan took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Director of a Motion Picture, and Ludwig Göransson's Oppenheimer soundtrack won Best Original Score. Here's the full list of 2024 Golden Globe Award winners.

Working with Robert Downey Jr. on Oppenheimer

Speaking to ComicBook.com in July 2023, Murphy talked about what it was like working with Downey. "I think Robert Downey Jr. is just absolutely electrifying in that role," Murphy said. "I think he's mind-blowingly good in it. We talked a lot, me and Robert and Chris about it, about this dynamic between that relationship because it's really, really interesting and complex. When you think that one man's motivation in destroying another man can be about a slight at this tiny, tiny event, so he feels slighted. It was just fascinating to talk about that."

Murphy continued, "Then the scenes where we did get to work together, it was just the best. He's the most wonderful scene partner and so generous, so focused, but you never know what you're going to get in a brilliant way. Some of those scenes, Chris let us loose a little bit so we could actually extemporize and improvise a little bit. They were some of my favorite scenes in the movie."

Oppenheimer Cast and How to Watch

Christopher Nolan directed Oppenheimer. The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, Michael Angarano as Robert Serber, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Dylan Arnold as Frank Oppenheimer, David Krumholtz as Isidor Isaac Rabi, Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush, Josh Peck as Kenneth Bainbridge, Devon Bostick as Seth Neddermeyer, Matthias Schweighöfer as Werner Heisenberg, Christopher Denham as Klaus Fuchs, Guy Burnet as George Eltenton, Danny Deferrari as Enrico Fermi, Emma Dumont as Jackie Oppenheimer, Gustaf Skarsgård as Hans Bethe, Trond Fausa Aurvåg as George Kistiakowsky, and Gary Oldman as Harry S. Truman. 

Oppenheimer is still playing in some theaters. Oppenheimer is also available on Blu-ray, DVD,  4k Blu-ray (if you can find it), and digital.