Robert Downey Jr. became an Oscar winner on Sunday in a long-awaited victory for the veteran actor who received his first acting nod three decades ago.
Downey won best supporting actor for his portrayal of Rear Adm. Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer,” hailed as one of his best performances in years.
It was the third overall Oscar nod for one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers but whose career has been marked by extreme setbacks.
“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood” Downey said in a light-hearted speech, pausing for the audience’s laughter, “and the academy — in that order.”
He also gave thanks to his wife, Susan. “You loved me back to life and that’s why I’m here.”
