Robert Downey Jr. on Why He’s Grateful He Lost Best Actor Oscar in 1993

Robert Downey Jr., an Oscar nominee for Oppenheimer, received his first-ever nomination for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin at just 28 years old.

Nominated this year for his work in Oppenheimer, Downey Jr. explained why it wouldn’t have been good during an appearance on The View. In fact, he thinks it would have been disastrous for his career.

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“I was young and crazy,” the Marvel star told the panel. “It would have put me under the impression that I was on the right track.” Downey Jr. was 28 years old when he got nominated for his portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin.

That track saw his career almost completely derailed throughout the 1990s and early 2000s as he found himself facing the law multiple times for drug-related issues, even serving time in prison twice. He described his early career as “30 years of dependency, depravity and despair.”

He finally got sober and enjoyed a career resurgence when Marvel took a huge chance on him and cast him in 2004’s Iron Man.

While carrying on as Tony Stark across the next fifteen years, Downey Jr. landed his second Oscar nomination in 2009, this time for Best Supporting Actor in Tropic Thunder. He lost that one to the late Heath Ledger for his work as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

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This time, it’s Downey Jr. who’s up for Supporting Actor in Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan’s latest film epic. He’s up against Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction), Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Ryan Gosling (Barbie), and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things).

After picking up both a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award already this awards season, Downey Jr. is considered by many to be the frontrunner this time around. Could the third time be the charm?

The actor also had praise and surprise for fellow nominees Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt, marveling that he “couldn’t believe” it was the latter’s first Oscar nomination. Murphy is also a first-time nominee. The trio mark three of the film’s leading 13 nominations.

The 96th Academy Awards are set to air on Sunday, March 10 at 7pm ET with Jimmy Kimmel hosting