Robert Downey Jr completes awards season sweep with Oscar win

Robert Downey Jr completed his clean sweep of awards season as he was named best supporting actor at the Oscars for his role in Oppenheimer.

The Iron Man star won for his performance as Lewis Strauss, head of the Atomic Energy Commission in the epic biopic about J Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist described as the father of the atomic bomb.

It follows wins at the Baftas, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice awards.

Collecting the prize, he said: “I want to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy in that order.”

Honouring his wife Susan Downey, he added: “I’d like to thank my veterinarian, I mean my wife, she found me a snarling rescue (pet and) you loved me back to life. That is why I’m here.”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the first Oscar of the night when she picked up the best supporting actress prize for The Holdovers.

The actress plays a grieving cook in the boarding school drama, about a grumpy teacher who stays behind on campus at Christmas.

The acting prizes were both presented by five previous winners of the category, who each honoured one of this year’s nominees.

Randolph was tearful as she paid tribute to her mother for encouraging her to pursue acting.

She added: “God is good, I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career, I started off as a singer.”

Randolph also said that she was “grateful” to everyone who supported her, before adding: “Thank you for seeing me.”

“I was the only black girl in that (acting) class when you saw me and you told me it was enough,” she continued. “I am so grateful to the women who have been at my side.”

The Zone Of Interest won the best international feature Oscar for the United Kingdom.

British director Jonathan Glazer accepted the award and said: “All of our choices were made to confront us in the present. Not to say ‘Look what they did then, but look what we do now’.”

He added: “Our film shows where dehumanisation leads at its worst – it’s shaped all of our past and present.

“Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.

“Whether it’s the victims of October 7 in Israel or of the ongoing attack on Gaza, all are victims of this dehumanisation.”

The Academy Award for original screenplay was presented to French filmmakers Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for courtroom drama Anatomy Of A Fall.

On stage, Triet said they came up with the idea when they were stuck in the house during the pandemic and changing their children’s nappies.

Cord Jefferson won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for American Fiction, about a black author who writes the kind of book he despises.

Collecting the prize, he said: “This means the world to me.

“I’ve been talking a lot about how many people passed on this movie when discussing it and I’m worried that sounds vindictive but it’s more a plea to recognise there are many people out there who want the opportunity I was given.

“I understand this is a risk-averse industry but 200 million dollar movies are also a risk,

“Instead of making one 200 million dollar try making 20 10 million dollar movies or 50 four million dollar movies.”

Addressing his collaborators on the film, he said: “Thank you for trusting a 40-year-old black guy who has never directed anything before.”

Surreal comedy Poor Things, about a woman who has the brain of a baby transplanted into her, won three awards in a row when it was recognised for production design, costume design and make-up and hair styling.

The ceremony started five minutes late following pro-Palestine protests outside the ceremony.

It opened with host Jimmy Kimmel superimposed into a scene from the box office juggernaut Barbie.

In the bus stop scene from the film, Margot Robbie’s Barbie turns to him and says “You’re so beautiful”. Kimmel replies: “I know I was just thinking that, I haven’t eaten in three weeks.

“I’m so hungry, I have to go host the Oscars.”

Appearing on stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, he said: “Thank you for that partial standing ovation.”

He added: “And for making it on time, the show is starting an hour earlier this year but don’t worry, it will still start very, very late.”

Kimmel made passing reference to the strikes which ground Hollywood to a halt, referring to what “a hard year” it had been for the industry.

He also referenced Greta Gerwig’s snub for the best director prize.

Kimmel told the audience that Barbie director Gerwig’s achievement was “taking a doll no-one loved any more” and turning the Mattel toy into a “feminist icon”.

“Many people felt (Greta) should be nominated for best director,” he said.

Turning his attention to Robbie and her co-star Ryan Gosling, he said: “If neither of you wins an Oscar tonight, I would like to say you won something much better, the genetic lottery.”

Returning to the subject of the strikes, and the “historic deal” struck on the use of artificial intelligence, he said: “Actors can now go back to worrying about being replaced by younger more attractive people.”

He continued: “As pretentious and superficial as it can be, this is a union town.”

Kimmel also invited a standing ovation for behind-the-scenes workers, who came out on stage as the crowd applauded.

As the unions Iatse and Teamsters begin their negotiations, Kimmel said: “We will stand with you too.”

He added: “I’m going to make sure this show goes really long tonight to make sure you get a ton of overtime.”