Oppenheimer is Just 1 of 3 Roles Robert Downey Jr. is Obsessed With
Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most phenomenal actors the industry has currently. The actor is one of the few people in the industry who have showcased that they are capable of building an empire back after failing and falling. This comes after Downey Jr.’s career which has been characterized by critical success initially followed by a couple of years of struggle with legal troubles and substance abuse. He finally managed to break free from all of those challenges and is now one of the most successful actors in the entertainment industry.
Downey Jr. is regarded as one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. His popularity especially after he starred as Iron Man in Marvel Cinematic Universe has been unmatched. His character in the MCU is one of the most loved characters who reached its conclusion in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Downey Jr. recently drew similarities between Iron Man and his 2023 featured movie, Oppenheimer. Let’s find out.
Robert Downey Jr. says starring in Oppenheimer was a leap of faith
In his recent cover story interview with W Magazine, Robert Downey Jr., popularly known for portraying Iron Man spoke about his 2023 movie Oppenheimer. He starred as Lewis Strauss; chief commissioner of the Atomic Energy Commission in the movie. Downey Jr.’s portrayal of grey shaded character was highly lauded by the audience and the critics.
During the interview, the actor noted that starring in Oppenheimer and playing Robert Oppenheimer’s nemesis was ‘really a leap of faith with Chris.’ The actor who recently won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor was asked about his experience of playing yet another real person on-screen after he portrayed Charlie Chaplin in 1992. He said,
“There have been three time in my career when I became completely obsessed with the possibility of playing a role. First time was Chaplin. Second time was Tony Stark in Iron Man. And third time- I got the trifecta, and you’re lucky if this happens a couple of times-was with Lewis Strauss for Oppenheimer.”
He mentioned that before he played the character on-screen he knew a little bit about his character, as he is a Cold War enthusiast. He added that he knew that Lewis Strauss was involved in the proximity fuse and that he headed the Atomic Energy Commission. What he did not know was Strauss’ rivalry with Oppenheimer. Cillian Murphy played the character of Robert Oppenheimer in the movie who also won a Golden Globe for Best Actor Motion Picture Drama.
Robert Downey Jr. mentions playing Lewis Strauss was like exploring an unexplored portion of him
The fan-favorite actor during the conversation was asked about his state of mind while he portrayed an anti-hero on-screen especially when he was naturally a funny person. He mentioned;
“Everything about playing Lewis Strauss was…I don’t want to say difficult, but it was counterintuitive for him. I know that we’re all mixture of what our persona is and who we really are. Nolan was inviting me to turn the mirror onto an unexplored portion of myself. And the character to me, is everybody who has felt slighted by somebody who was more important than them. “
Also read: Robert Downey Jr & Chris Evans Have a Staggering Screentime Difference in MCU
Downey mentioned that playing Lewis Strauss helped him to reflect on a lot of things and made him wonder if he had come off like that to people in the past. He added that it made him wonder if he was like that if he wouldn’t seek to destroy himself.
Director Christopher Nolan mentioned in an interview that Jon Favreau’s decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man was the greatest filmmaking decision in the history of movies. He also mentioned that watching him sort of go back to his genius side as an actor and find the truth in another human being and present it was incredible.
Oppenheimer is available to stream digitally via VOD.
