Every Academy Award nomination for Robert Downey Jr. over the years

With a career spanning several decades, there isn't much that Robert Downey Jr. hasn't managed to achieve.

From his breakout role in Less Than Zero to his iconic portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey Jr. has solidified himself as one of Hollywood's most versatile and beloved actors. He's truly done it all appearing in comedies, dramas, major franchises, animated hits, and everything in between. Fans adore him, yet the awards voters haven't always been as kind with many of his greatest performances going unnoticed when award season has come around.

Despite appearing in nearly 100 titles, Robert Downey Jr.'s work hasn't always been recognized by the critics who vote for movies' biggest awards: The Oscars.

Robert Downey Jr. has three Oscar nominations

Over the course of his career, Robert Downey Jr. has been nominated for three Oscars over the course of his career with over a decade separating his nominations. His first Oscar nomination came way back in 1993 when his performance as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin landed him a spot in the year's Best Actor in a Leading Role race.

More than 15 years later, Downey picked up his second Oscar nomination for his performance in Tropic Thunder competing in the year's Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role race.

Exactly 15 years later, Downey picked up his third Oscar nomination for his performance as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, competing in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role race at the 2024 Oscars.

Oppenheimer landed Robert Downey Jr. his first Oscar win

While there are no certainties when it comes to the Oscars, many anticipated Oppenheimer would land Robert Downey Jr. his first Oscar win and Downey indeed took home the Oscar for his work.

Downey delivered a standout performance in Christopher Nolan's period drama and cleaned up during the awards season taking home a number of top honors for his work including a Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, and SAG Award.

The win for Oppenheimer is a crowning achievement for Downey and stands as a career highlight for an actor who has often been overlooked by critics. The win came 30 years after his first brush with the Oscars back in 1993 when he was first nominated and is an honor Marvel fans loved to see their beloved alum add to his long list of achievements.