Actor Robert Downey Jr. has called Oppenheimer the best movie he’s ever been in.
Downey Jr., best known for playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has had a long career of work behind him. Beyond his work in the superhero genre, he has worked with David Fincher in the 2007 movie Zodiac, and has received Academy Award nominations for his roles in Chaplin and Tropic Thunder.
His next movie is Oppenheimer, a historical thriller directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar). He plays real-life figure Lewis Strauss, a supporting character in the film led by Cillian Murphy as the titular character. Before the ongoing actors strike, the cast of the film appeared at the U.K. premiere.
“Just going to flat out say it: This is the best film I’ve ever been in,” the Iron Man actor said at the premiere, “and I cannot wait for you all to experience it.”
“He’s one of our great actors, and though a generation of kids know what a great movie star he is, they’ve not seen his subtlety and brilliance,” Nolan said to The Los Angeles Times. “I wanted to get him to do something completely different, to lose himself in another human being. When was the last time we’ve seen that? ‘Chaplin’? Directors are very aware of how talented Downey is, but because of his incredible energy that can punch through the screen, finding the right thing for him is difficult.”
Did the Oppenheimer cast walk out of the premiere?
Yes, following the U.K. premiere, the Oppenheimer cast, which included Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, and Matt Damon, left in support of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. They will no longer be allowed to do press or promote the film as the strike continues.
Oppenheimer releases on Friday, July 21, 2023, by Universal Pictures.