Originally appeared on E! Online
Robert Downey Jr. thought the 2024 Oscars were marvelous.
In fact, the "Oppenheimer" star had nothing but good things to say about host Jimmy Kimmel and the jokes he made at Downey's expense at the March 20 ceremony.
"I don't care," he told Esquire in an interview published April 8. "I love Jimmy Kimmel. I think he's a national treasure."
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Fans were divided on Downey's reaction to the jokes Kimmel made during his monologue, as he first noted that the award season sweep was just "one of the highest points" of Downey's "long and illustrious career," with the actor tapping his nose in acknowledgment of the pun.
But things took a turn when Downey gave a questioning look as Kimmel quipped, "Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular penis?"
Turns out, it was neither, because even though he picked up the 2024 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for "Oppenheimer," he kept his speech much more off the cuff, telling the audience, "I'd like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy — in that order."
Robert Downey Jr.'s Best Roles
The 58-year-old — who is dad to kids Exton, 12, and Avri, 9 with his wife Susan and son Indio, 30, from his previous marriage to Deborah Falconer — had an incredibly kind thank you for Susan, saying in his speech, "You loved me back to life. That's why I'm here."
For her part, Susan Downey understands why people picked up on the savior narrative after she and Robert Downey Jr. wed in 2005, but the way she sees it, they needed each other.
"I can tell you that I would never be who I am without him in my life," she told Esquire. "His trajectory is just the easier one to chart because he's had to live his ups and downs in public."
Adding, "When we met, we were fortunate that he was in a place where he was open to do things differently than he had historically. But you know what? So was I."
