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One of the most surprising performances of the year is Rober Downey Jr.’s role as Admiral Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer. Despite a stacked cast of heavy hitters led by Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, and many others, Downey Jr. holds his ground as the antagonist after playing Iron Man for over ten years.
Nolan mentioned that he never really saw Downey Jr. as Strauss but just wanted an actor who could try something different and move out of their comfort zone, for whichThe Avengersstar was game. The legendary director also mentioned that one scene in particular impressed him so much that he still cannot get over Downey Jr.’s performance in it.
Also read:“It was very, very radical mix”: Christopher Nolan Despises Criticisms Against Interstellar That Actually Stands True for Another Movie by the Director
Robert Downey Jr. In Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer
Christopher Nolanannounced in 2021 that his next project after 2020’sTenetwould be a biopic on the father of the atomic bomb J Robert Oppenheimer. The idea reportedly struck him after he was gifted a book of speeches by the noted physicist by hisTenetstar Robert Pattinson. The director was also an admirer of Oppenheimer after reading his biography.
He cast his long-term collaborator Cillian Murphy in the titular role, which would focus on the physicist’s role in the Manhattan Project as well as his security clearance hearing years later, which was reportedly orchestrated by Lewis Strauss. Nolan also moved away from his regular studio Warner Bros. after their controversial decision to same-day streaming releases.
Also read:“Not Just because I’m biased”: For Timothée Chalamet, Oppenheimer is Not the Best Movie by Christopher Nolan
While Christopher Nolan chose Murphy as the lead and cast Emily Blunt and Matt Damon in supporting roles, he needed someone who was up for the challenge of playing a bureaucrat like Lewis Strauss. He chose Robert Downey Jr. who had just finished his final appearance as Iron Man inAvengers: Endgameand had starred inDolittle. Nolan spoke toVanity Fair,
“I knew that he was capable of complete naturalism, of completely stripping away some of that charm, some of that persona, and losing himself in a real character. I could tell he was up for that. He was up for being challenged.”
The actor’s performance was lauded by critics and audiences alike, with Downey Jr. even earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.
Also read:“It’s literally the most successful film I’ve ever made”: Christopher Nolan Considers Oppenheimer to Be His Greatest Work Despite Failing to Break 1 Dark Knight Record
Christopher Nolan Has A Favorite Scene Involving Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.has mentioned on multiple occasions that he wanted to work with the legendary director ofThe Dark KnightChristopher Nolan, despite being on the ‘other side’ of the battle (Nolan was part of the DC universe while Downey Jr. headlined the MCU). The time finally came with Nolan’sOppenheimer.
For the film, Downey Jr. had to change his entire process of acting as the way Nolan worked was completely different. The director mentioned that Downey Jr. did many things that worked great for the character and was appreciative of his improvisations. He said,
“From a creative point of view, he came extraordinarily well-prepared. It’s a very complicated part, and he had it absolutely down. And he also had a number of, I wouldn’t call them improvisations because a lot of it was very carefully planned, but he had a number of embellishments, things that he wanted to bring to the character, things that he wanted to try out.”
Christopher Nolan also mentioned his favorite performance of theIron Manstar in the film, pointing out that the actor’s take still makes him emotional despite the amount of times he has watched it. He said,
“There’s just a little moment where he just brings his hand up to his neck and it’s a handheld close-up. In that gesture, you just see into this guy’s soul. You just don’t see actors giving you access to somebody’s raw humanity in that way. And it’s such a tiny little moment. Every time it just gets me.”
Robert Downey Jr. also reportedly shaved his head off and lost weight to better suit the look of Strauss in the film as Nolan was not a huge fan of prosthetics.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
