Acceptance speeches at award ceremonies are often emotional, tearful, and sometimes lengthy. The title of “Funniest Acceptance Speech” unequivocally goes to actor Robert Downey Jr., honored at the Critics’ Choice Awards, where he had the audience in fits of laughter with his antics on stage.
Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. has been a fixture in the A-list of the most well-known and beloved actors for many years. In 2024, he secures genuine chances for the most coveted film award in the world, the Oscar, thanks to his role as US politician Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer.”
The Award Season is in full swing in America, and Downey Jr. has already bagged two awards: following the Golden Globe, the 58-year-old now also clinched the award for “Best Supporting Actor” at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Both accolades are considered benchmarks for the most important award in the film industry, and thus, the star of “Oppenheimer” can harbor hopes for an Oscar.
Award-worthy humor – Robert Downey Jr. entertains the audience with his acceptance speech
Someone like Downey Jr., who has been a part of Hollywood’s film industry since childhood, may be a bit more seasoned than fellow actors who may lose their voice out of excitement when receiving a trophy at a major awards ceremony. The Critics’ Choice Awards honor the best films and performers from the critics’ perspective.
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Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. knows the ins and outs of the business and boasts a decades-long career with numerous nominations and awards. However, he’s well aware of moments when film critics have evaluated his work, often not necessarily positively.
So, when he stepped onto the stage of the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards this time, the 58-year-old seized the opportunity to humorously address some of the reviews written about him by members of the Critics Choice Association in the past.
Turning derogatory reviews into laughs
Sardonically, Robert Downey Jr. explained that he had reflected on some of the critiques made by members of the Critics Choice Association about his work, and he wanted to “share a few thoughts with you that they’ve had over the years.”
Because the feedback from his critics had been “so wonderful,” the actor continued. “I thought this morning, I love critics. They’ve given me such wonderful feedback, really so many great moments, and some of them are so poetic.”
He then read out some quotes that elicited laughter from the audience: “The first one is a bit like a haiku: ‘sloppy, messy, and lazy.’ The second is more like a metaphor: ‘Like Pee-wee Herman waking up from a coma,'” said the now celebrated and award-winning Hollywood star. Saving the best for last, he continued in a British accent: “This is from a British critic: ‘An astonishing waste of talent.’ And finally, my favorite line: ‘He’s as funny as a fart trapped in a bed.'”
As casual and easygoing as the 58-year-old is in handling negative reviews, there’s a chapter of his eventful life that the actor doesn’t find quite as humorous: Downey Jr. battled addiction for many years. He attributed the temporary damage to his good image to media coverage, as he explained in an interview with the “New York Times.”
