Sterling K. Brown already concedes the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Robert Downey Jr.

Last Updated on March 5, 2024

And the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor goes to…The heavy favorite this year is Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer – and even those he’s in competition with know he’s a shoo-in for the Oscar. Sterling K. Brown, who is up for American Fiction, recently admitted that the statue is Downey Jr.’s to lose.

Speaking on The Graham Norton Show (via EW), Brown suggested that the nomination itself is a sort of victory, saying, “There’s no losing yet. It will happen in its own due time…I know that I’m not going to win.” But he knows the Oscar will go to Downey Jr., who plays Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer. “I’mma tell you: Robert Downey Jr.’s gonna win, and he’s incredibly deserving. He’s an incredible actor. Like, you should give him love…The fact that I get a chance to be nominated along with him and Mr. [Robert] De Niro and Ryan Gosling and [Mark] Ruffalo…I’m just happy to be in the room.” De Niro, Gosling and Ruffalo are nominated for Killers of the Flower Moon, Barbie and Poor Things, respectively; of all of the nominees, only De Niro has a previous win in the category, although Ruffalo does lead in nominations with four.

Outside of his sure-thing bet on Best Supporting Actor being awarded to Downey Jr., Brown predicted that Colman Domingo would win Best Actor for Rustin, although he’s way off base here as the odds-on favorite is Paul Giamatti, with Cillian Murphy proving to be his only real competition if any. If you have strong feelings about the awards, make sure to have your say over at The Golden Schmoes! Our nomination period starts Monday

This Oscar nomination is Downey Jr.’s third and second in the Best Supporting Actor category, after 2009’s Tropic Thunder. He was previously nominated for Best Actor for Chaplin, which RDJ has since gone on to say he’s grateful he didn’t win as it may have screwed with his ego.

It’s pretty cool seeing how humble and giving Brown is here coming off of his first Academy Award nomination. He already has three Primetime Emmy Awards, all in different categories and for different projects.

Do you think the Best Supporting Actor Oscar is a lock for Robert Downey Jr. or is there room for a surprise? Let us know below!