Summary
- Behind-the-scenes images reveal that Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t intentionally snubbing Ke Huy Quan at the Oscars.
- Fans point out the limited time winners have on stage, leading to pleasantries happening offstage after the initial moment.
- Winning his first Oscar can be overwhelming, causing Downey to potentially get caught in the moment and appear flustered.
Aside from winning at the 2024 Oscars, Robert Downey Jr.’s next viral moment is his alleged snub of Ke Huy Quan as he accepted his award, but new behind-the-scenes images reveal what actually happened. The 96th Academy Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel featured several conversation-starter bits — from Ryan Gosling’s live performance of I’m Just Ken to Al Pacino’s odd announcement of the Best Picture winner, which went to Chris Nolan and Cillian Murphys’ Oppenheimer. Overall, Downey had a great night winning his first Oscars, nabbing Best Supporting Actor for his role as Lewis Strauss.
That being said, the actor’s night was without controversy as Downey is accused of snubbing Ke as he received his award on stage. However, behind-the-scenes images reveal what happened between the pair in the incident’s aftermath. Check out the photos and some of the internet’s reactions to their initial interaction below:
New images from behind the stage at the Oscars show Downey and Ke seemingly properly getting acquainted with each other. Subsequent photos show them having a good time posing in front of the cameras.
Responding to the images, one fan points out how disorienting winning an Oscar could be for someone. They also point out that there’s limited time for the acceptance speech so the pleasantries take place after the moment.
Another fan cites that Downey snubbing Ke is uncharacteristic, so there’s no merit to the accusation.
An X user posits that Downey may have been caught in the moment and shouldn’t be judged by it.
Someone emphasizes that winning his first Oscar can be overwhelming, hence why Downey didn’t seem to fully engage with Ke.
Another fan issues a reminder that despite his celebrity nature and usual demeanor, Downey is still a human being who “got lost in the weight of the moment.”
Finally, someone highlights that it’s very difficult for winners to spend enough time with all the presenters.
Downey Snubbing Ke On Stage At The Oscars Accusation Explained
Instead of simply bringing back last year’s winners as presenters, the 96th Academy Awards assembled several winners for the role. This means that for Downey’s category as Best Supporting Actor, Ke, who won in 2023 for his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, was part of the roster to introduce the awards. As the latest winner, Ke was holding the statue, and when Downey went up the stage, he wasn’t able to fully greet his fellow winner. Instead, he greeted the other presenters, including Sam Rockwell, whom Downey previously worked with as Iron Man 2 villain, Justin Hammer.
When Downey came up on the stage, he was already walking toward the direction of the microphone, and it just so happened that at that point, he was in an odd position when Ke came up to hand him his statue. It’s worth noting that the Oppenheimer star also didn’t get to interact with other presenters such as Mahershala Ali and Christoph Waltz, who were both standing on the other side of the stage. Granted that it looked quite awkward during the moment, the images off the stage prove that Downey wasn’t intentionally ignoring Ke.
Oscars 2024 Winners List
Awards season comes to a close with the 96th Academy Awards on ABC honoring the best in film from 2023 – see the full list of Oscar winners.
Overall, the Field of Dreams format for the Oscars is great. Seeing the past five winners for each category sharing the stage is a great way to bring in more actors to be involved and people interested. That being said, it risks creating more awkward moments like the one Downey had with Ke. If they bring it back for 2025, hopefully, they can have a better logistical plan on how things should be handled on stage.
Source: Various (see links)
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Studio(s)
- Syncopy Inc. , Atlas Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
