Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscars Monologue Jokes About Robert Downey Jr.’s Drug Use

Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the 96th Academy Awards Sunday March 10 make a joke about the nominee Robert Downey Jr.‘s previous drug history.

“congratulations for Cillian [Murphy]‘s costar Robert Downey Jr.,” Kimmel, 56, joked in his monologue during the discussion Oppenheimer and the many nominations. “This is the pinnacle of Robert Downey Jr.’s long and illustrious career. Well, one of the highest points.”

Downey, 58, immediately pointed to his nose as he played Emily Bluntwho sat behind him seemed to comfort him by rubbing his back.

“Was it too much on the nose or was that a medicine motion you made?” Kimmel added this during the awards ceremony, which was held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. “Well, look at this man, he’s so handsome and talented, he’s won every award there is to win… and is that an acceptance speech or do you just have a very rectangular penis?”

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Kimmell added: “What a story, just twenty years ago things weren’t going so well. He played the bad guy in a movie where Tim Allen turns into a dog, right? And if you ever decide to remake that movie, I have the right man to play it Tim Allen. Messi [the dog from Anatomy of a Fall].

Although Downey seemed to be a good sport during Kimmel’s monologue, his history of addiction began in 1996. He was arrested several times before undergoing treatment programs. He has been sober since 2003, thanks to his wife Susan Downey for his success.

Sunday evening marks Kimmel’s fourth time presenting the Oscar broadcast. He previously hosted the awards ceremony in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

“It’s an experience that I try to remember is special,” Kimmel said ABC earlier this month. “I just want to make sure that for the people watching and the people who are there, we bring the right amount of respect and also the right amount of disrespect into the proceedings.”

While Kimmel is no stranger to creating monologues for award shows, comedians have been under fire lately for their jokes. Jo Koy, for his part, he hosted the Golden Globes in January, where he infamously joked that the broadcast would have fewer cutscenes. Taylor Swift than the NFL did at games. Nominee Swift, 34, appeared visibly irritated by the jab. (Swift is dating a football player Travis Kelce since the summer of 2023, often attending his Kansas City Chiefs games during the 2023-2024 season.)

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When it became clear that Koy’s jokes were bombing, he blamed his writers during the broadcast. Kimmel, for his part, plans to take a different approach if he finds himself in a similar situation

“I will do it privately when I go to their homes and discharge them in front of their families,” says the Jimmy Kimmel! Live the host joked Deadline in March, noting that he “felt bad” for Koy, 52, at the Globes. “I don’t think he’s been put in a great position. I think he’d be the first person to tell you that publicly blaming his writers wasn’t the right move, but you know, it’s overwhelming.

Kimmel added, “I just think he’s a funny guy, and I think it’s unfortunate that for a lot of people who saw him for the first time, that was the impression they got, and I hope they go to his look at other work. .”

Kimmel, for his part, planned to test his jokes in advance on “people.” [he knows] who get it,” including former Oscar-goers “who understand the dynamics.” While speaking to Deadline, he hinted that his jokes would be about all the nominated films.

“I’ve made a lot of jokes about all the movies, and I’m not holding back,” Kimmel told the outlet. “I mean, that’s basically what it is. We’re pretty focused on writing jokes, and writing jokes that haven’t been killed yet, and having some fun with the people in the audience, which is constantly changing, and hopefully it will carry over.