Sterling K. Brown Thinks He’ll Lose at The Oscars to Robert Downey Jr., “Totally Fine With It”

Sterling K. Brown is “just happy to be in the room” when it comes to the Oscar nominations.

The nominees for the 96th Academy Awards were recently announced, and Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction walked away with five nods. The comedy film earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K. Brown), Best Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay. However, one nominee doesn’t think they’re going to win, which is fair considering how things have been unfolding this awards season. Brown recently appeared on The Graham Norton Show (via Variety) and admitted he thinks the Best Supporting Actor award is going to Robert Downey Jr. for his performance 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,” Brown said. “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 was nominated for Killers of the Flower Moon, Gosling for Barbie, and Ruffalo for Poor Things.

When Brown was initially nominated, he took to Instagram to share a video about his first-time Oscar nod.

“I didn’t know how else to respond to share my gratitude,” Brown posted. “I want [to say] thank you to the Academy. For somebody who’s been watching the Oscars their whole life, I’ve never been. I’ve had a few things that have been in contention or whatnot, but this will be my first time actually going to the party, and it’s an honor to get the invite.”

While this is Brown’s first time nominated for an Academy Award, it marks Downey Jr.’s third nod. He received a Best Actor nod for Chaplin (1992) and a Best Supporting Actor nod for Tropic Thunder (2008). While appearing on The View, the star explained why he’s glad he didn’t win the award back in 1993.

“I was young and crazy,” Downey Jr. said, explaining that winning an Oscar at 28 years old “would have put me under the impression that I was on the right track.” 

Downey Jr. struggled with addiction and was arrested in 1996 for possession of heroin, cocaine, and an unloaded gun. The actor was given three years of probation but ended up in jail for four months after missing a court-ordered drug test. After skipping another test in 1999, he was sentenced to three years in prison and served for 15 months. The actor went to rehab in 2003 and has maintained his sobriety for nearly 20 years. 

Who are you rooting for this awards season? Tell us your hopes and predictions in the comments!