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As the season of film awards and achievements heads towards the night of The Oscars, a select few and equally auspicious award ceremonies are yet to happen. Among them, the Screen Actors Guild Awards seemed to have chosen Robert Downey Jr. as their pick for the Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance inOppenheimer,a deserving accolade that almost all organizations and individuals seem to agree with.
And thus, when the star took to the stage to formally accept the award with his hands, he was sure to give credit to the recent accolades of his career to several actors he has worked with in the past. Among them, he also includes the name of Mel Gibson, the actor and filmmaker who practically brought his career on track again after he made a film that un-blacklisted the star from Hollywood.
Robert Downey Jr. Honors Mel Gibson and Other Film Stars In His SAG Award Acceptance Speech
In recent years, there hasn’t been any other star quite likeRobert Downey Jr.who almost single-handedly changed the entire landscape of the film industry as we know it today with his role as Iron Man in the MCU.
But he was only able to do so because of the chances and opportunities that he received along with all the stars and filmmakers that helped him achieve the greatness that the industry reveres him with today.
From Sandwich Shop to Shoe Store, 3 Low Paying Jobs Robert Downey Jr. Did Before His $300 Million Worth Hollywood Empire
During his acceptance speech for the SAG Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Christopher Nolan’s latest masterpieceOppenheimer, the star showed his gratitude to each and every star that inspired and helped him on his journey in his path to success. The list of stars also includedMel Gibson, the man who was responsible for bringing Downey Jr.’s career back on track.
#Oppenheimerstar Robert Downey Jr. wins Male Actor in a Supporting Role at the#SAGAwardspic.twitter.com/lyS5oeNeux
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR)August 05, 2025
Of all the individuals that theSherlock Holmesstar listed on the stage, Gibson had the most impact with respect to the star’s career, which pretty much would have been non-existent if not for him casting the star in his flop filmThe Singing Detective, which he created just to get Downey Jr. off Hollywood’s blacklist
“It wasn’t going to happen”: Steven Spielberg Rejected Mel Gibson Over a Nameless Actor For Lead Role in Oscar-Winning Epic
How Mel Gibson Changed Robert Downey Jr.’s Career
If it wouldn’t have been for the actor and filmmaker to help out Downey Jr. when he was blacklisted by Hollywood for his troubled past, we may have had no RDJ or the MCU today.
Robert Downey Jr. Wasn’t the Only Marvel Star Who Lost a Role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy
In the early 2000s, when Downey Jr. had just gotten out of prison, he had nowhere to turn to simply because no one wanted to work with a criminal. This was whenThe Passion of The Christdirector decided to fund a film project titledThe Singing Detective,which was the first film RDJ starred in after his release from jail.
While the film neither made money nor the critics happy, it did manage to kickstart the career of the star, which eventually led him to become Iron Man in the MCU, and the rest is history.
Deepak Bisht
Articles Published :1501
Deepak is a senior writer at FandomWire with a serious love for comic books (DC Absolute Universe and Marvel), the Warhammer universe (Horus Heresy and 40,000), cinematic universes (Sonic, MCU and DCU etc.) and Movies (Action, Adventure, Psychological Horror and Thrillers etc.).With over 1,400 articles under his belt, he spends most of his time diving into the world of superheroes, cinematic universes, TV shows, and films. His goal? To share accurate, engaging, and fun stories that keep fans hooked and in the know.
