IRON MAN and OPPENHEIMER star Robert Downey Jr. was nearly as frenetic as his fans Friday night when receiving the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s (SBIFF) Maltin Modern Master Award. Joined by high school friend Rob Lowe and Oppenheimer co-star Cillian Murphy, the trio swept across the red carpet with joy and excitement.
First created in 1995, the Modern Master Award seeks “to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry.” Re-named in 2015 to venerate long-time SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic, Maltin was on-hand at the Arlington Theatre to host the evening. He conducted a thorough retrospective of Downey Jr.’s fifty year career, discussing everything from Downey’s breakout performance in 1987’s LESS THAN ZERO, to his slick reinvention of SHERLOCK HOLMES, to the deeply personal documentary he produced with wife Susan Downey about his father, appropriately titled SENIOR.
WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH MODERATOR AND CRITIC LEONARD MALTIN
DOWNEY AND MALTIN IN CONVERSATION
Downey’s trademark showmanship was in full effect on Friday. He was excitable and fidgeting when chatting with Maltin, often losing his train of thought when asked a question and then catching himself. The effect was endearing and gave the impression that he was truly overwhelmed by the honor. Any bravado was punctured by bashfulness and Downey never failed to credit his wife for keeping him grounded when perhaps his ego gets, as he put it, “inflated.” He didn’t shy away from frankly speaking about his past struggles with addiction and substance either. However, part of Downey’s magic is that he can make a packed house of two thousand people laugh when he’s acknowledging uncomfortable truths.
Maltin did an excellent job navigating Downey’s exuberance and drawing insights out of the actor. Over the course of the evening, Downey highlighted three filmmakers as “masters”: CHAPLIN director Richard Attenborough along with OPPENHEIMER star Cillian Murphy and director Christopher Nolan. He referred to working with Nolan as an “education”. Downey’s performance as politician Lewis Strauss has garnered an avalanche of praise, including an Oscar nomination.
RDJ’S “OPPENHEIMER” CO-STAR CILLIAN MURPHY PRESENTS AWARD
Interestingly enough, when Murphy emerged on stage to present Downey with the award, the IRON MAN star settled into stillness, the showmanship suspended, his respect and admiration for his co-star clear. Murphy called Downey “the most versatile actor his generation”. Though he was undeniably humbled by the title, after watching the compilation of clips from Downey’s acting career, which began at the tender age of five in his father’s film, POUND, one has to agree with Murphy. He may be most famous and recognized for his eleven-year stint as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, one was reminded at the end of the ceremony why Downey was cast to play in the first place. He’s an incredibly dynamic performer who manages to balance instinct and intense preparation effortlessly.
Flashiness and humor aside, Downey was endearingly earnest when accepting his award at the end of the evening. He thanks his “greatest associate” Susan Downey once more and ended the night on a profound and masterful note.
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