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Recent Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. may be adding another big accolade to his converted acting career soon. The outstanding reviews of the HBO limited series The Sympathizer prove it was the celebrated actor’s perfect Oppenheimer follow-up, especially now that it has earned him his second career Emmy nomination. Downey Jr. stars as several characters in the critically acclaimed new limited series, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name written by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Before becoming one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, Robert Downey Jr. rose to prominence as a stage actor during the 1980s. He was able to become a cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1985, which was ultimately short-lived. Downey’s early film success placed him on a fast track for more leading roles throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, starring in titles such as Chances Are (1989), Air America (1990), and Soapdish (1991). Downey’s first Academy Award nomination for Chaplin made him a Hollywood star.

Robert Downey Jr. Could Win An Oscar & Emmy Within The Same Year

Downey would become the first male actor to ever do it

Robert Downey Jr. as Niko making a speech on the set of The Hamlet in The Sympathizer

Robert Downey Jr. won for Oppenheimer back in March 2024 and now he’s nominated for an Emmy due to his role in The Sympathizer, a show that was released on April 14, 2024. Despite the show having excellent reviews and offering one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best performances of his career, the series did not gain much traction with a wide audience. As a result, The Sympathizer was overlooked but RDJ’s recent Emmy nomination might boost the show’s popularity.

Downey would become the first male actor to ever win an Emmy and an Oscar in the same year. Helen Hunt and Helen Mirren are the only actresses to have pulled off the impressive feat. He’ll go up against Jonathan Bailey (Fellow Travelers, Showtime), Tom Goodman-Hill (Baby Reindeer, Netflix), John Hawkes (True Detective: Night Country, HBO/Max), Lamorne Morris (Fargo, FX), Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry, Apple TV+), and Treat Williams (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, FX).

The Sympathizer Isn’t the First Of Robert Downey Jr.’s TV Roles To Get An Emmy Nomination

He was nominated for Ally McBeal in 2001

Robert Downey Jr. as Niko on the set of The Hamlet in The Sympathizer

Downey Jr. was previously nominated for an Emmy for his role in Ally McBeal back in 2001. Even though the show might not be as popular as he and HBO had liked it to be, RDJ is still riding high off his recent Supporting Actor Oscar win. His Supporting Actor Emmy in the same year would be well-deserved, especially considering that he plays four completely different characters in the series. Robert Downey Jr. could make history at the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards, which will take place on September 15, 2024.