Robert Downey Jr. and Christopher Nolan at the Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 18, 2024.Photo:Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
Christopher Nolanis continuing to rack up the accolades this awards season.
While presenting Nolan with his award, Downey Jr., 58, joked thatOppenheimer’s huge success had an unwelcome impact on the “enigmatic auteur,” in that it made him more recognizable to the general public.
“He needs his spirits lifted — he’s a bit blue because a terrible tragedy has befallen him,” Downey Jr. quipped of Nolan, joking of the 53-year-old director, “I don’t mean to bring this up, I know it’s very personal, but he has become recognizable on the street.”
Continuing to poke fun at Nolan’s reserved character, Downey Jr. said, “We have become extremely close, as in we had dinner on location once.”
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Christopher Nolan and Robert Downey Jr. at the Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 18, 2024.Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
Meanwhile, upon receiving the honor, Nolan sweetly credited his wife, producerEmma Thomas, saying that she “produced all of my films and all of my children.” The pair married in 1997 and share four children: Flora, Magnus, Oliver and Rory.
Nolan, whose summer blockbusterOppenheimeris the nowhighest-grossing biopic of all-time, received acclaim at Sundance over two decades ago when his sophomore featureMementoscreened at the festival in 2001. He referenced that early success in his Thursday speech.
“The experiences you have here [at Sundance] as a filmmaker is unique,” he said. “You carry it with you throughout your career, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience that I had here 23 years ago [withMemento] and for getting this award tonight.”
Christopher Nolan in New York City on Jan. 3, 2024.Cindy Ord/Getty
Cindy Ord/Getty
Sundance’s Trailblazer Award is meant to recognize “an artist’s unwavering dedication and notable contributions to the field of independent film,” per a release.
“PresentingMementoat the Sundance Film Festival marked a pivotal moment in my career," Nolansaid in a statementon Nov. 1, 2023. “This award is a full-circle moment and testament to the extraordinary influence of independent filmmaking.”
Presenting Nolan with the award on Thursday, Downey Jr. said, “A trailblazer ventures where no one has gone before, and is hard to follow,” joking, “This delights him — the very possibility of not having to see anybody along the way in front of him at all. Ever.”
The honor is only the latest for Nolan in recent weeks, after the London-born filmmaker took home best director forOppenheimerat both theGolden Globe AwardsandCritics Choice Awardsearlier this month.
Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss inOppenheimer(2023).Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
During his acceptance speech at the Globes on Jan. 7, Nolan recalled of the year his 2008 filmThe Dark Knightwas up for awards, “The only time I’ve ever been on this stage before was accepting one of these on behalf of our dear friend, [the late]Heath Ledger, and that was complicated and challenging for me.”
“And in the middle of speaking, I looked down at Robert Downey Jr., [who] caught my eye andgave me a look of support. The same look [he’s] giving me now — the same love and support he showed so many people in your community over the years,” added Nolan.
The admiration and respect is mutual, as Downey Jr. recently reflected on Nolan’s influence on his craft following his badly reviewed 2020 filmDolittle, after he’d come off the heels of playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for so long.
“They say when the student is ready, the Nolan will come,” Downey Jr. said on the Jan. 11 episode ofRob Lowe’sLiterally!podcast. “I mean, the teacher will come. And that’s what happened.”
source: people.com
