Robert Downey Jr. appears to be traveling further down the road that won him the Oscar this year. After playing the antagonist Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, Downey Jr. has landed another antagonist role in the upcoming HBO series, The Sympathizer. When glimpses of his performance in the series were released on social media, fans were pretty sure that the actor is aiming for the Primetime Emmys next.
Besides his acting role in the series, Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey serve as the executive producers of the series. The Sympathizer is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Robert Downey Jr. Eyeing The Emmys Next After Oscar Win With New Series Role
Robert Downey Jr. was seen in at least five disguises in the trailer for The Sympathizer, a new HBO spy series. According to Variety, each of Downey Jr.’s characters in the series represents “different aspects of the American establishment.” The several disguises shown in the series trailer include an Orange County Congressman, a CIA operative, and a Hollywood film director.
Downey Jr.’s new series role comes after his long-awaited and deserved win at the 96th Academy Awards. While the Sherlock Holmes actor was nominated for Oscars for Chaplin in 1992 and for Tropic Thunder in 2008, it took Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer to realize his Oscar dream. Fans are impressed by this new turn of the actor.
When Downey Jr. shared glimpses of The Sympathizer trailer on his Instagram, fans expressed their love for the actor and his new series role. Some fans tried to decipher the different roles played by the actor while others commented about how the actor will be winning several awards for this role as well. Some of the fan reactions read:
“Looks like he’s playing a dude disguised as another dude” – @voiceover_shill
“Next Emmy award winner 👀” – @giulia.landena
“Now RDJ needs to pull off an EGOT in the next couple of years. My life as a fan would be MADE 🙌🏽” – @thecodeofzaw
“Damnnnnn he is really going full throttle huh🔥🔥” – @the.creative_protagonist
“Oscar Winner for a reason 🔥😍” – @_anshi.rai_
“Get the Gloden Globe and Emmy ready” – @marvel.salvatore
According to Park Chan-wook, the showrunner of the series, the Dolittle actor improvised a significant portion of his performance. He also commended the actor’s effort to remember every crew member’s name on the set. Downey Jr. even shaved his head for the role to save time on using a bald cap. (via THR).
Robert Downey Jr.’s The Sympathizer Debuts On April 14
The first of the seven episodes of the limited series, The Sympathizer, will debut on Sunday, April 14 on Max. According to Deadline, the series is an espionage thriller and follows the new life of a communist spy as a refugee in Los Angeles. The satirical series stars Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxine, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, Alan Trong, and Sandra Oh, besides Robert Downey Jr.
South Korean director Park Chan-wook, known for his films like Joint Security Area and Oldboy, serves as the showrunner, executive producer, writer, and director of the series. Don McKellar also serves as another showrunner. When Downey Jr. got interested in the project, Team Downey joined the production of the series, alongside HBO, A24, and Rhombus Media.
Downey Jr.’s Oscar-winning role in Oppenheimer can be now enjoyed by streaming the film on Peacock Premium.