JIMMY Kimmel has opened the 2024 Oscars with a crass joke about Robert Downey Jr.'s past drug use that was panned by fans.
Late Night star Jimmy, 50, doled out a lengthy monologue for his fourth time serving as host of the Academy Awards.
You can follow The U.S. Sun's live coverage of the winners here.
The comic took center stage to open Hollywood's biggest night on Sunday.
He began, “Thank you for that partial standing ovation and welcome to the 96th Oscars. Everybody, look at these beautiful human actors!”
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Kimmel applauded Hollywood for its “memorable” films despite the dual Hollywood strikes, minus “Madame Webb.”
The host then aimed his comic scope at the year’s biggest films- mentioning Barbie and Greta Gerwig's Best Director snub.
He also mentioned Margot Robbie’s snub before cracking the "unnecessary" joke.
Elsewhere during the glitzy event:
- John Cena bares all to streak on stage
- Jimmy Kimmel shades Hailey Bieber
- Stars took to the red carpet
- Kirsten Dunst trips as husband rushes to help her
- Protesters spark delays
Kimmel pivoted to Oppenheimer and its Best Supporting Actor nominee, Robert Downey Jr.
He said, “This is the highest point of Robert’s long illustrious career- well, one of the highest,” motioning to his own nose.
Downey Jr. then pointed to his nose, seeming to be a good sport, and the audience nervously laughed.
“Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made?” Kimmel asked him.
He added, “But look at him, he's so handsome, so talented, he's won every award there is to win. Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket, or do you have a very rectangular pe*is?”
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At that point, Robert Downey Jr. stared at the host, looking stoic and disappointed as there were crickets.
Oppenheimer costar, Emily Blunt, seated behind him, appeared to console him by rubbing his back.
Kimmel added, "What a story, not even 20 years ago things weren’t going that great. He played the villain in a movie where Tim Allen turns into a dog, right?
"And if you ever decide to remake that film, I have just the guy to play Tim Allen: Messi [the dog from Anatomy of a Fall].
'SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT'
Fans were not dazzled by Kimmel's joke about Robert Downey Jr. given his drug troubles are decades in the rearview.
"Muted the Kimmel monologue after that RDJ ‘joke’. Oscars are off to a great start," one fan wrote on X.
“Full body second-hand embarrassment at how flat Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes about Robert Downey jr landed," wrote another.
“Robert Downey Jr. almost pulled a Will Smith on Jimmy Kimmel," joked a third.
"2024 and Jimmy Kimmel bringing Robert Downey jr addiction during his opening monologue and trying to make a joke about it. So unnecessary… WTF," wrote a fourth.
A fifth wrote, "Anyone else watching Jimmy Kimmel try?!?! This is horrifying to watch."
And a sixth, "Can Jimmy Kimmel just go away, please #Oscars."
However, other fans enjoyed the otherwise play-it-safe opening, "This is probably Jimmy Kimmel's best-ever opening monologue."
LAST LAUGH
Downey later tasted Oscars gold as he won the award for Best Supporting Actor, his very first.
During his acceptance speech, the actor joked, "I'd like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order."
He went on to thank his wife for "bringing him back to life."
While Downey took the jabs well throughout Kimmel’s monologue, his history with addiction began in 1996.
He was arrested several times before going through treatment programs.
He has been sober since 2003, crediting wife Susan Downey for his success.
Meanwhile, Jimmy previously fronted the ceremony in 2017, 2018 and 2023.
Kimmel will sit alongside other four-time hosts such as Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon.
Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, and Bob Hope are the only three hosts who have more Oscar-hosting nights under their belts.
PROTEST MESS
Meanwhile, as Kimmel also mentioned in his monologue, the show was forced to start five minutes late.
Over 1,000 Pro-Palestine protesters marched to the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars took place at 7 pm ET.
Police have since issued a dispersal order for the protest.
“A Dispersal Order was issued in the area of Sunset Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue for Unlawful Assembly,” the Los Angeles Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter.
Nominees such as Cillian Murphy eventually trickled into the theater after the Los Angeles Police Department issued a dispersal alert when the protesters descended on the area.
Crowds were chanting "Free free Palestine" while waving Palestinian flags and holding up signs.
Many posters showed a movie slate painted in black, white, green and red, the colors of the Palestinian flag, with a message addressed to the Oscar audience: “While you’re watching, bombs are dropping," according to The LA Times.
As protestors block the street, traffic near the high-profile event became an issue.
Singer Ariana Grande posted to her Stories on Instagram that she was stuck in traffic wearing a bright pink tool dress and massive pink gem necklace- but eventually made it.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, OPPENHEIMER
Hollywood’s biggest night hits the small screen on ABC on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at a sprightly 7 p.m. ET.
This is an hour earlier than usual, or two, considering the daylight savings time change.
As usual, the 96th annual Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
The Oscars saw the year’s most critically acclaimed movies, actors, directors, and everyone behind them duke it out.
Oppenheimer (13 nods), Poor Things (10), Killers of The Flower Moon (10), and Barbie (8) led the tally.
Fans felt the Kenergy as Ryan Gosling performed “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie with Mark Ronson, and Billie Eilish drew tears with “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie.
Presenters included Mahershala Ali, Bad Bunny, Emily Blunt, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Zendaya, and a nude John Cena.
Awards-wise, the Barbenehimer summer craze has fizzled out, and it was a statuesque night for the Robert Oppenheimer biopic, with Downey Jr. winning for his role.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress for Alexander Payne’s (potentially plagiarized) The Holdovers.
Anatomy of A Fall won Best Original Screenplay, and American Fiction Best Adapted Screenplay.
Like everyone predicted, Christopher Nolan's three-hour atomic bomb opus also won Best Picture and Best Director (Nolan’s first for both).
Best Actress was a toss-up with Anatomy of A Fall’s Sandra Hüller squaring up against Poor Things’ Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone of Scorcese’s Killers of The Flower Moon.
In the end Stone won, snubbing Lily of making history as the first-ever native Oscar winner.
