Robert Downey Jr. is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as in the blockbuster biopic "Oppenheimer."
READ MORE: Robert Downey Jr. wins his first-ever Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Downey plays Atomic Energy Commission head Lewis Strauss, a key figure in the the United States' effort to build and later deploy a nuclear weapon towards the end of World War II.
Some call Downey the likely favorite to win the Oscar after coming away with awards for supporting actor at the Golden Globes, British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
Nominated twice in 2009 for Tropic Thuder (Supporting) and in 1993 for Chaplin (Leading), Downey has the opportunity to take home his first Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards.
"Oppenheimer" received a total of 13 nominations including best picture. Co-star Cillian Murphy is up for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Robert J. Oppenheimer.