Cillian Murphy on his Oscar win for Oppenheimer, his long-working relationship with Christopher Nolan, and why he doesn’t watch his own films
Cillian Murphy, Oscar winner. How does that sound?
It is surreal (laughs). I really can’t believe it. I feel grateful and humbled, and completely overwhelmed.
How does it feel to be the first Irish-born actor to win an Oscar?
It’s not something I really thought about before, but now, of course I’m proud—to be Irish, and to highlight the way Ireland supports home-grown talent in this industry.
Oppenheimer is the sixth movie you have made with Christopher Nolan. What is it about him as a director that you like?
What isn’t there to like? He’s a master of his craft. I love how he collaborates with actors and, most of all, how he understands that the audience is intelligent and wants to see complex and compelling stories on the big screen. He’s an incredible visual artist and a brilliant storyteller. I feel lucky to have worked with him as much as I have. He’s changed my life, and I hope we can continue to do more together.
How much did you know about J Robert Oppenheimer before the chance to play him came to you?
Not much. I had heard of him and the events of 1945, and how he helped change the world forever with this destructive and appalling nuclear weapon. But my knowledge of him as a man was sketchy.
How did you prepare to play this scientific genius, particularly writing out all those complex mathematical equations we see in the film?
Well, I’m not a scientific or mathematical genius, so it took a lot of work. I did months of practising to write equations like I knew what I was doing. I got to the point where I could write one after the other on the chalkboard, and then when we shot that scene, Chris had the camera turned on my face so you couldn’t see what I was writing anyway. But, it was all like hieroglyphics to me in an almost beautiful way.
How much did the costume help your physicality as Oppenheimer?
Enormously. It really started with the hat and the pipe, which Oppenheimer consciously chose as part of his persona. I read as much as I could, looked at a lot of photographs and whatever footage I could find to understand his physicality— the way he stood, the way he walked. That’s always interesting to me.
What did you learn about Oppenheimer as a man that perhaps surprised you?
A lot from his early life. And, I certainly didn’t know how artistic or charismatic he was. Everyone focuses on his academic and scientific accomplishments, of course, but I had no idea how much into music, poetry and all the arts he was. He could speak a number of languages. He was a brilliant man, but also an interesting man.
Is it true that you hate to watch your own movies?
It’s not so much the movies I have a problem with, but the fact I am in them (laughs). I really don’t enjoy watching myself. I do watch the films I am in, and I have to say, with this one, I was totally blown away. It’s incredible. Because of the way Chris works, using only film cameras, there is no play back at the end of a day’s shooting. There is no chance to see anything really until it’s done. With Oppenheimer, the first finished scene I saw was when the trailer came out, and then the finished film. I was blown away by the experience of it. It’s just incredible to the point that I forget it’s me up there on the screen.
Is it true that the first time you acted for Nolan was when you auditioned for the role of Batman?
That is true. I think I got to wear Val Kilmer’s bat suit, adjusted to fit me of course, and it was a screen test for Batman Begins. Of course I didn’t get it, Christian Bale did. No hard feelings (laughs). But, thankfully Chris saw something in me and cast me as Scarecrow instead. But I still got to be Batman that one time. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
We have seen you in many dark, gritty and hard-hitting dramatic roles. Would you ever consider doing a comedy?
I would love to. I have done comedy on stage, but I don’t ever get offered comedies really. I’m not sure why. Maybe, now I will (laughs).
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