Cillian Murphy or how the Peaky Blinders killer ended up nominated for an Oscar for being the creator of the atomic bomb

On Tuesday, January 23, Cillian Murphy was at his parents’ house in Cork, Ireland, drinking a cup of tea when his phone started ringing. A look at dozens of text messages revealed the news: For the first time, Murphy was nominated for an Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of the title character in the film Oppenheimer.

“It fills me with humility,” said Cillian Murphy, 48, known around the world for his role as a cynical killer in the series Peaky Blinders, which has been seen around the world by Netflix, especially during the pandemic. He added: “I’m a bit shocked.”

“It’s a real honor to have been involved in a film that people have connected with so strongly, in a way we never expected,” he added.

In Oppenheimera stunning biopic from director Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy plays American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, a brilliant and enigmatic character known as the father of the atomic bomb, a man consumed by ambition and tormented by his past.

After the premiere with Barbie on July 21st, Oppenheimer It quickly captivated critics and moviegoers alike, grossing more than $950 million worldwide in ticket sales. In Argentina, the film was re-released on January 25.

Murphy had already collaborated with Nolan in supporting roles in films such as Batman begins AND The originbut his final work for the director was a breakthrough achievement, and Murphy received praise for the intensity and emotional complexity he brought to the role.

At the Golden Globes he won the award for best dramatic actor.; he was also nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award (losing to another Oscar nominee, Paul Giamatti); and is up for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award, in an exceptionally busy awards season for Murphy.

Get used to awards and celebrities

“It’s pretty new to me, but I have to say, I think I’m starting to figure it out,” he said, laughing. He was amazed at a recent ceremony where he was in the same row as Meryl Streep.

“Maybe something like this will never happen to me again in my life. “It’s a wonderful feeling,” she added.

In a phone interview, Murphy also talked about what appealed to him about Oppenheimer as a man, how he prepared for the role and the cast’s group chat. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

-Were you watching the Oscar commercial?

-No, I was at home in Cork with my mother, father and wife. And the phone started ringing, so I thought it was good news. Everyone started texting. You can’t avoid good or bad news, but it’s better when it’s good.

-Oppenheimer is a different role than those he has had in the past. What attracted you to this character?

-Well, he is, in Chris’ words, the most important man who ever lived. It changed the course of the 20th century and we all live in Oppenheimer’s world. He was complex, contradictory, flawed, vain and arrogant, but he was still enormously charismatic and charming.

It was a great responsibility. But the roles I like are the ones that make me think, “I have no idea how I’m going to play this.”

-What did you do to prepare?

-I was six months old! From the moment Chris called me, I started working, from the inside out and the outside in. I read and researched a lot and watched all the archive footage on him. Then I immediately started conditioning the body because it was very interesting how he physically moved and how thin his frame was.

But for the most part it was just walking around the basement in Dublin talking to myself and rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing.

A contradictory man

-When you were researching, did anything about Oppenheimer surprise you?

-It was an absolute contradiction in many ways. He could have been an artist, a writer or a poet. But he was also a particularly brilliant human being. Many of his contemporaries would have said that he was the most brilliant man around at any time.

But he was also very temperamental and emotionally and mentally fragile, especially in his youth. If you were creating a literary character, it wouldn’t be one that people would identify with. But in reality he was just like all of us. He was simply a human being. So that’s what I identify with: his humanity.

-What was it like for you to work with such a stellar cast?

-A total gift. Each cast member was brave in the film, as if they had done a lot of research and could improvise on the spot about their character and real-life events. I felt very supported and supported by everyone in the film. We are all still very close. There was a great bond in this movie and it’s still very, very strong.

-Is it true that there is an “Oppenhomies” group chat?

-It’s true, yes. TO Olivia Thirlby He came up with that nickname.

His relationship with the director

-You and Nolan have a long history of working together. How did this impact your work on this film?

-Ah, for me it’s fundamental. I don’t think I could have made this film with anyone else without that level of trust that goes back six films and 20 years. He really pushed me and I wanted to be pushed. Nolan expects excellence from you, because that’s what he delivers everyday.

-Is there something characteristic about a Nolan set or film that differentiates it from other projects you’ve participated in?

-I think it’s the level of concentration. It’s truly remarkable. It’s like a laser the way he uses time. I realized that time is the most precious commodity when you are on a film set. Much of it is wasted.

When you go to Chris Nolan’s set, you go to work. There are no phones, there is no chat. No video image, no monitor. That doesn’t mean it’s not a nice environment. It’s a private, focused environment. This is how you bring out the best in everyone.

-You didn’t have much time for filming, did you?

-No, we shot in 57 days and three of these were preparatory shots. The pace was crazy, but it never felt rushed. We never leave a scene abandoned.

-Some have criticized the film for including nudity. What do you think of these criticisms?

I think these things are crucial to the story. If you know the story, it was his affair with Jean Tatlock that caused him to lose his security clearance and ultimately cost him his career. I think it was essential to highlight the intimacy and closeness of that relationship.

-Besides the Academy Awards ceremony, what else awaits you in the future?

I have a movie called Little things like this (Little Things Like These), which I produced, starred in and which will premiere at the Berlin Film Festival this February. I’m very proud of that film. It was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.. They paid for it and we produced it together. So I’m juggling and attending all these events at the same time.