Having worked withChristopher Nolanon six films, beginning withBatman Begins,Cillian Murphyis one of the acclaimed filmmaker’s most frequent collaborators. With his leading turn alongside Nolan inOppenheimer, however, Murphy transcended his previous supporting player status, taking center stage as the father of the atomic bomb. Not taking the opportunity for granted,he thrust himself into a rigorous regimen of preparation in order to play the role, which continued throughout the film’s shooting scheduleand demanded the utmost dedication as he transformed himself both mentally and physically.According to his co-stars,Emily BluntandMatt Damon, Murphy’s commitment toOppenheimerwas so intense that they rarely, if ever, saw the actor outside working hours, but his hard work would ultimately pay off in droves.
How Did Cillian Murphy Prepare to Play J. Robert Oppenheimer?
Having accepted the role of J. Robert Oppenheimerbefore laying eyes on Christopher Nolan’s screenplay, Cillian Murphy knew he’d have his work cut out for him. Headlining an ambitious three-hour biopic would likely give even the most experienced performers a moment of pause, but Murphy relished the opportunity and dove in headfirst for a 5-month preparation period. Aside from readingKai BirdandMartin Sherwin’sAmerican Prometheus, the 2005 biography upon whichOppenheimeris based, the actor familiarized himself with theBhagavad Gita, the Hindu text the physicist famously drew from when he witnessedthe 1945 Trinity Test. Murphy also prepared for the role by reading and listening to Oppenheimer’s lectures, often reciting them to his dog as they strolled down beaches, but these immersive measures arguably paled in comparison to the physical challenges he’d face.
How Did Cillian Murphy Get the Role of Oppenheimer?
Director Christopher Nolan traveled all the way to Dublin to hand Murphy a physical copy of the Oppenheimer script.
To capture Oppenheimer’s trademark thin, gaunt physical appearance — likely a product of his reliance on cigarettes and martinis —Murphy maintained a strict diet before and during production. “I had to lose quite a bit of weight,“he toldThe New York Times, referring to Oppenheimer as “very slim, almost emaciated” andsaying further of the process, “You become competitive with yourself a little bit which is not healthy. I don’t advise it.” While Murphy has declined to comment on exactly how much weight he lost for the role, his commitment to the film’s physical demands was perfectly evident to his co-stars, with Emily Blunt jokingly observing that he survived on “an almond every day.”
Cillian Murphy Isolated Himself While Filming ‘Oppenheimer’
Considering he’d landed what’s arguably the role of a lifetime, playing one of the most consequential figures in human history, Cillian Murphy’s dedication toOppenheimerwasn’t limited to research and physical transformation.Throughout filming, the actor kept a low profile among his fellow cast and crew,isolating himself and rarely socializing with others.As Emily Blunt recalls, “The sheer volume of what he had to take on is so monumental,” adding that Murphy often skipped out on meals with his co-stars. “His brain was just too full,” echoed Matt Damon.
Though Murphy was undoubtedly pushing himself to his performative limits withOppenheimer,Nolan’s fast-paced approach to shooting kept the actor in a constant state of intellectual engagement, physical movement, and creative adrenaline. “You sleep for a few hours, get up, bang it again,” he toldThe Guardian. “I was running on crazy energy. I went over a threshold to where I was not worrying about food or anything.”
Fortunately for Murphy, his dedication to the film was highly rewarding, resulting in what’s arguablya career-best performance. Driven by a seemingly obsessive, near-manic energy that walks a fine line between brilliance and madness, the actor’s acclaimed turn as J. Robert Oppenheimer is, in hindsight, reflective of the hard work he put into it. In that sense, Christopher Nolan’sfast-paced working methodswere essential in keeping Murphy in a particular mental and physical state, depriving him of idle time and any petty distractions that might compromise his focus. Whilesuch an approach to makingOppenheimerwas likely an exhaustive one for Murphy, his commitment to the role paid off in droves whenit won him the Academy Awardfor Best Actor.
Oppenheimeris available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.
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