He will arrive at the Oscars night with a very solid record, having won the Golden Globe, the Bafta and the actors’ union award, an accurate indicator of who will win the statuette. Although his impeccable work in Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece portraying the life of Robert Oppenheimer has been the basis for the film of the same name to become one of the biggest blockbusters of 2023, there is a factor that can leave him empty-handed, the fabulous work of Paul Giamatti in Los que se quedan, which already left him out in the Critics Choice. Preferred by Nolan, who had already hired him on five other occasions, the Irishman Cillian Murphy has found thanks to Oppenheimer the opportunity to crown a sublime career, which includes having shone as the protagonist of the Peaky Blinders series.
How did it come to be added to Oppenheimer?
I was very quiet at home when I received a call from Chris without anyone warning me of anything. When I answered her, she said in her characteristic British accent: “I’m making a film about Oppenheimer and I’d like you to play it.” It was a big hit. I had a very basic knowledge of him and the Manhattan Project, but I knew it would be a very ambitious film. Obviously I was a little scared, but I love it when work scares me. Feeling pressure seems important to me. It’s really good when you wonder how the hell you did it. This is how the best results come about. The truth is that Chris later visited Dublin, I sat in his hotel room and read the script. It was one of the best I had seen in my life. I was struck that his intention was to try to tell the story from Oppenheimer’s subjective point of view; it scared me even more.
How was the shoot?
We recorded it very quickly, in 57 days. With Chris there is a very long pre-production. And when it came to shooting there was total concentration, rigor and detailed attention to every scene. He expects excellence, and we know it. And yet, we never felt like he was holding us back. There’s only one camera and Chris. It feels like you’re shooting an independent film, with a huge screen.
Nolan sees himself as a film craftsman…
That’s just the way it is. What I’ve always liked about him is that he assumes the audience is very intelligent. He is never afraid to go a little further. Never underestimate the spectators. And that is very refreshing. This movie shows that the audience can follow him.
For you, what was the main challenge of becoming Robert Oppenheimer?
There were many challenges, but at the same time everything gave me great enthusiasm. Becoming this character, this icon who transformed the world, was a huge responsibility. But I knew that with Chris I would be in the best hands. Luckily, there was plenty of room to experiment and be curious. It was a constant challenge and that was my driving force.
How was the preparation to become him?
I did a lot of reading and research. I studied how he talked and how he walked. And then with Chris and Ellen on my trips to Los Angeles I tried on dresses and hats. He was a man who worked very hard to create an image for himself. He originated his own mythology from a very early age, something that can be seen in the film. That’s why we had to mention the hats, the dresses and the pipe. It was an essential part. And we had an extraordinary technical team.
