Christopher Nolan says that seeing Cillian Murphy become J. Robert Oppenheimer reminded him of watching Heath Ledger transform into The Dark Knight’s Joker.
Speaking with Variety, Nolan reacted to Murphy’s recent Oscar nomination for his performance in 2023’s Oppenheimer.
“It was really in the hair and makeup tests, which we shoot on Imax and in black-and-white,” Nolan said. “You start to see the actor bringing an icon to life, putting the hat on, the cigarette in the corner of his mouth. You’re starting to see how he moves. It’s a thrilling moment. It is on every film. Seeing Cillian put this iconography together, it reminded me of my hair and makeup tests with Heath Ledger for the Joker.”
Cillian Murphy reacts to his Oppenheimer Oscar nomination
Murphy, meanwhile, said he was at his home in Ireland when he learned he’d received an Academy Award nomination for his Oppenheimer role.
“Words don’t really do it justice,” Murphy said of his nomination. “I think the superlatives fail you at this point. I’m so truly honored and kind of overwhelmed. But most of all, proud of the movie, and proud that it has achieved so much. It exceeded all of our expectations, any of any of us who are involved in making this movie. I get people coming up to me on the street all the time and they say, ‘I’ve watched the movie five times.’ And then these are older people, and they’re younger people and they’re boys and girls. It’s crazy. And then to be recognized by the Academy like we have been, it’s just kind of mind-blowing.
Murphy said he celebrated the nomination, which he learned about while at his home in Ireland, with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. “It was quite nice,” he added. “My mom made a sponge cake. It was very tasty.”
The other 2024 Academy Award nominees for Actor in a Leading Role include Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Colman Domingo for Rustin, Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction.
Oppenheimer, meanwhile, was also nominated for Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Sound, and Writing (Adapted Screenplay).
Winners will be announced on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
