“Oppenheimer” isn’t the first time Cillian Murphy topped a movie that hit the cultural zeitgeist. And yet, stardom didn’t quite spark for the Irish actor after Danny Boyle‘s 2002 genre hit “28 Days Later.” There were daring performances (“Breakfast on Pluto”) and fun villainous paycheck plays (“Red Eye”), but Murphy has spent the past two decades mostly in ensemble and supporting roles (on the big screen of course, but in the U.K. his role in “Peaky Blinders” made him a household name). Perhaps his sixth collaboration with Christopher Nolan will change all that.
READ MORE: Christoper Nolan on Heath Ledger, Robert Downey, Jr. and “Oppenheimer” [Interview]
Speaking with The Playlist before the Screen Actors Guild union went on strike, Murphy says he had to “sit down” after his old friend told him he’d be playing J.Robert Oppenheimer, the “Father of the Atomic Bomb,” in his latest epic. Murphy adds, “Whatever he wants me to do, I do it for him because I love working with him and I love his films. But no, there was no preamble, there was no warning. It just came out of the blue.”
Murphy had six months to prep for the role. While there was a lot of archival footage to reference, he says he kept returning to Nolan’s script. In what is almost unheard of for screenwriting, the “Inception” and “Dunkirk” filmmaker wrote much of Oppenheimer’s scenes in the first person, from the physicist’s perspective. The 47-year-old actor had never experienced that before but knew interpreting it all was a huge responsibility. It was a long process, “And a lot of it was me just sitting in my basement walking around and talking to myself.”
Throughout our interview Murphy reflects on his interpretation of Oppenheimer, how Nolan works with actors, his approach to fleshing out the intense scenes with co-star Florence Pugh and, oh yes, whether he planned on seeing the other half of the “Barbenheimer” double feature (which you probably know the answer to already).
Here’s to hoping we don’t have to wait another 20 years for Murphy to lead the way again.
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The Playlist: Did Chris give you any heads-up this role might be coming this way?
Cillian Murphy: No. Whatever he wants me to do, I do it for him, because I love working with him and I love his films. But no, there was no preamble, there was no warning. It just came out of the blue.
Did he just call you up and say, “By the way, you’re the star. You’re the centerpiece of this film?”
He said, “I’m making a movie about Oppenheimer and I would like you to be my Oppenheimer.”
Oh.
Then I had to sit down.
The script has portions of it written in the first person, a rarity, mostly when dealing with your character’s perspective.
Yes.
How hard was that to wrap your head around? Or am I or anyone overthinking it in considering it that way?
Well, I mean, I’d never before read a script written in the first person. Two things, that I’d never before read a script written in the first person, and also it was one of the best scripts I’d ever read in my life. And I immediately knew that it was going to be a huge responsibility because he was trying to put the audience on Oppenheimer’s shoulder, trying to put them right there with him, the whole journey. So I knew it was a biggie.
Was there anything that you found out either from the book or any other research you did that you took with you for the performance?
I mean, I did it all. I had six months, so I just read everything I could, anything that was relevant. There’s an awful lot of footage of him out there, archival footage, so I looked at all of that. But then you keep circling back to the script because the script is your main resource. And I kept circling back to Chris because obviously he wrote it and he knew exactly how he wanted to tell the story. So it was a combination of those things, and flying out to LA, and doing costume tests, and makeup tests, and camera tests. So, it was a long process, but we just went at it very methodically. And a lot of it was me just sitting in my basement walking around and talking to myself.
Was there anything, though, in particular about him that you embraced during the shoot?
I don’t believe there was one thing. When you’re in the shoot, you’re just on this train, and it’s just you don’t really have time to consider stuff like that. I suppose the way I approach things is I try to approach it in an emotional and instinctual way rather than an intellectual way. That’s what I’ve learned over the years, that you can be full of information, but if it doesn’t come from the heart, it’s not worthwhile being up on-screen. That’s the way I approach it anyway.
I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I read that the cast would often have dinner together and you would not join them because you were so focused on prepping for the next day’s scenes.
Yeah. Well, there were a couple of reasons there. We were all staying in this hotel in New Mexico, and Emily and Matt are such good pals, and they would all hang out with people like Josh Hartnett and stuff like that. There were two reasons. I was on a very restricted diet at that point, and also I had an awful lot of lines. So, I just said I’d save the socializing till we premiered the movie, so we’re getting to hang out now.
Did you feel like you needed to get super skinny for the role? Was that something you decided or talked about with Chris?
Well, I mean, he was very famously slim and thin, and he had this very distinctive, iconic silhouette. And it felt necessary to get that physicality right, get into that sort of physical shape. So that meant dropping a bit of weight, but that’s just what you got to do.
Your portrayal of Oppenheimer often seems to hide his arrogance in many ways. You keep it below the surface. I’m curious, was that a specific direction you discussed with Chris, or is that just my interpretation from watching the film?
That’s interesting. I’m interested in that, that’s curious to me. He was so complex and so contradictory, but we wanted to try and show all facets of his personality. I mean, he definitely was arrogant at points, and I think you can see that at certain points in the movie. But weren’t making a decision to make him appealing or not appealing to the audience. It’s up to the audience to make up their minds. And it’s great that you have that version or that interpretation.
I just thought at specific times you appear as though you’re couching his emotions in the performance.
Well, I think we’re both right.
Was there anything about Oppenheimer’s life that surprised you the most, that you were unaware of?
I’d had a very, very basic kind of general knowledge of him, nothing specific. I mean, man, everything about his life was remarkable. And particularly the times that he lived through, they were revolutionary times. It’s this kind of crazy confluence of politics, war, and science. It was extraordinary times to live through.
In terms of how he works with actors, how would you describe Chris compared to the other filmmakers you worked with?
I’ve said this before, I think he’s the perfect director. Because he writes his material, he’s incredibly strong visually. There’s nobody who’s presenting movies the way Chris does in that IMAX format and in that immersive way that he presents films. And he’s extraordinary with actors. He is amazing with actors. And I think the reason that his films succeed even though they work with such a massive canvas, is because the performances are so fantastic. And he allows you freedom, he allows you space to find the character, to find the work. And the scenes never, ever, ever feel rushed. The most important thing on a set with Chris is the performances. I know his films are so visually stunning and there are these amazing spectacles in there, but they always come secondary to the performances.
Is he a rehearsal director? Is he more like, “Let’s figure it out on set?”
No, we didn’t rehearse. We talked an awful lot before the movie. I don’t really like talking about it on set, I prefer to just show it rather than talk about it. And so there wasn’t much rehearsal. I’m not really into rehearsal either. But everyone came so unbelievably well-prepared because Chris expects excellence from people because he delivers excellence.
And yet you and Florence have these incredibly emotional scenes, or perhaps intense is the better word. And I’m just imagining her just showing up having not prepped this at all.
Well, we met up and we talked about it, but she’s an extraordinary presence and she’s a fantastic actor. And her role in the movie is really devastatingly impactful. But again, I think that it all comes down to trust. You got to trust each other and you got to trust your director, and I think we all felt that.
Once you saw the film, what was your reaction? What surprised you the most about it, even though you’re in almost every scene?
The people that we were meeting who have seen the film, there seems to be a common thread where people are just knocked out or emotionally blown away. And the word I always use to describe it is “winded” by the experience, and I found it incredibly provocative. And I remember I saw it with my wife and my son and we just talked and talked, and talked for hours afterward. There’s so much to take in and so much to discuss, because the themes are the biggest themes possible.
This movie is coming out in a crazy-busy summer environment, but everybody seems to be supporting each other. “Barbie” is also opening that weekend, and Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig bought tickets to “Oppenheimer.” Are you buying a ticket to “Barbie” to see with your wife and family?
Yeah. Absolutely, I’ll be there and “Mission: Impossible,” hundred percent. I think it’s great for cinema, I think it’s great for audiences. I can’t wait to see those movies.
“Oppenheimer” is now playing nationwide.