Cillian Murphy is receiving widespread acclaim for his portrayal of the renowned physicist Oppenheimer in the movie of the same name. The Irish actor dedicated himself to the role by adopting extreme measures to resemble the scientist as much as possible. Co-stars Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon recently disclosed the rigorous tactics Murphy employed as part of his method.
During an interview with Fandango, Emily Blunt shared that while filming the Los Alamos National Laboratory scenes in New Mexico, they had the opportunity to enjoy delicious local cuisine. However, Cillian Murphy, who portrayed J. Robert Oppenheimer, abstained from partaking in the culinary delights as part of his dedication to the role.
Cillian Murphy Never Dined With His Oppenheimer Co-stars
During a group interview with Fandango, Emily Blunt playfully revealed that while they were all enjoying quesadillas and dining together in New Mexico, Cillian Murphy, in character as J. Robert Oppenheimer, preferred to stay in his room, eating only an almond. Matt Damon chimed in, saying they extended dinner invitations to him every night during the filming of the entire movie, but he never joined them once.
“We were all in New Mexico, like, eating quesadillas, and [Murphy] was like, in his room, eating an almond,” Blunt said. Damon added: “He declined every dinner invitation for the entire film. We invited him to dinner every night. He never came once.”
In line with numerous other actors, Murphy’s commitment to transforming his body for a role highlights the prevalent pressure in the industry. However, several stars have cautioned against the potential physical and mental risks of such transformations. Additionally, some have voiced concerns about the dangerous impact of celebrating dramatic weight loss by actors on the audience’s perception.
Cillian Murphy Wanted To Compete With Himself
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Murphy emphasized the importance of avoiding the unhealthy practice of becoming overly competitive with oneself regarding how thin one can get for a role. He chose not to disclose specific details about his diet for Oppenheimer, underscoring the significance of prioritizing a balanced approach to such transformations.
“I love acting with my body, and Oppenheimer had a very distinct physicality and silhouette,” Murphy told the Times. “I had to lose quite a bit of weight … he was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes.”
Although Cillian Murphy has collaborated with visionary director Christopher Nolan in the past, featuring in notable films like Inception, Dunkirk, and the Dark Knight trilogy, Oppenheimer represents his inaugural experience as the lead in a blockbuster of this magnitude.
Oppenheimer played a pivotal role in spearheading the Manhattan Project, an undercover research and development initiative aimed at constructing an atomic bomb during World War II. The testing of the bomb took place at Los Alamos, a secluded desert outpost in New Mexico, where the scientists and their families resided.
Source: YouTube
