Cillian Murphy’s upcoming thriller movie Oppenheimer is one of the most awaited titles of the year, and fans could not wait until the Irish actor demonstrates his flair once again on the big screen. The Peaky Blinders star will portray J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, in Christopher Nolan’s biopic.
Murphy and Nolan have been collaborating for years on several projects, with the actor publicly professing his willingness to turn up for the director whenever he calls. It does not matter how big or small the role is – he will be there. And now, Murphy lands his first-ever lead role in a Nolan film.
Cillian Murphy Disagrees With Scientists’ Opinions On Certain Matters
Oppenheimer (2023) is based on the work of Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin’s American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. The role is a heavy task for Cillian Murphy, bringing to life the story of one of the most iconic yet controversial men in our history.
The Red Eye star revealed that his preparation for the film was doing a lot of readings (via The Guardian):
“I’m interested in the man and what [inventing the atomic bomb] does to the individual. The mechanics of it, that’s not really for me – I don’t have the intellectual capability to understand them, but these contradictory characters are fascinating.”
While Murphy did not dive deep into the heart of physics, he tried his best to understand the scientist’s motivations and goals, and in doing so, he would be able to translate this on the screen.
Months of rehearsing and researching have done a good deal of realization for Murphy. Playing the role of Oppenheimer opened his mind to new things, and that scientists think differently than artists or regular people. In another interview, Murphy recalled the time he hung out with scientists:
“I had dinner with all these geniuses. I’ll never understand quantum mechanics, but I was interested in what science does to their perspective. Because they have a completely different way of taking in information than we do.”
The Dark Knight actor sought their opinions on various topics, such as love, politics, and the universe. There is only one thing he could not agree on:
“I remember one scientist saying, ‘I don’t believe in love. It’s a biological phenomenon, the exchange of hormones between the female and the male. That’s all. Love is a nonsense.’ I couldn’t go along with that, obviously.”
As a passionate actor and dedicated husband, Cillian Murphy would certainly refute that statement.
Oppenheimer Star Has A Warning For Fans
Since Oppenheimer’s premiere day is almost on the horizon, Murphy warns people that the movie will definitely catch them off guard and then “knock them out”:
“It’s an extraordinary piece of work. Very provocative and powerful. It feels sometimes like a biopic, sometimes like a thriller, sometimes like a horror. It’s going to knock people out. What [Nolan] does with film, it f*cks you up a little bit.”
The cast also includes Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Matt Damon as Leslie Groves Jr., Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, and Gary Oldman as Harry S. Truman.
Oppenheimer hits theaters on July 21, 2023.
