Cillian Murphy traveled to Los Angeles 20 years ago to audition for the part of Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s 2005 film Batman Begins. However, despite Murphy’s efforts, Nolan eventually gave the coveted role of the caped crusader to Christian Bale while selecting the up-and-coming 28 Days Later star to play the infamous villain, Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow. Thus, it commenced a long-lasting partnership between the actor and the filmmaker.
Murphy’s role as Crane would continue in Nolan’s following two movies of The Dark Knight trilogy, as well as in the 2010 science fiction hit Inception, where he portrayed the heir to a business empire, and as the critical yet minor role in Nolan’s 2017 war drama Dunkirk, based on actual events. The pair have now collaborated for Oppenheimer, with Murphy in the lead role.
How Did Cillian Murphy And Christopher Nolan Cross Paths
During a discussion, Christopher Nolan recalled his initial impression of Cillian Murphy when he saw a photo of him in the San Francisco Chronicle while writing the Batman Begins script. Nolan was struck by Murphy’s intense presence in the picture and began researching his past work. He eventually became excited about the prospect of meeting Murphy and having him audition for the role of Batman.
During the same interview, Cillian Murphy also revealed being a fan of Christopher Nolan’s work around 2003, having seen Memento, Insomnia, and Following. They remarked on how this statement ages them terribly, as it was 20 years ago. Nolan reminisced on a past encounter where Murphy had come out to L.A. for a screen test and had dinner at a hotel. Nolan mentioned feeling an immediate connection with Murphy and being drawn to their interesting take on things creatively.
“It was clear to me from the beginning that I wasn’t Batman material. It felt to me that it was correct and right that it should be Christian Bale for that part. But I remember the buzz of trying on the suit and being directed by you. Those tests were high production values,” Cillian Murphy told Nolan.
What Made Cillian Murphy The Perfect Fit For Scarecrow
When the two first spoke, it seemed apparent that Cillian wouldn’t end up playing Batman. However, Christopher Nolan was still eager to work with him and cast him as the Scarecrow instead. The screen tests for the Batman role had been done elaborately with a little set and shot on 35mm film, which created an electric atmosphere on set when Cillian started to perform.
Executives were invited to watch the performances and were excited to see Cillian’s portrayal. When Christopher Nolan proposed casting Cillian as the Scarecrow, everyone agreed without dissent, even though previous Batman villains had been played by huge movie stars, including Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jim Carrey. It was based solely on the strength of Cillian’s test performances that he was given the role.
“I really wanted to get on set with you; I wanted to get you on film. We did those screen tests very elaborately, on 35mm, with a little set. There was just an electric atmosphere in the crew when you started to perform,” Nolan said to Murphy.
The Dark Knight trilogy is available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: EW
