There are no shortcuts when it comes to acting. We all have a favorite actor who always makes us excited to hear about their upcoming projects. However, it is rare to see an actor in the entertainment industry show appreciation for their fellow actors. But it does actually happen. For instance, everyone in the A-list cast of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, including Matt Damon, agrees that Cillian Murphy gave the performance of his life.
Cillian Murphy, best known for playing Tommy Shelby in the television series, Peaky Blinders, is currently receiving praise for his work in Nolan’s Oppenheimer. He played J. Robert Oppenheimer, a famous American nuclear physicist, who contributed to the creation of the first atomic bomb.
Despite having a fairly different subject, the movie attracted a sizable audience and was a box-office powerhouse. However, Murphy’s Oppenheimer co-stars have admitted that the Irish actor was a constant source of distraction for them during filming.
Why Did Matt Damon Find It Difficult to Work With Cillian Murphy?
Oppenheimer’s leading man, Cillian Murphy, rose to fame in 2005’s Christopher Nolan film, Batman Begins as Dr. Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow. People gravitated toward his on-screen presence when he was playing Scarecrow. The feeling was further intensified when he took on the role of Peaky Blinders’ well-known Tommy Shelby.
When Nolan described Murphy as having “crazy eyes”, Matt Damon nodded in agreement while discussing his on-set interactions with the actor.
Both Emily Blunt and Damon were gushing about how charismatic their lead actor is and how even when he does not do anything, people are drawn to him.
However, they also agree that when acting opposite him, his deep blue eyes can be distracting. In a group interview, the 52-year-old Jason Bourne actor told PEOPLE:
“It’s a real problem when you’re doing scene work with Cillian. Sometimes you find yourself just swimming in his eyes.”
In the meantime, the 40-year-old British actress, Blunt, who portrayed Murphy’s troubled wife in Oppenheimer, joked:
“It’s like that ‘Ocean Eyes’ song by Billie Eilish. We just hum it all day.”
Christopher Nolan’s Reaction When He First Saw Cillian Murphy’s Eyes
Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy had a conversation in an interview with Entertainment Weekly during the promotion of Oppenheimer. They discussed their shared filmography, their enduring friendship, and how Nolan often chose to cast Murphy in his productions.
When discussing the 2005 film, Batman Begins, Nolan disclosed that he once came across an image of the Peaky Blinders actor in a magazine. The director decided to cast Murphy as Scarecrow after becoming mesmerized by the craziness in his eyes. To quote the director:
“I remember I was up in San Francisco writing Batman Begins and there was something in the San Francisco Chronicle about 28 Days Later. I saw a picture of you with your shaved head and your crazy eyes — no offense. I remember being struck by your presence, literally from that one photograph, and then started to look into who you were, and what you’d done, and got very excited about the idea of meeting you, and having you screen test for Batman.”
The transition of Murphy from the iconic Tommy Shelby of Peaky Blinders to the lead role of Oppenheimer has been incredibly successful and well-received. The movie’s astounding global box office success is a reflection of the enormous popularity and influence of the Irish actor’s work on both projects.
With a $100 million budget, Oppenheimer became the ninth-highest-grossing movie of this year after earning over $556 million worldwide. Additionally, the reviews were overwhelmingly favorable, praising the cast, especially Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.
Oppenheimer is currently playing in theaters.
Source- PEOPLE
