Finally, Cillian Murphy has an Academy Award to his name after years of hard work and dedication. For his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man who created the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer, Murphy, won his first ever Academy Award.
Murphy goes past Colman Domingo for Rustin, Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction to win the award. The Irish actor was a clear frontrunner to win this year’s Oscar after winning every major award, including Golden Globes and SAG Awards.
Cillian Murphy Beats Bradley Cooper to Win His First Oscar
Cillian Murphy has won the Oscar for Best Actor for his turn as J. Robert Oppenheimer, beating some other great actors, including 12 Times Oscar nominee, Bradley Cooper.
Thanking the Academy, director Christopher Nolan, and executive producer Emma Thomas, Murphy said:
“It’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you’ve taken me on over the last 20 years, I owe you more than I can say.”
“Thank you so much [to] every single crew member, every single cast member on ‘Oppenheimer,’ you guys carried me through. All my fellow nominees, I remain in awe of you guys. Truly.”
Meanwhile, Bradley Cooper, whose performance in Maestro was also brilliant, lost to Murphy. But his reaction to losing the award itself was hailed by fans. He was seen clapping while giving a standing ovation.
cillian murphy’s full oscar speech. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/A2e1hKXBdw
— eileen (@eileenscill) March 11, 2024
He was seen with a smile as soon as Murphy’s name was announced. Cooper played American composer Leonard Bernstein in Maestro.
This was Murphy and Nolan’s sixth collaboration, which spans nearly two decades and includes films like Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk.
Bradley Cooper Once Referred to the Oscars Ceremony as “utterly meaningless”
Including the American Sniper and Silver Linings Playbook, Bradley Cooper has starred in some great movies. He has showcased an array of acting skills in recent years.
Bradley Cooper, who is no stranger to the Oscars, has been nominated a total of 12 times, with zero wins once called the Oscars “utterly meaningless.” In an interview with Interview Magazine, he explained to Anthony Ramos:
“That awards season stuff is a real test. It’s set up to foster that mentality. It’s quite a thing to work through, and it’s completely devoid of artistic creation. It’s not why you sacrifice everything to create art, and yet you spend so much time being a part of it if you’re, in quotes, ‘lucky enough to be a part of it’.”
It really does force you to “face ego, vanity, and insecurity,” the Joker actor continued, which was why it is ultimately a “great thing…very interesting and “utterly meaningless.”
Earlier this year, the A Star Is Born actor responded to his multiple Academy Award nominations by labeling the experience “very surreal”, (Via Deadline) bringing reference to his recent Maestro nomination.
