Cillian Murphy is most definitely one of the top actors in all of Hollywood right now, for a wide variety of reasons. After all, Murphy has acted in quite a few distinct roles that set him apart from the rest.
Fans continue to be drawn by Cillian Murphy’s eyes and facial expressions, or lack thereof during key scenes in films, which further elevate him in any movie or series. He is always dedicated to his craft, which was apparent in his role in Oppenheimer. However, it appears Bradley Cooper underwent a rigorous training schedule to prepare for his role in Maestro, which was even more astounding than what Cillian Murphy did.
Cillian Murphy Went Above And Beyond For His Role In Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy faced the challenge of readying himself for the role of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in just six months. The Irish actor received an unexpected call from director Christopher Nolan, describing it as a dream come true. Despite the limited timeframe, Cillian embraced the task, delving into extensive reading and immersing himself in Oppenheimer’s complexities.
His preparation included studying the Bhagavad Gita, mimicking Oppenheimer’s smoking habits, and adopting a sparse diet to capture the physicist’s gaunt appearance. Cillian acknowledged the intensity of his transformation, expressing his love for embodying Oppenheimer’s distinct physicality and conveying a wide-eyed look through weight loss. In an interview as per DailyMail, he shared that the six months were sufficient for the demanding role, as they immediately began working after the initial call.
”[I prepped by doing] an awful lot of reading. ”
”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.”
Cillian’s co-star Emily Blunt, who portrays Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, disclosed that he skipped cast dinners due to the monumental weight of the role. Cillian admitted, “I didn’t go out much. I didn’t socialize much, mainly because of the amount of work I had to do… I became so immersed in the role.”
Emily Blunt highlighted the drastic transformation, mentioning how Cillian survived on an ‘almond a day’ and became ‘so emaciated.’
Bradley Cooper’s Preparation For Maestro Surpassed That Of Cillian Murphy
Bradley’s involvement in Maestro began in 2018 when he was set to star as Bernstein with Steven Spielberg directing. When Spielberg stepped back, Bradley, a lifelong classical music fan, took the reins and proposed himself as the new director. He convinced Spielberg after showcasing his directorial debut in A Star Is Born.
According to Daily Mail, even during A Star Is Born promotions, Bradley pitched the Maestro idea to producer Kristie Macosko Krieger. Krieger mentioned, “He thought about the movie for six years, nonstop. I’ve probably received 3,000 texts from him over the course of making the movie.”
To ensure he did justice to the role and direction in Maestro, Bradley spent six years learning how to compose for a specific six-minute scene. This scene captured Bernstein’s iconic performance conducting the 1976 London Symphony Orchestra in Ely Cathedral, a task that initially ‘terrified’ Bradley.
During a tastemaker screening, he admitted,
“That scene I was so worried about because we did it live. That was the London Symphony Orchestra. I was recorded live, I had to conduct them. And I spent six years learning how to conduct six minutes and 21 seconds of music.”
Bradley used method acting for the role, staying in character even while directing scenes. This approach has been part of his acting process since his role in American Hustle in 2018. He shared, “I was playing Lenny throughout his life. I would spend three to six hours in the makeup trailer every day before the crew arrived.”
With a mix of method acting and directing techniques, Bradley immersed himself in the role of Leonard Bernstein, even developing hand signals with the crew to maintain the character’s consistency.
Bradley Cooper lost to Cillian Murphy when it came to the Best Actor at the Oscars this week, but it was clearly a very close fight between the two actors. Nonetheless, fans feel the best actor won and that is all that matters.
