The 2024 Oscar race is heating up, and there’s one film that stands out, which is Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer. It is in the lead with 13 nominations, and is expected to clinch victories in multiple categories.
This achievement (if it happens), would be the first of its kind in 64 years. Besides this, there is one more fact about the film’s behind-the-scenes, which is a secret chat group.
Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr. have a group chat named Oppenhomies, where the cast used to share gossip, jokes, and plans outside of set and now for awards events.
Interestingly, Christopher Nolan, the director, is not part of this club. It’s not because he’s their boss, but because he doesn’t have a phone, as explained by Blunt.
Cillian Murphy Spilled About the Oppenhomies Group Chat
Contrary to popular belief among fans, Robert Downey Jr. didn’t come up with Oppenhomies. Olivia Thirlby (who portrayed Lilli Hornig) was the one who named the group.
In an interview with The New York Times, Cillian Murphy talked about what intrigued him about Oppenheimer, his preparation for the role, and the cast’s group chat.
When the interviewer asked him, “Is it true there’s an “Oppenhomies” group chat?” To which he replied, “That is true, yes. Olivia Thirlby came up with that moniker.”
But why fans think it was the Marvel star who named it? Because Downey Jr. shared a reunion photo on Instagram, featuring his “Oppenhomies” Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt. The post was made on Tuesday, November 21, and fans seem to love it.
Who Made the Oppenhomies Group?
The cast’s messaging network named Oppenhomies began when Jack Quaid got stuck while filming in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Quaid said during an impromptu panel for author Jada Yuan’s Unleashing Oppenheimer: Inside Christopher Nolan’s Atomic-Age Thriller at a private Brooklyn, “It’s like my biggest claim to fame at this point… starting a huge text chain.”
The Boys actor shared a story about filming the Nolan drama. He remembered taking an Uber from his Hampton Inn to a local grocery store, only to realize he had no way to get back. He said (via Page Six):
“I’m leaving, I have my cartful of groceries, I’m on my phone and I realize I was very lucky to get that Uber… because there’s no Uber. So I steal this grocery cart and I’m rolling it down the highway back to the hotel. That’s when I was like, ‘All right, I need a rental car and maybe we should start a text chain.’”
Quaid then rented a mini-van during the shoot. He jokingly added, “I was a bus driver, essentially,” with a laugh.
Who Else is Part of the Oppenhomies Group?
The co-stars of Oppenheimer, David Krumholtz, Devon Bostick, and Olli Haaskivi also attended the Brooklyn book party. Haaskivi, who portrayed scientist Edward Condon in the movie said (via Page Six), “‘Oppenhomies’ is a way of life more than a text thread.”
The Oppenhomies mentioned that co-star Kenneth Branagh isn’t part of the chat, but they feel he’s there in spirit. They also shared that they had their own celebration in July when the film was released in theaters.
Since there was no US premiere due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, Haaskivi and Olivia Thirlby organized a private party for the cast at the 30 Rock roller rink in NYC.
Watch Oppenheimer on Amazon’s Prime Video.
