Cillian Murphy is a veteran actor best known for his work as Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders and J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer respectively. Bearing an intense face and eyes that could draw you in, Murphy shared one similar trait with another veteran actor, Heath Ledger.
With both actors portraying vivid roles, an interview by GQ revealed that Cillian Murphy’s on-set behavior was identical to the pattern of Heath Ledger. The report further revealed that Christopher Nolan would often reminisce about Ledger while filming Oppenheimer.
Cillian Murphy Often Reminded Christopher Nolan of Heath Ledger!
Cillian Murphy has worked with veteran director Christopher Nolan several times throughout his career. The actor however found fame by portraying the role of Thomas Shelby in the BBC drama series Peaky Blinders.
Being a natural actor, Murphy found worldwide fame and love for portraying the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 magnum opus Oppenheimer. As per a report by GQ, the magazine revealed that Cillian Murphy spent six months at home “focusing first on the voice and the silhouette” of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
When the filming began in the New Mexico desert, the preparations of Cillian Murphy for the role of Oppenheimer started spreading among the cast and crew “like a rumor”. Christopher Nolan reportedly said, “I remember the same thing with Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight.” But surely, this wasn’t the end of Nolan’s statements. In a separate interview, the director revealed in detail how Cillian Murphy was similar to Heath Ledger!
Christopher Nolan Had Only Compliments For Cillian Murphy
In a separate interview with Variety, Christopher Nolan revealed that the hair and makeup tests were enough for the director to draw comparisons between Murphy and Ledger. As the interview progressed, the director revealed that he loved to see Murphy don the character of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
“It was really in the hair and makeup tests, which we shoot on Imax and in black-and-white. You start to see the actor bringing an icon to life, putting the hat on, the cigarette in the corner of his mouth. You’re starting to see how he moves. It’s a thrilling moment.”
He further continued,
“It is on every film. Seeing Cillian put this iconography together, it reminded me of my hair and makeup tests with Heath Ledger for the Joker.”
With high ratings, Oppenheimer received a rating of 8.4/10 on IMDB and a high of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh in the lead roles, Oppenheimer is available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
