Cillian Murphy entered the Oppenheimer set with the experience of playing dark characters like Tommy Shelby under his belt. Even under Christopher Nolan, who was spearheading the documentary feature, the Irish actor had previously gone through grim experiences with his portrayals of Scarecrow and Shivering Soldier.
However, Murphy’s past stints didn’t help him much in dealing with the intense nature of his role in Oppenheimer. Fortunately, his co-star, Emily Blunt, came to his rescue on the set.
How Emily Blunt Helped Cillian Murphy During the Filming of Oppenheimer
Before the release of Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan described his lead character, J. Robert Oppenheimer, as the most important person who ever lived. Known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb, the theoretical physicist oversaw the Manhattan Project. The world’s first nuclear weapons test forever changed how people view the world.
In the movie, Oppenheimer was shown reciting a line from the sacred Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Immersing oneself in such an intense and important character must’ve taken a toll on Cillian Murphy‘s emotional health. However, the experienced actor ensures there’s a lightness around the set to keep him going at the director’s cue.
“There has to be some levity,” he told LA Times. “A lot of the films I do are quite heavy and go to some dark, challenging places, and you have to be relaxed to do that. So I don’t walk around in a state of f—ing angst. I need to feel at ease. I can’t be in that dark place all the time. I don’t have the stamina for it.”
This time, Emily Blunt proved to be a major source of “lightness” on the set for Murphy, who described the British actor as “one of the funniest people” he has encountered.
Blunt portrayed Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, who proved to be a crucial support for the physicist during both the test and the security hearing in 1954.
Christopher Nolan Handed Oppenheimer Lead Cillian Murphy a Huge Responsibility
Oppenheimer was seemingly more demanding for Murphy than any of his previous roles, as it provided him the opportunity to lead a Nolan (his favorite auteur) movie for the first time in his long career.
On top of that, Nolan wrote the screenplay of his documentary feature in the first person – a first in his own esteemed career. The filmmaker made it clear to his star-laden cast, which included the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon, that they were on the ride with Oppenheimer (Murphy). Events in the movie are shown to viewers from his point of view.
Thanks to the brilliant support from his co-stars, Murphy shined in the three-hour-long thriller, which has garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success. Let’s hope the 47-year-old thanks Blunt for her jokes should he win the Oscar!
