How Cillian Murphy Became Oppenheimer

Quick Links

• Was Cillian Murphy Offered the Role?

• Are there Audition Tapes You Can Watch?

• Who Else Was Up for the Part?

• Did Cillian Murphy Have a Previous Relationship with the Cast or Crew?

Cillian Murphy's path to securing the role of Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer is nothing short of fascinating. Some might say serendipitous. What started off as an initial meeting with director Christopher Nolan evolved into a profound and enduring collaboration lasting decades, culminating in Murphy landing the lead role in this significant historical biopic.

The success of Oppenheimer has been nothing short of remarkable, making it Nolan's highest-grossing film on IMAX screens and the 8th biggest IMAX release of all time. Earning an astounding $114.2 million globally on IMAX screens, this impressive figure stands as a testament not only to the film's immense success but also to the strength of the creative collaboration between the director and actor.

Known for portraying morally ambiguous characters, such as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Robert Fischer in Inception, Murphy proved his versatility by taking on the challenge of embodying the brilliant yet conflicted physicist Dr. Oppenheimer. Despite the time constraints, Murphy fully embraced the role, delving into the complex character with exceptional skill and dedication, cementing his position as the perfect embodiment of Dr. Oppenheimer in this captivating biographical drama.

Oppenheimer

The story of American scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Was Cillian Murphy Offered the Role?

Having collaborated with Murphy for over twenty years, Nolan personally approached him with the role of Dr. Oppenheimer. But unlike his previous collaborations with the director, Oppenheimer marks the first time Murphy plays a leading role in one of Nolan’s films. Catching Murphy off guard, he received a call from Nolan, who directly offered him the role. In an interview with Collider, the actor shared just how surprised it was when he received the call and how much of a dream it is to play the lead in the historical epic.

I think any actor in the world would, first of all, want to work with Chris, but second of all, do a lead for him. I can’t think of any better word than it’s a dream. It sounds like such a cliché, but it’s the truth. But I had no idea he was going to call me. He just called me out of the blue. That’s his MO; you never hear from him and then he calls. [Laughs] So he called me, and I genuinely didn’t know what it would be, and then he said, “I’m making this movie about Oppenheimer and I would like you to play Oppenheimer.” It’s a big shock, and a very pleasant one, but then you kind of go, “Okay, now I have a lot of work to do.”

In September 2020, Nolan traveled to Dublin to personally meet with Murphy and present him with a physical copy of the script. This script immediately grabbed Murphy's attention as it deviated from the traditional third-person perspective, opting instead for a first-person point of view. According to Murphy, the script profoundly impacted him, completely blowing his mind.

It was one of the best screenplays I’ve ever read, without a shadow of a doubt. For example, he wouldn’t say, ‘Oppenheimer walks into the room and speaks to Strauss.’ He would say, ‘I walk into the room,’ and ‘I walk over and speak to Strauss.’ That’s how it was written."

'Oppenheimer's Most Explosive Scene Isn't the One You Think

Oppenheimer turns a short speech into an explosive moment of inner turmoil.

Are there Audition Tapes You Can Watch?

At the moment, audition tapes for Oppenheimer are currently unavailable, at least to the public knowledge. While not much is known about Murphy’s audition process, fellow co-stars Matt Damon, who plays Leslie Groves, and Emily Blunt, who plays Kitty Oppenheimer, briefly shared a glimpse into Nolan’s “convenient casting” process, in which generally Nolan invites people to his house to read his script. But in Damon’s case, it was slightly different (and funnier).

In my case, he actually came—this is kind of a funny story—he came to my apartment here in New York, and I live in the same apartment building as Emily. So he came because he had personal reasons to be in New York, so he goes, “I’m going to come over, and I’m going to bring you the script.” I said, “Great.” So, he comes over and we talk. It’s a Friday night, it’s getting late, and he says, “So you’re going to read this tomorrow morning?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “What time?” And I said, “I’ll read it at nine.” He said, “How long will it take you?” I go, “I read it exactly at the same pace the movie will play.” He goes, “I’ll be here at noon.” I said, “Okay.”

So it turns out, we came to find out later, that he knew he wanted Emily in that part and me in my part, but he didn’t want to offer her the part at the same apartment building on the same day because he didn’t want it to seem to us like he only just went to one apartment building to cast his movie. [Laughs]

'Oppenheimer' Ending Explained: I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds

One final scene that looks at a closing conversation we had only glimpsed once before captures the unrelenting specter of death Oppenheimer created.

Who Else Was Up for the Part?

Apart from Murphy, no other actor has been mentioned as a potential contender for the role of Dr. Oppenheimer. Given Murphy's talent and suitability for the part, it is no surprise that he would be the perfect first choice.

In fact, according to Deadline, before Nolan's Oppenheimer project, Murphy had previously been considered for the same role in the short-lived TV series Manhattan. This show also revolved around the events in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Still, it primarily focused on the character of Frank Winter, portrayed by John Benjamin Hickey, a physics professor leading the Manhattan Project. Ultimately, the role of Dr. Oppenheimer in Manhattan was given to Daniel London.

Did Cillian Murphy Have a Previous Relationship with the Cast or Crew?

Murphy's initial encounter with Nolan traces back to 2003 when he was invited for a screen test for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Begins. While Murphy initially considered taking on the leading role, he soon realized that it didn't feel quite right for him. Nevertheless, he was determined to meet Nolan, and this decision began a lifelong collaboration between the actor and director.

Despite not landing the role of Batman, Murphy's meeting with Nolan led to him portraying the intriguing character of Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, leaving a memorable impact in all three films of the Batman trilogy. Their partnership extended beyond the Dark Knight series, as Murphy went on to play Fisher in Inception and the Shivering Soldier in Dunkirk, earning him the well-deserved title of a "Nolan veteran." Through their continuous collaboration, Murphy has become integral to some of Nolan's most significant and acclaimed productions.

Murphy spoke about how Nolan was on set and how he treated the art of acting and the actors who brought his movies to life:

"He is brilliant with actors, understands actors, loves actors, really believes in actors and what they can bring to the story and to the character. So an awful lot of the time we’ll just find it. We’ll be shooting, but we’ll be finding the scene, and he’ll let us experiment and explore stuff. Then he may come in, and he’ll just whisper very quietly in your ear. Generally, the notes are very precise and succinct and brief, but they can totally spin the performance. That’s his genius. It also comes from the fact that he’s written it, so he has direct access to it, but he’s phenomenal, like really phenomenal."

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