Academy Award winner Cillian Murphy chatted with members of the media at the Press Room following his “Best Actor” win for “Oppenheimer”.
The 96th Academy Awards were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The ceremony took place on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and they were televised live on ABC and in over 200 territories worldwide.
Murphy took home the Academy Award for “Actor in a Leading Role” for his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer in “Oppenheimer,” where he triumphed over his fellow nominees Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”), and Colman Domingo (“Rustin”).
Murphy’s gracious Oscar acceptance speech may be seen below.
“Oppenheimer” won the most Oscars this year, with seven, including the coveted “Best Picture” category.
Murphy on the emotions that come with winning the Oscar trophy
On winning the Oscar, Murphy expressed, “It’s a little bit of a daze, you know.”
“I am very overwhelmed,” he admitted. “I am very humbled. I’m very grateful. I am very proud to be Irish standing here today.”
Murphy on being defined by his protagonist role in ‘Oppenheimer’
When asked if he would be content if people remember him or define him for his acting work in “Oppenheimer,” Murphy responded, “I would be very content.”
“I mean, you know, you’ve got to move forward, but this has been a huge, huge moment for me,” he admitted.
“The movie is so special to me,” he admitted. “Christopher and I have such a special relationship that I just feel very privileged to be continuing to work with him.”
“I’m very proud that this is a film that is provocative and that it asks questions, and it’s challenging but yet so many people went to see it. So, I am really proud of that,” he acknowledged.
Murphy on working alongside Christopher Nolan and achieving success
Murphy opened up about working alongside Christopher Nolan, who has emerged as one of the most significant collaborators in his career.
“It’s very, very special,” he noted. “We’ve been working together for 20 years, and I think he is the perfect director.”
Murphy went on to praise Nolan for being an “extraordinary writer and producer” and he is “extraordinary visually.” “Christopher is an extraordinary director of actors, and he presents this film like nobody else does in the world, and I just can’t believe my luck,” he explained.
“You know, I did a screen test for him when I was a kid and I thought that would be it,” he recalled. “And it would be just enough to be in a room with Christopher for a couple of hours and here we are. So, I’m just so humbled and thankful.”
Murphy on being the first Irish-born man to win the ‘Best Actor’ Oscar
On making history as the first Irish-born man to be recognized with the “Best Actor” Oscar, Murphy responded, “Wow. It is really, really meaningful to me.”
“I don’t know if I said this in my speech because I can’t remember what I said but I did want to say that in Ireland, we are really great at supporting artists,” he said.
“I think we need to continue to support artists and the next generation of actors and directors. I think that’s vitally important. That’s all I have to say, really,” he concluded.
Please Note: This journalist was credentialed for the 2024 Oscars and participated in the Press Room interviews with this year’s winners.
Read More: “Oppenheimer” review.
