Cillian Murphy Was ‘Desperate to Play a Lead’ for Christopher Nolan in ‘Oppenheimer’

NOTE: This article is a republication- Source: IndieWire (by Samantha Bergeson).

It was only a matter of time until Cillian Murphy stepped into a leading role for Christopher Nolan.

After first meeting 20 years ago for a “Batman Begins” screen test, Murphy has collaborated on multiple films with director Nolan, ranging from the “Dark Knight” trilogy to “Inception” and “Dunkirk,” which to date is one of the performances Murphy is “really proud of.” Now, Murphy is at the center of star-studded ensemble period piece “Oppenheimer” about the scientist who invented the atomic bomb.

“He’s so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, ‘Listen, I’ve written this script, it’s about Oppenheimer. I’d like you to be my Oppenheimer.’ It was a great day,” Murphy told the Associated Press of how Nolan cast him in the eponymous role back in September 2020. “We have this long-standing understanding and trust and shorthand and respect. It felt like the right time to take on a bigger responsibility. And it just so happened that it was a [expletive] huge one.”

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