Cillian Murphy.
But because of him, in Oppenheimer, a film that was difficult to make, "choosing the main character" became a no-brainer.
Director Nolan had a candidate in mind almost from the beginning, and that person was Cillian Murphy, or Cillian Murphy.
Oppenheimer-Cillian Murphy.
If you've seen the movie "Oppenheimer", you probably think it's too easy to choose the main character.
Looking at the entire cast pool, can you think of a second person to play Oppenheimer? Half a cat can't figure it out anyway.
Instead of asking, why him? It's better to ask, why not him?
1] Murphy's compatibility with Oppenheimer.
Actor (left) and real person (right).
How compatible are Cillian Murphy and Oppenheimer?
The real Oppenheimer was a smart, eccentric, and charming man. He was a professor who spoke so softly in class that his students could barely hear him. He was also the scientist who created the world war that ended the Second World War. He also led thousands of scientists into the desert to achieve seemingly impossible goals. Leader.
Oppenheimer as a young man.
Murphy as young Oppenheimer.
The film is adapted from Oppenheimer's biography "American Prometheus". The book's co-author, Kay Bird, said:
Oppenheimer was intelligent, complex, and sometimes infuriating, and he was very generous to his students, but he could be very rude to them when he realized that powerful people were not smart enough or intolerable. Off color. The most important thing is that Oppenheimer was a particularly lovable, insecure, and vulnerable person.
It can be said that Oppenheimer was a complex of contradictions. He was, and was, and was, and even more ......
And Murphy's unique talent seems to be the same:
He is both a survivor of the disappearance in "28 Days of Shock".
He is also the sometimes calm and sometimes crazy scarecrow in The Dark Knight.
He is also the indecisive rich second generation in "Inception".
He is also the frightened bird in "Dunkirk" who is frightened by the flames of war.
He is also the ruthless, moody razor bandit in "Peaky."
Wait, he has long been associated with the atomic bomb. A melancholy nuclear physicist, he used a nuclear bomb the size of Manhattan Island to re-detonate the sun that was about to burn out.
Nolan's permanent casting director said of Murphy: "He has a special temperament. He exudes wisdom at all times, but also has a sense of mischief and mystery. There was an uneasy darkness behind his eyes, which was particularly fitting of Oppenheimer's resemblance. ”
2] Murphy's compatibility with Nolan.
Cillian Murphy is exactly the kind of actor Nolan wants.
What Nolan wanted was someone who could capture the audience's attention during the three-hour showtime. He's a guy who can navigate a lavish cast with ease, be generous and confident, and also leave room for the character's historical maelstrom.
Of course, it would have been better if he had a lean figure like Oppenheimer and sharp blue eyes.
It didn't take long for Nolan to "make eye contact," and trust me, if you stare into Murphy's eyes for a while, you will.
You can find fault with Murphy on any matter of appearance, but you can't fault his eyes.
Some say Murphy's eyes are "the smallest ocean in the world." Matt Damon, who plays the male lead in Oppenheimer, said of his work with Murphy: "Sometimes you feel like you're swimming in his eyes. ”
Of course, Nolan didn't just fall in love with Murphy because he was "good-looking".
Before Oppenheimer, he and Nolan had already collaborated on 5 films. While neither of them is the main character and does not steal the limelight at all, Murphy cram in an extremely limited amount of information, far beyond the time limit.
The first contact between the two was in the movie "Batman: The Mystery of the Shadow". At the time, Murphy was auditioning for the role of Batman. Yes, you heard it right, Batman.
Murphy and Bell.
As you know, Bale ended up getting the role of Batman, while Murphy got Batman's antagonist, Scarecrow.
The scarecrow from Murphy's "The Dark Knight" series.
It's a character that's easy to overlook, but Murphy's solid acting skills are sure to make the audience unforgettable.
In the process of talking to the heroine, his gaze changed from serious to contemptuous, and an unbearable sneer seemed to be about to come out, but it was instantly hidden invisibly. The shot of less than 4 seconds is done in one go, and the emotional transformation is naturally ignored, but it can withstand repeated scrutiny.
With such an actor, the reason why Nolan has chosen to work with him many times is also obvious.
Nolan once commented on Murphy, "He is one of the greatest actors of his generation". Nolan needs an actor who is easy to empathize, an actor who can fully open up to the audience and lead in the field of consciousness. Let the audience enjoy the events in the movie. Few actors possess this rare ability, and Murphy can do it better than anyone he's ever worked with.
There is no role for Murphy, but Oppenheimer, it must be him.
So the casting process is so simple that it can be described as hasty. Nolan called Murphy and asked him to play Oppenheimer, who agreed before reading the script.
3] Murphy's character preparation.
After the role was decided, Murphy read Oppenheimer's biography "American Prometheus", as well as everything he could find about Oppenheimer, and ** all of Oppenheimer's speeches.
To better fit Oppenheimer's figure, which weighed less than 120 pounds, Murphy, like his predecessor Bell, lost 25 pounds and continued to maintain that weight. Because everyone knows that Oppenheimer was a very thin, almost skinny man. * Not a deliberate imitation, but a must.
Oppenheimer and Groves in real life.
Oppenheimer and Groves in the movie.
In terms of height, it saves a lot of effort. Oppenheimer is 178 centimeters tall and Murphy is 175 centimeters tall. The difference is just a pair of thick socks.
Judging by the accent, Oppenheimer had a strange mid-Atlantic accent.
He spent his childhood in high society in New York. His father was a German immigrant, and he was surrounded by a group of European nannies. As an adult, he spent time in England, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Oppenheimer as a young man.
As a result, Oppenheimer's accent is not a typical American pronunciation, or even a bit of a London accent, but a mixture of styles, which is very special.
In order to get closer to Oppenheimer's accent, Murphy began to practice repeatedly, speaking as much as possible like him in his daily life.
Murphy said he didn't have the ability to directly imitate what others were saying. He practices more accents, such as practicing his voice in the gym. It took six months to reach a point that was both natural and unique enough to represent Oppenheimer's way of speaking.
In addition, Murphy specialized in the way Oppenheimer took pipes and cigarettes and noticed one detail. Oppenheimer often liked to put his left hand on his butt when he smoked.
But Murphy believes he doesn't deliberately show the details. His approach is to practice repeatedly during the preparation phase, building muscle memory and absorbing as much as he can.
But don't bring this to the set. When facing the camera, let physics do its job and turn the so-called performance into a background.
Once upon a time, Cillian Murphy was a shadow actor with a familiar face but a name unknown. He is talented and appreciated by the great director Nolan. He gained a place in the entertainment industry with "Bloody Gangsters".
And this "Oppenheimer" will definitely push him to a new level. Unless there is a more ** acting talent in the second half of 2023, Half Cat believes that Xiao Jin, the best actor in this year's Oscars, is the only one who belongs to him, what do you think?
Peak Blind Shelby.
Map of private residences.
Entertainment Critics Award