Cillian Murphy Didn't Learn Atomic Bomb Science For Nolan's Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy reveals that he didn't learn atomic bomb science for Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and chose instead to focus his research on Oppenheimer himself. Christopher Nolan is best known for big-budget blockbusters like The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk, and his next film will be no exception. It was announced last year that Nolan's next project, following the disappointing box office performance of 2020's Tenet, would be a biopic on J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist involved in the Manhattan Project who would become known as the "father of the atomic bomb."
Although perhaps less action-oriented than many of his previous films, Oppenheimer is set to have the most star-studded cast of any of Nolan's projects to date, featuring the likes of Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Kenneth Branagh, Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, Jack Quaid, Dane DeHaan, Benny Safdie, and Matthew Modine. Based on American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer is currently in production in New Mexico and is expected to release in July of next year.
In a new interview with The Guardian, Murphy reveals the preparation he undertook for the role and explains that his research didn't include learning any in-depth science regarding atomic bombs. Instead, Murphy says, he focused on Oppenheimer himself and how creating the bomb affected him as a person. Check out Murphy's full comment below:
"[I prepped by doing] an awful lot of reading. I’m interested in the man and what [inventing the atomic bomb] does to the individual. The mechanics of it, that’s not really for me — I don’t have the intellectual capability to understand them, but these contradictory characters are fascinating.”
Although Nolan is known for spectacle and mind-bending, effects-driven films, Oppenheimer seems, at least so far, to be his most grounded and character-driven project yet. Although the movie is sure to deal extensively with some of the science behind the creation of the atomic bomb, as a biopic its first responsibility is to Oppenheimer himself and his personal journey. After all, as Murphy alludes to in his comment, creating a weapon with such extreme potential for destruction is sure to change a person.
As an actor, it's Murphy's job to get into the head of the character he is portraying, and focusing his research on the man instead of the technical aspects of his creation speaks to the character-driven approach of the film. Famously, after witnessing the first atomic detonation, Oppenheimer said, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Exploring the psyche of the man dealing with feelings like these is sure to make for a more interesting and emotional story than focusing instead on intricate technical details. Oppenheimer currently has a release date of July 21, 2023.
Source: The Guardian