Self-effacing Irish actor Cillian Murphy is having to get used to the glamor of the red carpet and acceptance speeches.
The 47-year-old Cork native won his first Oscar on Sunday – on his first nomination – for his leading role in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer,' capping a stellar awards season that saw him win a Golden Globe, BAFTA and other awards. award.
He bested a stacked field that included four American rivals – Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction), Bradley Cooper (Maestro) and Colman Domingo (Rustin).
“We've made a movie about the man who created the atomic bomb. And for better or worse, we're all living in Oppenheimer's world”, Murphy said, receiving applause from the audience at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
“So I would really like to dedicate this to peacemakers everywhere.”
Murphy's portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American physicist who created the atomic bomb, has been widely lauded, and is the culmination of years of fruitful collaboration with Nolan, spanning six films together.
Murphy told the BBC, “I knew the character was so ingrained in his mind and the performance was so visceral in how you can transmit the thought process through the face, through the eyes.”
