LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 Cillian Murphy called himself a 鈥渧ery proud Irishman鈥 after he trotted onstage to claim his first-ever Oscar for portraying the man who created the atomic bomb in Christopher Nolan鈥檚 blockbuster biopic 鈥淥ppenheimer.鈥
鈥淚'm a little overwhelmed,鈥 said Murphy, for his stellar role as J. Robert Oppenheimer. The film tells the story of how Oppenheimer and his peers at Los Alamos would test the bomb on July 16, 1945, not knowing what was going to happen 鈥 and the ensuing fallout.
鈥淚'm very humbled,鈥 he said backstage. 鈥淚'm very grateful.鈥
Murphy, though going back almost two decades, had always been a supporting player. This time, Nolan wanted him to lead.
Murphy thanked Nolan and the director's wife, Emma Thomas, a producer on the film.
鈥淚t's been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively, satisfying journey you've taken me on over the last 20 years,鈥 Murphy said to Nolan. 鈥淚 owe you more than I can say.鈥
The Irish actor said he did a screen test for Nolan as a kid and thought that would be his last opportunity with the director.
鈥淚 thought that would be it,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 thought it would be just enough to be in a room with Chris for a couple hours. I'm thankful for this.鈥
Murphy bested for 鈥淩ustin,鈥 for 鈥淢aestro,鈥 for 鈥淭he Holdovers,鈥 and for 鈥淎merican Fiction.鈥
鈥淥ppenheimer鈥 won seven awards Sunday, including best picture, best director for Nolan and a supporting actor Oscar for Robert Downey Jr.
Murphy called Nolan the perfect director and an extraordinary writer and producer.
鈥淲e made ,鈥 Murphy said. 鈥淔or better or worse, we鈥檙e all living in Oppenheimer鈥檚 world, so I really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers. everywhere.鈥
Ben Kingsley, a presenter, applauded Murphy's courage and trust in Nolan for agreeing to take on the role before reading the script.
鈥淵our performance is masterful,鈥 said Kingsley. He acknowledged that Murphy鈥檚 portrayal of Oppenheimer had 鈥渓ayers of humanity whilst his character created something inhumane.鈥
Kingsley added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 riveting to watch.鈥
Last year, Murphy told The Associated Press that when Nolan approached him to star as Oppenheimer, he called it was a 鈥済reat day.鈥
鈥淗e鈥檚 so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, 鈥楲isten, I鈥檝e written this script, it鈥檚 about Oppenheimer. I鈥檇 like you to be my Oppenheimer,鈥欌 he said.
For Murphy, he knows there are some movies he鈥檚 right for and some that he is not.
鈥淚 have always said publicly and privately, to Chris, that if I鈥檓 available and you want me to be in a movie, I鈥檓 there. I don鈥檛 really care about the size of the part,鈥 he said last year. 鈥淏ut deep down, secretly, I was desperate to play a lead for him.鈥
a strong contender after picking up trophies at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and BAFTA Film Awards.
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