It was an explosive night at the Baftas for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, picking up seven awards in total, including Best Film and Best Director. But much of the praise at Sunday evening’s ceremony was bestowed, quite rightly, upon Cillian Murphy for his depiction of the conflicted theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “father of the atomic bomb.”
The 47-year-old Irish actor – who picked up a Golden Globe for his role in Nolan’s film last month – was awarded with the Best Actor gong, and his first round of thanks went out to his director, for his “extraordinary, exhilarating script” which “delivers excellence… time after time again.”
He contemplated his role of a lifetime, calling Oppenheimer a “colossally knotty, complex character”, surmising: “one man’s monster is another man’s hero”, and, unlocking a new nickname for the film’s stans, giving a shout out to his fellow “Oppenhomies”.
Ending with some love for his wife and kids, he finished with a philosophical reflection on the big screen, and his passion for it: “That’s why I love movies – because we have a space to celebrate and interrogate and investigate that complexity.”
Cillian Murphy’s speech in full:
“Oh boy… holy moly…Thank you very, very much Bafta. I have a few very important people I need to quickly thank.
“The most dynamic, decent, kindest producer-director partnership in Hollywood, Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, thanks for seeing something in me that I probably didn’t see in myself. Chris, thank you for that extraordinary, exhilarating script and for always pushing me and always demanding excellence because that’s what you deliver, time after time again.
“I want to thank Donna Langley at Universal for making this the perfect home for our movie from the beginning. I want to thank Adam Schweitzer, David Weber, Craig Bankey, Tom Reed, Lou Coulson, all the Julies. You are all the best. I want to thank all my fellow nominees and my Oppenhomies. That was a rhyme! In fact all of you in the room, I know it’s a cliché to say that I am in awe of you but I actually genuinely am in awe.
“Oppenheimer was this colossally knotty, complex character, and he meant different things to different people. And one man’s monster is another man’s hero. And that’s why I love movies – because we have a space to celebrate and interrogate and investigate that complexity. It’s a privilege to be part of this community with you all.”
“Finally to [his wife] Yvonne and [his sons] Malachy and Aran: “You’re my best friends and I love you so much.”
