Cillian Murphy Shares the Low-Key — and Yummy — Way He Toasted His Oscar Nom for “Oppenheimer” (Exclusive)

Mia McNiece
·2 min read
Cillian Murphy Shares the Low-Key — and Yummy — Way He Toasted His Oscar Nom for “Oppenheimer” (Exclusive)
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The actor celebrated his nomination with family in Ireland

It was a celebration filled with tea and sponge cake for Cillian Murphy when he learned he had been Oscar nominated for his starring role in Oppenheimer.

"I was in Cork City with my parents and my wife and we were having a cup of tea and then the phone started buzzing and people started calling," says Murphy who sat down with costars Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt for PEOPLE's annual Oscar portfolio. "And then my mom brought out a sponge cake and we had some of her sponge cake."

The Irish actor, 47, portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer in the Christopher Nolan-directed film and on Feb. 25 took home the Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.

<p>Brian Bowen Smith</p> Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Cillian Murphy

Brian Bowen Smith

Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Cillian Murphy

While accepting the award, he thanked his costars. "I have never felt so looked after or cared for by a group of actors every day. Looking at your names on the call sheet, just made me brave guys. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you," he said.

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<p>Universal Pictures, Bettmann Archive/Getty </p>

Universal Pictures, Bettmann Archive/Getty

Blunt says when making the film, the cast relied on Murphy's guidance.

"You are like the quietest conductor of this whole thing. You don't mean to be, it's not in your nature to want to lead, but I think that there's something just captivating about you," she told Murphy. "Whether you like it or not, that people are spellbound by. And it is, as much as you like to say, this is all of Chris Nolan, why people are so captivated by this film, but it's you."

On Oscar night, Murphy plans to bring his family. "I'm going to bring my wife and my two boys," he says.

The 96th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air live on Sunday, March 10, from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.


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