How Cillian Murphy Shed Weight to Play ‘Emaciated’ ‘Oppenheimer’ Role
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Cillian Murphy stars in the new Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer, portraying the real J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist known as the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role in the Manhattan Project.
While Murphy certainly had to alter his mentality to play the historical figure, he also went to extreme lengths to physically transform for the role.
While speaking with Extra, fellow cast member Emily Blunt highlighted Murphy's "monumental undertaking" to become Oppenheimer: "He could only eat like an almond every day, because [Oppenheimer] was so emaciated."
Murphy echoed Blunt's comments during an interview with The New York Times earlier this year, stating, "I love acting with my body, and Oppenheimer had a very distinct physicality and silhouette, which I wanted to get right. I had to lose quite a bit of weight, and we worked with the costume and tailoring."
The Irish actor went on to describe Oppenheimer, who passed away in 1967, saying, "He was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes."
"He had these really bright eyes and I wanted to give him this wide-eyed look, so we worked on his silhouette and expressions a lot before starting," said Murphy, who is well-known for his own bright blue eyes.
Oppenheimer, which comes out in theaters on July 21, stars Murphy as the title character, while Blunt plays Kitty Oppenheimer, a biologist and the physicist's wife. Matt Damon also stars as Leslie Groves, a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army who directed the Manhattan Project.
Murphy has starred in many of Nolan's films in the past, including Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk, but this is his first time leading one of the auteur filmmaker's projects.
Next: Matt Damon's Daughters Make Rare Red Carpet Appearance
