‘Oppenheimer’ Star Cillian Murphy Nearly Lost His Acting Career Because of a “Boring” Career Decision
Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer has already been released with a spectacular opening and the movie is on its way to becoming the biggest blockbuster of 2023. The Irish actor is not only known for his unconventional looks, high cheekbones, and light blue eyes, but also for being one of the favorite actors of the legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan.
Hardly people know that if not an actor, the Peaky Blinders star would have been a handsome lawyer. Cillian Murphy had taken up law before leaping into the world of lights, cameras, and action. However, the actor went on to drop his law career at the right time otherwise the world would have missed such a terrific talent.
Cillian Murphy On Almost Losing His Acting Career Due To His Silly Career Decision
The 47-year-old actor, Cillian Murphy like other 20-year-old college-going kids had picked up Law as his undergraduate course at University College Cork. During an interview with The Guardian in 2016, the Dunkirk actor had spoken about how he was always interested in the arts despite opting for Law. He said-
“I was always fascinated by the idea of artists: authors, playwrights, musicians. Those things seemed alien and otherworldly at the time. Impossible for me to be connected to in any way.”
During an interview with Mrporter, he revealed that it was his parent’s dream and not his own to become a lawyer. He said-
“I was 20. I was foolishly pursuing a law degree. Why the f**k I was studying law, I don’t know.”
His interest in the arts led him to Disco Pigs, a play he was a part of that went on to become a movie too. He used to perform with rock bands in his college. These experiences, helped him understand what he exactly wanted to be in his life and paved the way for his acting career. Cillian Murphy packed his bags and left his boring law degree behind for his first project 28 Days Later, a Danny Boyle directed apocalyptic-drama.
Cillian Murphy On His Rapport With The Oppenheimer, Director Christopher Nolan
The bond between Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy dates back over two decades. The actor-director duo has given some of the best movies together. As Cillian Murphy would be seen playing the lead in Academy Award-nominated director’s magnum opus Oppenheimer, the actor marks his first project as a mainstream actor in Hollywood. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Inception actor spoke about the kind of bond he shares with the reputed director. He said-
“I’d always show up for Chris, even if it was walking in the background of his next movie holding a surfboard Though… not sure what kind of Chris Nolan movie that would be. But I always hoped I could play a lead in a Chris Nolan movie. What actor wouldn’t want to do that?”
Similarly, Christopher Nolan was all praises for Cillian Murphy. He mentioned-
“He projects an intelligence that allows the audience to feel that they understand the character. I think Oppenheimer, of all the characters that I’ve seen Cillian take on and of all the characters that I’ve dealt with in my work, is one of the most complicated and layered people. Cillian is one of the few talents able to explore those different layers and to project that level of complexity.”
Cillian Murphy has been a part of Christopher Nolan’s six projects- The Dark Knight Trilogy, Dunkirk, Inception, and the sci-fi biographical drama Oppenheimer.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is currently running in theatres across the world.
Source: The Irish Times
