Awards season is off to a winning start for Cillian Murphy.
The Oppenheimer actor, 47, received the Desert Palm Achievement Award, actor, on Thursday during the Palm Springs International Film Awards.
In his speech, after being introduced by actor Robert Downey Jr., Murphy thanked his family — his wife of nearly 20 years, Yvonne McGuinness, and their two sons, Malachy, 18, and Aran, 16 — admitting that “because I don’t When I really do this too often, I want to thank my family.”
Two thirds of them are sitting down. We had to leave one at home to take exams, said the Irish actor. “But just thanks for putting up with me – putting up with half of me and the shadow me and the absent me, the rest of me when I’m doing a movie like this or working in general.”
“You’re always there. I like it. So thanks, guys,” he added.
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Enter Cillian Murphy Oppenheimer (2023).
Universal Pictures
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In a press release, Palm Springs International Film Festival president Nachhattar Singh Chandi called Murphy’s performance “career-best,” praising his “stunning portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer as the conflicted scientist leading the Manhattan Project to produce the world’s first atomic bomb.” ”
Like many who saw OppenheimerDowney was delighted by Murphy’s transformative performance as the physicist who led America’s effort to create the atomic bomb during World War II.
Speaking to PEOPLE last summer, the 58-year-old said of his co-star, “I’ve never witnessed a greater sacrifice by a lead actor in my career.”
Downey, who plays Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss in the film, said he was impressed by Murphy’s “commitment” to the mammoth undertaking of director Christopher Nolan’s three-hour epic.
“He knew it was going to be a big ask when Chris called him. But I think he also had the humility to survive playing a role like this,” Downey added.
“We’d say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a three-day weekend. Maybe we’ll go antique shopping in Santa Fe. What are you going to do?’ “Oh, I have to learn 30,000 words of Dutch. Have a great time.” But that’s the nature of the question,” Downey explained.
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Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. at the Palm Springs International Film Awards on January 4, 2024.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Florence Pugh, who shares most of her scenes with Murphy as Jean Tatlock, one of the loves of Oppenheimer’s life, further praised Pointed glasses actor.
“Chris had one of the most incredible roles in Cillian,” Pugh, 28, told PEOPLE. “He’s an actor I’ve been watching for a while and have been desperate to work with for years. You’d be mad to say no. It was truly one of the best experiences I’ve had.”
“Working with him was extremely impressive,” she continued. “Every day he shows up knowing every possible way, intonation, inflection to bring this character to life.”
“That was very impressive to me. There’s a reason why he’s one of the greats,” Pugh added.
Oppenheimer is now available on request.
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Source: HIS Education