Cillian Murphy made massive sacrifices and did crazy things for 'Oppenheimer' like learning '30,000 words of Dutch' over a weekend, Robert Downey Jr. says
- Robert Downey Jr. had high praise for his "Oppenheimer" co-star, Cillian Murphy.
- Downey Jr. told People magazine that he has "never witnessed a greater sacrifice by a lead actor."
Cillian Murphy's intense commitment to playing the lead role in "Oppenheimer" has won high praise from his co-star, Robert Downey Jr.
"I have never witnessed a greater sacrifice by a lead actor in my career," Downey Jr. told People magazine in a story published Sunday.
The Iron Man star said Murphy was willing to go to extreme lengths just to get the role right.
"We'd be like, 'Hey, we got a three-day weekend. Maybe we'll go antiquing in Santa Fe. What are you going to do?' 'Oh, I have to learn 30,000 words of Dutch. Have a nice time.' But that's the nature of the ask," Downey Jr. said.
A representative for Murphy declined to comment, citing the ongoing SAG strike.
Downey Jr. is not the only "Oppenheimer" cast member who's been wowed by Murphy's devotion to the role. Emily Blunt, who plays Murphy's wife in the movie, told Extra about the extreme diet Murphy put himself on to look more like the titular theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
"He had such a monumental undertaking. And he could only eat, like, an almond every day. He was so emaciated," Blunt told Extra in an interview that aired July 7.
Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" took in an opening weekend of $80.5 million in North American theatres, trailing behind Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" which brought in $155 million, per Box Office Mojo.
Representatives for Downey Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.
Editor's note: July 25, 2023 — This story has been updated with responses from Murphy's representative.