When Cillian Murphy took the stage at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, his nose was smeared with his wife’s lipstick, as if a door had opened in Hollywood’s Neverland and an ambassador from the real world had walked in.
Accepting the award for Best Actor in a Drama OppenheimerMurphy wasn’t so much starless as he was surprisingly banal. This was a normal person who had somehow teleported to Tinseltown, and if he was happy, he was clearly somewhat puzzled by it.
Oppenheimer The win made Murphy the Oscar favorite. In all likelihood, he will have to meet the creepy Barry Keoghan. Burning saltincredible Bradley Cooper ownerand passionate Leonard DiCaprio Flower Moon Killer. With the exception of the excellent Cooper, they will all be worthy winners. Still, outsiders everywhere will be rooting for Murphy. He’s spent the last two decades negotiating with Hollywood on his own terms, spurning the flamboyance of Tinseltown to stick to his guns and play the long game.
Murphy always wanted to be an actor, not a star. Such a decision could easily have doomed him to a lifelong supporting role. Or the break from television he seemed headed for when he accepted the long-running role of Tommy Shelby in Birmingham Noir. Peaky Blinders.
But his decision to give up flashy things turned out to be inspiring. He’s that rarest of them all: a seasoned A-list actor who comes to the Oscars without any baggage. Unlike DiCaprio, he didn’t have to overcome his previous life as a teenage pin-up. He also doesn’t have to justify his lucrative appearances in comic book movies, like Cooper did as Rocket Raccoon. Guardians of the Universe.
Murphy is approaching Oscar season primarily as an antidote to the “Look at Me!” drama. The culture of the social media age. At a time when fame is considered the ultimate commodity—more important than awards or critical acclaim—Murphy prefers to let his work speak for itself. He lives modestly in a Dublin suburb with his wife and two children, and his great passion outside of acting is music, as evidenced by his semi-regular appearances on BBC 6 Music.
This is a whole life away from Hollywood with its self-mythologizing and turbocharging. It also became part of his career following his breakthrough role as a zombie apocalypse survivor in Danny Boyle’s film. 28 days later. From then on, he chose his work carefully. At the same time, he created a work of which he can be proud.
He’s not tired of popcorn yet. He was a memorable villain in Christopher Nolan’s novel. Batman Begins, where he played the scarecrow in the form of a trippy nightmare. But even when he achieved box office success, Murphy was not a star. Because he tries to keep his ego in check, he often feels comfortable in the ensemble and accepts the background. A Quiet Place II and agreed to an extended cameo role in Nolan. Dunkirkwhere he was content to shine the spotlight on Harry Styles and Tom Hardy.
They did, but Murphy was in it for the long haul. Because he could come in Oppenheimer Without any Hollywood aura, he disappeared into the role. Although he hardly ever slurred his words, he was still completely engrossed in the role. You could feel the stars throughout the entire film. Florence Pugh and Emily Blunt do their best with the select female characters. Robert Downey Jr. is trying to act like he didn’t spend ten years playing Iron Man.
Murphy split the working atom. He disappeared into it Oppenheimer with a performance that exudes humility and sincerity. Bookmakers have already named him the favorite to win the Oscar for Best Actor. If he wins, it will be a victory because you know who you are and what you stand for, and because you believe that good work has value beyond short-term praise. Above all, its success shows that it is possible to remain at the dizzying heights of Hollywood.