In his role as physicist Robert Oppenheimer in the film of the same name by Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy has won several prestigious awards. Among them is the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama, the Acting Achievement prize at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January, accolades from New York and Boston critics, as well as a BAFTA received at the end of last week. In January, he was first nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, and he also received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

“Murphy brilliantly portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer as a conflicted scientist leading the Manhattan Project to create the world's first atomic bomb”, said Palm Springs Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi at the awards ceremony. “For this outstanding performance in his career, it is an honor for us to present the Acting Achievement Award to Cillian Murphy”.

Even before the release of the film, reviews for it and Murphy's performance are excellent. The Times describes his portrayal as “explosive in a breathtaking film”. According to Empire magazine, the actor is “convincing throughout”, while The Daily Telegraph writes that he “shines in the role of a world destroyer”.At 47 years old, Cillian Murphy had other impressive roles before “Oppenheimer”. His breakthrough came in director Danny Boyle's “28 Days Later” in 2002.

After securing supporting roles in hit movies such as “Cold Mountain” (2003) and “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (2003), Murphy transitions to portraying antagonists in “Batman Begins” (2005), directed by Christopher Nolan, and ”Red Eye” (2005), earning praise from critics.

Christopher Nolan casts him in other films as well, portraying Dr. Jonathan Crane (The Scarecrow) in “The Dark Knight” (2008) and its sequel “The Dark Knight Rises”. He also appears in Nolan's “Inception” (2010) and “Dunkirk” (2017), albeit in supporting roles before "Oppenheimer." Simultaneously, Murphy stars in the television series “Peaky Blinders” from 2013 onwards, which significantly boosted his popularity. He has appeared in over 50 films throughout his career.

Cillian Murphy's upcoming film is “Steve” for Netflix, on which he is also a producer, as reported by Variety. Murphy will portray a school principal who struggles to maintain control over his students while grappling with mental health issues. The director will be Tim Mielants.