After an epic race to the finish, Cillian Murphy has won Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 2024 Oscars, for his work in Oppenheimer.
“I’m a little overwhelmed. Thank you to the Academy. Christopher Nolan and Emma Thompson. It’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you have taken me on over the last 20 years,” Cillian said during his acceptance speech.
“I owe you more than I can say. Thank you so much. Every single crew member, every single cast member on Oppenheimer, you guys carried me through. To all my fellow nominees, I remain in awe of you guys, truly.”
“… We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb. For better or worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world. I would like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.”
Related: From 1929 to Now, These Are the Most Talked About Moments Throughout Oscars History
Related: No One Asked Me To, But I Watched All 95 Best Picture Winners — Here’s My Ranking
Cillian Murphy’s Road to the Oscar
Unlike the Supporting Actor categories, which have been locked up since award season began, the race to Cillian being named Best Actor was a little tighter, as Cillian Murphy and Paul Giamatti have gone head to head all season.
At the Golden Globes, both actors took home a win, with Murphy being awarded Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama, and Giamatti winning Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Giamatti took home the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor, but Murphy took home both the SAG Award and the BAFTA.
In the end, though, it was Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer that won over the Oscar voters.
This is Cillian Murphy’s first nomination and first win.
Want more award season news? Click here to read all our content, and check out the stories below:
- From ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ to ‘CODA’: The Best Movies to Stream on Apple
- The Year to Come: The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024
- The Latch Selections: The Best New Movies to Stream
- ‘Priscilla’: A Bold Feminist Retelling of Elvis’ Dark Fairytale Marriage
- America Ferrera Dedicates Critics Choice Award to “Every Kid Yearning to Break in”
- Is the Age of Barbenheimer Over? Read the Full List of 2024 Oscar Nominations
- ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Succession’ Win Big At the 2024 Critics Choice Awards
- ‘Past Lives’: Inyeon Is a Korean Philosophy of How Relationships Form Over Many Lifetimes
- ‘American Fiction’: Scathing and Accurate Portrayal of the Obstacles Black Writers Face in Publishing
- Cinephiles, the Race Is on! Here’s Where to Watch Oscar Nominees in Australia
- No One Asked Me To, But I Watched All 95 Best Picture Winners — Here’s My Ranking
- Oscar Nominees 2024: ‘Past Lives’ Spotlights the Pull of First Love Alongside the Yearning for Glory
- ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Offers an Insight into the Complexity of Japan’s War Memories
- ‘The Zone of Interest’: New Holocaust Film Powerfully Lays Bare the Mechanisms of Genocide
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.
