Cillian Murphy on his Oscar win for Oppenheimer, his long-working relationship with Christopher Nolan, and why he doesn’t watch his own films

Cillian Murphy, Oscar winner. How does that sound?

It is surreal (laughs). I really can’t believe it. I feel grateful and humbled, and completely overwhelmed.

How does it feel to be the first Irish-born actor to win an Oscar?

It’s not something I really thought about before, but now, of course I’m proud—to be Irish, and to highlight the way Ireland supports home-grown talent in this industry.

Oppenheimer is the sixth movie you have made with Christopher Nolan. What is it about him as a director that you like?

What isn’t there to like? He’s a master of his craft. I love how he collaborates with actors and, most of all, how he understands that the audience is intelligent and wants to see complex and compelling stories on the big screen. He’s an incredible visual artist and a brilliant storyteller. I feel lucky to have worked with him as much as I have. He’s changed my life, and I hope we can continue to do more together.

How much did you know about J Robert Oppenheimer before the chance to play him came to you?

Not much. I had heard of him and the events of 1945, and how he helped change the world forever with this destructive and appalling nuclear weapon. But my knowledge of him as a man was sketchy.