Cillian Murphy may struggle to be in the spotlight but he’s going to do his best to enjoy the Oscars next month.
The Irish native has been nominated for his role in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster Oppenheimer. He is going up against Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction), Colman Domingo (Rustin) and Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers).
He told BBC Radio 4: “You’d be an eejit not to enjoy it”.
He added: “I have struggled with it in the past and you know, it’s not something I’m ever totally at ease with – but I think you have to, like, choose to enjoy it and I think you can do that in your brain, just make that alteration and it’s easier then”.
Murphy, known for his roles in Red Eye, Batman Begins and playing the main character Tommy Shelby in the TV series Peaky Blinders, often keeps his private life out of the limelight.
He told host Lauren Laverne of the Desert Island Discs show he will try to deal with stepping out of his comfort zone for the upcoming Academy Awards.
He previously said he finds Red Carpets “challenging”. But his wife, Yvonne McGuinness, is “crucial” by his side. Murphy said she keeps him feeling grounded after “being an actor is quite challenging”.
The 47-year-old added: “To have a really secure solid base (with fame) is important. It’s been really important to me, you have to have that safe place.
“I think I certainly do, where it’s just like an island of comfort and ease”.
It comes after his speech at the Golden Globes was praised by fans, as he took to the stage appearing slightly dishevelled.
He stood with lipstick smeared all over his nose – from his wife – his collar undone, no bow tie, and less put together than the other celebrities at the awards show – in a good way.
Murphy won the award for Best Actor in a Drama Film, joking about Christopher Nolan’s rule for having no chars on set and thanking all those involved in the film.
“I knew that the first time I walked on a Christopher Nolan set that it was different,” he said.
“I could tell by the level of rigour, the level of focus, the level of dedication, the complete lack of seating options for any actors. I knew that I was in the hands of a visionary director.”
Watch the full clip below.
