New Delhi: Actor Cillian Murphy won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's film 'Oppenheimer’ at the 96th Academy Awards. The Irish actor expressed his joy and pride, declaring himself a "very proud Irishman" upon receiving the honour.
In his acceptance speech, Murphy graciously acknowledged the Academy and director Christopher Nolan, describing the journey with 'Oppenheimer' as the "wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying" experience over the past two decades.
“It’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you’ve taken me on over the last 20 years, I owe you more than I can say,” he said.
“Thank you so much (to) every single crew member, every single cast member on ‘Oppenheimer,’ you guys carried me through. All my fellow nominees, I remain in awe of you guys. Truly.”
The actor took a heartfelt moment to acknowledge his two sons in the audience, declaring his love for them.
Murphy added: “My two boys, who are sitting up there, I love you so much, and I’m a very proud Irishman standing here tonight…”
Murphy connected the film's theme to the contemporary world, dedicating the award to "the peacemakers everywhere."
“We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or for worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world, so, I would like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere,” he said.
Emma Stone wins Best Actress
Emma Stone, already a recipient of an Oscar for her lead role in 'La La Land' in 2017, wo her second Academy Award as the Best Actress for her performance in 'Poor Things.'
In her acceptance speech, Stone, who got emotional, said, "The other night, I was panicking, as you can kind of see, happens a lot — that maybe something like this could happen and Yorgos (Lanthimos) said to me, please take yourself out of it. It's not about me. It's about a team that came together to make something greater than the sum of its parts."
Expressing her gratitude to 'Poor Things' director Yorgos Lanthimos, Stone acknowledged him with heartfelt words, saying, "Thank you for the gift of a lifetime in Bella Baxter."
'Poor Things' follows Bella Baxter, a distressed pregnant woman, who commits suicide and is brought back to life with the brain of her unborn fetus.