'Sustained On Minimal Portions': Emily Blunt Reveals Cillian Murphy's Drastic Diet For 'Oppenheimer' Role

Although the specifics of Murphy's diet and the extent of his weight loss for the film remain unknown, the actor himself has warned against such drastic measures.

Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy attend the UK Premiere of "Oppenheimer" at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

Source : Getty

Actors' devotion to their craft frequently leads them to go to extraordinary lengths to embody the characters they play on screen. Cillian Murphy, who plays the title character in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer,' exemplifies this dedication. Murphy underwent extensive research and physical training as part of his preparation for the role, but it was his strict diet that took centre stage. During a candid interview, co-star Emily Blunt recently revealed the shocking aspect of his diet.

In an interview with ExtraTV, Blunt revealed the extraordinary lengths Murphy went to in order to become his character. "Cillian had such a massive undertaking," she explained. And he could only eat one almond per day. He was so emaciated." Murphy previously discussed his approach to portraying Oppenheimer in an interview with The New York Times in May 2023. "I love acting with my body," he said, "and Oppenheimer had a very distinct physicality and silhouette that I wanted to get right." I had to lose a lot of weight, and we worked with the costume and tailoring; he was extremely thin, almost emaciated, and lived on martinis and cigarettes".

READ | Those Scenes Were Written Deliberately: Cillian Murphy Talks About His Explicit Scenes With Florence Pugh In Oppenheimer

Although the specifics of Murphy's diet and the extent of his weight loss for the film remain unknown, the actor himself has warned against such drastic measures. He advised against engaging in "unhealthy competition" with oneself in an interview with The Guardian. "I was running on crazy energy; I went over a threshold where I wasn't worrying about food or anything," Murphy said of the filming process.

'Oppenheimer' made its cinematic debut on Friday, July 21, and the movie has been generating buzz, particularly regarding Murphy's remarkable transformation for the role. Furthermore, the film has received attention due to its box office clash with Greta Gerwig's highly anticipated 'Barbie'.

READ | Oppenheimer: The Manhattan Project, And How It Developed The Atomic Bomb