Cillian Murphy reacts to his first Oscar nomination for 'Oppenheimer'

The announcement of Oscar nominations sparked a very specific memory for Christopher Nolan as he recalls Cillian Murphy’s transformation for Oppenheimer.

The duo’s reaction comes after the Robert J Oppenheimer biopic was mentioned in 13 nominations, with the 53 year-old filmmaker up for Best Director and Best Screenplay awards.

Moreover, the Peaky Blinders alum bagged his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor, Emily Blunt for Best Supporting Actress and Robert Downey Jr. for Best Supporting Actor.

Speaking to Variety, Christopher said that Cillian’s transformation reminded him of the hair and makeup tests he did for Heath Ledger as the Joker.

“You start to see the actor bringing an icon to life, putting the hat on, the cigarette in the corner of his mouth. You’re starting to see how he moves. It’s a thrilling moment. It is in every film,” he said.

On the other hand, the 47 year-old actor revealed that he found out about his groundbreaking nomination from his home country of Ireland.

“I’m actually in my parents’ house in Cork city. I was with my parents and my wife today. So that was really nice,” Cillian told the outlet.

Already known for his humble persona, the actor added that he was in his childhood kitchen when the categories were announced, “We had a cup of tea and a slice of cake. It was quite nice. My mom made a sponge cake. It was very tasty.”