Win? I haven’t even thought about it
...but even if I do, says Cillian, I won’t be the most famous Corkman – that will always be Roy Keane
CILLIAN MURPHY says he ‘hasn’t really thought about winning’ the Best Actor Oscar despite being hotly tipped to claim the prestigious gong tomorrow night.
The red carpet has already been rolled out at Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre for the 96th Academy Awards, with films including Barbie, Oppenheimer and Killers Of The Flower Moon battling for Best Picture.
But Corkman Murphy was his usual cool, calm and collected self when asked about nerves ahead of the ceremony. The Oppenheimer star said he would likely attend ‘a party of some sort’ whether he bags the gong or not, and insisted the Oscars are not as competitive as is often assumed. Asked about the prospect of winning, the 47circuit
year-old father-oftwo said he is ‘just going to enjoy it’ and aim to ‘do our best’. He said: ‘At the moment, it’s just this kind of whirlwind and it’s so humbling and overwhelming and you’re just kind of in it. You know, everyone says this but it’s true: no one makes films to win awards; we just make them because we enjoy making them.
‘So, honestly, that’s all I’m thinking about at the moment, just this great celebration of the film and of the great year we’ve had for cinema.’
Also flying the Irish flag on Sunday night is Element Pictures, with 11 nominations for Poor Things – a record for an Irish-produced film. It is the second most nominated film this year behind Oppenheimer, which has 13 nods.
Asked about his nerves, Murphy said: ‘What will be, will be, you know? And there’ll be a good gang of us [Irish] there. You kind of get to know some of these people on the and they’re people that you really, really admire and it’s lovely to be able to celebrate films collectively.
‘Brilliant performances by Barry Keoghan, Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. Like, there’s a good gang of us. And, of course, there’s Saoirse [Ronan] and Jessie Buckley.
‘There seems to be a good crop around... And then, of course, Poor Things, so it’s lovely to be part of that.’
He’s currently Cork’s hottest export, but Murphy joked that Roy Keane is still the most famous person from the Rebel County. He told RTÉ: ‘To me, no one will be more famous than Roy Keane coming out of Cork. I’m a big Roy Keane fan, so he’s always number one for me.’ He added with a laugh: ‘Sorry, Graham [Norton].’
Even at polling stations in Cork for the referendum yesterday, the Oscar nominee’s name popped up.
Tánaiste and fellow Corkonian Micheál Martin cast his ballot at St Anthony’s National School in Ballinlough, where Murphy was a past pupil.
Mr Martin said he was awaiting the outcome of the Oscars with ‘bated breath’.
‘I heard him [Murphy] this morning on Morning Ireland and I just said to the principal that it would be a “great win for St Anthony’s – the first Oscar for St Anthony’s”. I think all of Cork are waiting with bated breath and we are wishing him the best,’ the Fianna Fáil leader said.
13 Oscar nods mean Oppenheimer could dominate tomorrow night