Here’s some good news for a change: Cillian Murphy took home the Best Actor award for his role in the smash hit light-hearted romantic comedy about nuclear annihilation – Oppenheimer.
Cillian Murphy wins Best Actor for his role in #Oppenheimer at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/UmRAiLO9Qg
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024
The film dominated proceedings, winning best picture, best director for Christopher Nolan, and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr.
Murphy was named best leading actor for his acclaimed portrayal of theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer.
The actor said he was “overwhelmed” to have won, adding: “I’m a very proud Irishman standing here tonight.”
He thanked Nolan and producer Emma Thomas for “the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you’ve taken me on”.
Murphy also paid tribute to “every single crew and cast member, you carried me through”.
He concluded: “We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or for worse, we are all living in Oppenheimer’s world, so I’d like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.”
The ceremony saw Oppenheimer win seven prizes overall, while Poor Things took four – including best actress for Emma Stone – and The Zone of Interest scored two.
Downey Jr won best supporting actor for his portrayal of US government official Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
Accepting the award, the actor joked: “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood, and the Academy, in that order.
“I needed this job more than it needed me,” he continued. “I stand here before you a better man because of it.”
The star also paid tribute to his wife Susan Downey, who he said had found him as a “a snarling rescue pet”, adding that she “loved me back to life, that’s why I’m here”.
Downey Jr, best known for his run as Marvel’s Iron Man, has enjoyed a hugely successful Hollywood comeback after serious drug addiction issues more than two decades ago, which saw him serve a prison sentence after missing court-ordered drug tests.
He concluded his speech by telling the audience: “What we do is meaningful and what we decide to make is important.”
There are rumours that John Cena will be appearing in the Devinish soon:
A naked John Cena and Jimmy Kimmel bicker on stage at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/1JYd5qth6F
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024
Full list of winners:
Best picture – Oppenheimer’s Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven and Emma Thomas
Best directing – Oppenheimer’s Christopher Nolan
Best supporting actress – The Holdovers’ Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Best supporting actor – Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr
Best actor – Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy
Best actress – Poor Things’ Emma Stone
Documentary feature film – 20 Days In Mariupol’s Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath, Michelle Mizner
Documentary short film – The Last Repair Shop
Animated feature film – The Boy And The Heron’s Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
Animated short – War Is Over! Inspired By The Music Of John & Yoko’s Dave Mullins, Brad Booker and Sean Ono Lennon
Live action short film – The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar’s Wes Anderson and Steven Rales
Original screenplay – Anatomy Of A Fall’s Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
Adapted screenplay – American Fiction’s Cord Jefferson
Music (original score) – Oppenheimer’s Ludwig Goransson
Music (original song) – Barbie’s Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for What Was I Made For?
Film editing – Oppenheimer’s Jennifer Lame
Production design – Poor Things’ Shona Heath, James Price and Zsuzsa Mihalek
Costume design – Poor Things’ Holly Waddington
Makeup and hairstyling – Poor Things’ Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston
Sound – The Zone Of Interest’s Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers
Cinematography – Oppenheimer’s Hoyte van Hoytema
International Feature Film – The Zone Of Interest’s Jonathan Glazer for the UK
Visual effects – Godzilla Minus One’s Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima
I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
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