What Did Cillian Murphy Say About Matt Damon's 'Worst Dinner Companion' Remarks?

Cillian Murphy responded to co-star Matt Damon's remarks about his socializing habits during the filming of Oppenheimer, explaining that his focus on the character made it challenging for him to join group activities.

Cillian Murphy on Matt Damon's comment on his socializing habits

Damon, who played General Leslie Groves in Oppenheimer, mentioned that Murphy often declined dinner invitations because he was deeply immersed in his character.

During a 60 Minutes' interview Broadcast, Scott Pelley shared Damons's observation with Murphy saying, "Matt Damon told me that ‘Cillian is the worst dinner companion imaginable,'” Pelley explained, “What he meant by that was when you’re working on a film — when you’re being the character — there’s very little room in your head for anything else.”

Murphy acknowledged Damon's observation, admitting "Yeah, I mean, I’ve always been like that, I think,” he continued “But it’s because, to me, you have the time on set, which is short enough time — you have 10 hours, maybe. And then the other part, if you’ve got a significant part, you’re having to keep your lines fresh.”

Cillian Murphy added, "The other big thing for me is sleeping. I love sleeping and I need sleep, you just don’t have the room … in your head, and you want as much sleep as possible.”

However, Murphy clarified that once filming wrapped up, he became more sociable. He mentioned, "I've had lots of lovely dinners with Matt Damon since the movie’s finished and we’ve been out promoting it and stuff.” Damon, in a separate interview, understood Murphy's behavior, noting that he was undergoing significant physical transformation for the role, limiting his food intake to maintain the character's appearance.

Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. on Cillian Murphy's socializing habits

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Emily Blunt, who played Oppenheimer's wife, echoed Damon's sentiments during a separate interview with ET, emphasizing, "The sheer volume of what [Murphy] had to take on [for the role] and shoulder is so monumental, of course, he didn’t want to come and have dinner with us.”

Similarly, Robert Downey Jr., who portrayed Lewis Strauss said in a July interview with US, "I have never witnessed a greater sacrifice by a lead actor in my career, he knew it was going to be a behemoth ask when Chris [director Christopher Nolan] called him. But I think he also had the humility that is required to survive playing a role like this.”

In essence, Murphy's intense focus and dedication to his character during filming earned him respect and admiration from his co-stars, despite his limited socializing during the production of Oppenheimer.

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