Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Cillian Murphy Reveals Why Matt Damon Called Him The 'Worst Dinner Companion Imaginable'

Cillian Murphy; Matt Damon
Samir Hussein/WireImage/GettyImages, Adam Berry/Getty Images

The 'Oppenheimer' star opened up on '60 Minutes' about how his method for preparing for the film didn't really allow him to have pleasant dinners with his costars, including Damon.

Cillian Murphy responded to his Oppenheimer costar Matt Damon teasing him for skipping out on social dinners with the cast while working on the film.

Murphy played the titular role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and recently won the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for his work on the critically acclaimed film.


The epic drama is based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin chronicling the life of American theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is most famous for helping to develop the atomic bomb.

The star-studded cast includes Matt Damon, who plays Colonel Leslie Groves, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officer who recruited Oppenheimer as director of the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory where the atomic bomb was developed.

During an interview with the Irish actor, 60 Minutes host Scott Pelley quoted Damon as saying Murphy was the "worst dinner companion imaginable."

But Pelley assured that the comment was not made out of spite.

“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 agreed and chuckled at the ribbing by Damon and admitted:

"I’ve always been like that, I think.”

The 47-year-old expounded on his approach to working on set, adding:

“It’s because, to me, you have the time on set, which is a 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."

You can watch the segment here.

Murphy also shared something that was a crucial part of his Hollywood modus operandi.

"The other big thing for me is sleeping," he said, adding, "I love sleeping, and I need sleep."

Since Oppenheimer wrapped production, Murphy said he's had "lots of lovely dinners with Matt Damon" as they've been promoting the film.

Murphy reiterated that his top priority was to be rested as much as possible.

He added:

“At the time, yeah, you just don’t have the room in your head, and you want as much sleep as possible.”

Fans gave props to Murphy for his commitment to the film.

Users also found the actor relatable.

Last July, Damon and Emily Blunt, who portrayed Oppenheimer's wife Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer, sat for an interview with ET and mentioned Murphy's tendency to decline dinner invitations during production to maintain his diet for the integrity of his role.

Damon noted:

"We invited Cillian to dinner every night and he never went."
"He was just losing so much weight for the part that he just didn't eat dinner."

In a separate interview with People, Blunt marveled at Murphy's dedication.

“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.”

Cillian, we would gladly accept grabbing a bite with Damon and Blunt any time on your behalf.

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Country Singer Gavin Adcock went on a drunken rant over Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" success.
Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Country singer rants over Beyoncé album

Country singer Gavin Adcock became the title of his next album, “Own Worst Enemy,” after going on an unhinged rant about the legitimacy of Beyoncé's Grammy-winning and record-breaking Cowboy Carter in the country music genre.

Adcock, whose upcoming album is set for release next month, was filmed during a live performance last weekend, complaining that Beyoncé and her album are not “country music.”

Keep Reading Show less
Dionne Warwick; Tiny Chef
Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images; @ToonHive/X

Dionne Warwick Is Ready To Go To War With Nickelodeon Over 'Tiny Chef' Cancellation

You know your campaign against a show's cancellation is achieving widespread attention when you get people like venerated singer Dionne Warwick advocating for you.

Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show was recently cancelled, much to the dismay of its viewers and creators. It was also a genuinely surprising decision, since the show has won an Emmy.

Keep Reading Show less
Woman relaxing in sunhat and sunglasses
Photo by Jordan Bauer on Unsplash

People Explain Which 'Small Luxuries' They Can't Live Without

Many of us have committed to being fairly financially frugal and not overspending on silly, unnecessary things.

That is to say, sometimes, it's fun to splurge on something one time to see what it's like to experience that small luxury.

Keep Reading Show less
two women in emotional distress seated on couch
Ben White on Unsplash

People Who've Experienced Grief Share The Most Tone-Deaf Things They've Heard

Grief, loss, trauma are all part of life. But for most people, the emotions and reactions that go with them are difficult to witness.

So they rely on platitudes to fill any holes in conversation. That's rarely a good idea.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep Reading Show less