Cillian Murphy continued his winning ways Sunday night, picking up the Oscar for Best Actor for playing Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, in Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer.
“I’m a little overwhelmed,” Murphy started his speech before thanking Nolan and Nolan’s wife, Oppenheimer producer Emma Thomas.
“It’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you’ve taken me on over the last 20 years, I owe you more than I can say,” he said.
He also acknowledged his fellow nominees, which included Colman Domingo, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Cooper and Jeffrey Wright, sharing, “I remain in awe of you guys, truly.”
“You know we made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or worse we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world,” he concluded his speech. “So I’d really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.”
Murphy came into Sunday’s Oscars as the frontrunner to win Best Actor. He previously picked up Best Actor wins at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and BAFTA Awards.
Five previous Best Actor Oscar winners were on hand to announce the nominees for the category, Nicolas Cage, Matthew McConaughey, Brendan Fraser, Ben Kingsley and Forest Whitaker, with Fraser announcing Murphy’s name.
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