Cillian Murphy has won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the titular role of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. This marks the actor's first Oscar award and that too from his first nomination.
In his acceptance speech, the actor said, "I'm a little overwhelmed. Thank you to the Academy! Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas—it's been the wildest, most exhilarating, and most creatively satisfying journey you have taken me on over the last twenty years. I owe you (Nolan and Emma) more than I can say. Every single crew member and cast member on Oppenheimer—you guys carried me through."
While accepting the award, Murphy also thanked his publicist Craig Bankey, his parents Brendan and Murphy, as well as his wife Yvonne McGuinness and their two sons Malachy and Aran. In his closing comments, the actor said, "We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or worse, we are all living in Oppenheimer's world. So I would really like to dedicate this award to the peacemakers everywhere."
Describing himself as a "very proud Irishman," Murphy also made a note of his fellow nominees as he said that he "remains in awe of them." He was nominated for Best Actor alongside Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, Colman Domingo for Rustin, Bradley Cooper for Maestro, and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction.
