Cillian Murphy’s Haircuts Serve as Inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s Filming of ‘Oppenheimer’

• According to Christopher Nolan, the filming schedule for “Oppenheimer” was determined by Cillian Murphy’s haircuts.
• In the movie, Murphy’s character is shown at different points in his life with varying hairstyles.
• Nolan wanted the film to avoid any obvious artificiality when it came to the characters’ appearances.

Director and writer Christopher Nolan revealed that the filming schedule for “Oppenheimer” was strategically planned around Cillian Murphy’s changing hairstyles for his role, rather than relying on wigs. Speaking to the New York Times, Nolan described the complexity of managing different locations and actors while emphasizing his aversion to using artificial hair in movies. He aimed to create a film that presented characters without obvious artificiality in their appearances.

Universal Pictures

To faithfully depict the character of J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Murphy, in “Oppenheimer,” the movie relied on Murphy’s distinct hairstyles and appearance changes throughout different time periods. In an interview with MTV Movies, Murphy shared that his on-screen look drew inspiration from various stages in David Bowie’s career.

Universal Pictures

“Oppenheimer” was filmed in 57 days, during which Murphy underwent weight loss for his role, though specific details were not publicly disclosed. According to Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, Murphy’s dedication to his “Oppenheimer” diet led him to skip daily dinners with the cast, as shared in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. In a conversation with Deadline, Murphy mentioned that his restricted calorie intake, combined with his focus on the weight of his role, contributed to missing meals. He expressed his desire to channel all his energy into the work and prioritize sleep due to the demanding schedule.

“It’s not that I’m an unsociable person, I loved hanging out with these guys now on the tour, we’re great pals,” Murphy explained. “It’s just focus – you just want to focus on the work. And sleep becomes vitally important cause you’re working every single day and you’re up before dawn, you just want to get as much sleep as possible.”

“Oppenheimer” is currently showing in theaters.