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Actor Cillian Murphy on acting and his first reaction to reading the "Oppenheimer" script

Murphy's reaction to "Oppenheimer" script
Cillian Murphy's first reaction to "Oppenheimer" script 01:23

This week on 60 Minutes, Cillian Murphy talks with Scott Pelley about his approach to acting and his preparation for the lead role of J. Robert Oppenheimer in "Oppenheimer." After spending six months getting ready both physically and mentally, he says he put all he learned in the back of his mind and acted on instinct. 

During a candid interview in Ireland, Murphy also shared his first reaction after reading the "Oppenheimer" script, why he is known as "the worst dinner companion," and why it's too soon to talk about his acting legacy.

How David Bowie helped inspire the portrayal of Robert Oppenheimer 01:18

"It is possible that this is the first time that David Bowie has been compared to Robert Oppenheimer," Scott Pelley commented to Cillian Murphy. Murphy says he found similarities between the two men.

Cillian Murphy on turning off his characters 02:38

Actor Cillian Murphy says it takes time to decompress after playing a character. "For a few weeks, you just don't know what to do with all this energy and this focus."

Emily Blunt on a deleted scene from "Oppenheimer" 01:54

Actor Emily Blunt tells Scott Pelley that in a scene deleted from "Oppenheimer," she slaps Cillian Murphy.

Actor Eileen Walsh on working with Cillian Murphy 03:33

Eileen Walsh talks about how her decades-long friendship with Cillian Murphy translates to the screen.

Cillian Murphy: "I love sleeping, and I need sleep." 01:16

Matt Damon says, "Cillian is the worst dinner companion imaginable." Hear Cillian Murphy's reaction.

Cillian Murphy on his legacy 01:26

Cillian Murphy says it's too soon to talk about his acting legacy, adding he's hungry for more.

Emily Blunt on Cillian Murphy: "He's the worst celebrity in the world" 02:21

Actor Emily Blunt says Cillian Murphy is "my favorite actor I've ever worked with," calling him "the best actor in the world." Blunt also says of Murphy: "he's the worst celebrity in the world."

Cillian Murphy's mom’s surprising response to his Oscar news 01:21

Cillian Murphy shares with Scott Pelley his parents' unexpected reaction to learning the actor was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "Oppenheimer."

Cillian Murphy on the meaning of an Oscar 00:58

"Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy says being nominated for an Oscar is "very, very humbling." He calls the award the "pinnacle of achievement in film."

Eileen Walsh says "this is a perfect time" for Cillian Murphy to win an Oscar 02:06

Will the Oscar nomination go to Cillian Murphy's head? Longtime friend and actor Eileen Walsh says it won't change him -- that Murphy has his family around him and stands firm in what he believes in.

The videos above were edited by Peter M. Berman and Scott Rosann.

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