Cillian Murphy Reflects on $10 Million Salary for Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy Reflects on $10 Million Salary for Oppenheimer


Cillian Murphy recently opened up about feeling undeserving of the $10 million he reportedly earned for his role in Oppenheimer. The Cork native made history by becoming the first Irish-born actor to win Best Actor at the Oscars for his remarkable performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the "father of the atomic bomb," in Christopher Nolan's film.

Although Murphy received critical acclaim and a BAFTA for his work, he expressed discomfort with his substantial salary. In an interview with The Guardian, he said, “I’m just a fcking actor. There are doctors and nurses and fcking people that work. I struggle with that. I mean, actors are overpaid, you know?

"It's nice when you get paid, when you’re young, and you’ve gone from having no money, but the Catholic guilt kicks in immediately, and I’m like ‘It’s all going to go wrong. You don’t deserve this’. And I don’t.”

Despite Murphy's mixed feelings about his earnings, Christopher Nolan was thrilled to have him in the lead role and even printed the screenplay on red paper with black ink to prevent photocopying. Murphy showcased the unique title page during his appearance on CBS' 60 Minutes.

With an estimated net worth of $20 million, the 48-year-old actor has starred in numerous major films, including Inception, Dunkirk, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight, the latter being the highest-grossing film in Nolan's repertoire, earning over $1 billion globally.