Cillian Murphy, an actor of Irish origin, has made history as the first Irish-born actor to bag a Best Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards. “As a profoundly proud Irish man, I stand here tonight,” he shared, while stating that we inhabit a world shaped by Oppenheimer.
This accomplishment makes Murphy the fourth actor from Ireland to clinch an acting Oscar, but he is the one who was born in Ireland to secure a Best Actor Oscar.
Acknowledging his gratitude toward director Christopher Nolan and producer Emma Thomas, the actor from Cork, remarked, “The past 20 years you both led me through have been the most unpredictable, invigorating, and creatively enriching. I owe you both more than I can express.”
In relation to other victors from Sunday’s event:
– Christopher Nolan bagged the best director award for Oppenheimer, which also scooped the best picture award.
– The film managed to take home seven out of the 13 accolades it was nominated for, inclusive of Robert Downey Jr’s best supporting actor win.
– Poor Things, an Element Pictures production based in Dublin, converted four out of 11 nominations into victories, including a second best actress Oscar for Emma Stone.
– Best supporting actress accolade went to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for her role in The Holdovers.
Ed Guiney, the head of Element Pictures, expressed his pride and happiness to RTE’s Morning Ireland for being in California with Cillian Murphy for the Academy Awards: “It’s much akin to Italia 90…We can genuinely feel the support and optimism here,” Guiney expressed.
In the near future, Element Pictures will be releasing another film starring Emma Stone, as Guiney shared: “We’re full steam ahead, striding to create content that will hopefully pique the interest of audiences.”
Hello everyone, it’s Jade Wilson reporting on the remarkable performance by the Irish at the Academy Awards. Minister for Culture and Arts, Catherine Martin, expressed heartfelt relief today following tough weeks of controversies surrounding RTÉ.
Catherine Martin was thrilled to share a congratulatory note with Cillian Murphy, the Irish actor, whose superb performance secured him the best actor accolade at the 96th Oscars on Sunday night. The Minister extolled Murphy’s talent, affirming he has consistently won the admiration of viewer’s both in theatres and from their homes in Ireland.
Cillian Murphy’s role in Christopher Nolan’s film, Oppenheimer, is what netted him this prestigious award, a zenith in anyone’s acting career, as per the Minister. Catherine Martin expressed her admiration for Murphy, acknowledging his exceptional acting skills and how he has undeniably secured his spot amongst the world’s top notch actors. She conveyed that such an Oscar victory is truly well-deserved and further wished him great achievements in his forthcoming projects.
In addition, Catherine Martin expressed praise for the team of Poor Things, partially produced by Element Pictures in Ireland, which bagged a staggering 11 Oscar nominations and triumphed in four categories.
The Minister commended Irish producers, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, including the cinematographer from Ireland, Robbie Ryan. Thanks to these triumphs, 2023 has been an extraordinarily fruitful year for Irish cinema. The Minister aspires that Cillian Murphy’s victory as the best actor would usher in a wave of success and recognition for the vast pool of talent within the Irish cinema industry.
Although Cillian Murphy’s triumph is the talk of the day, for now, we bid you goodnight. We appreciate your time with us.
Let’s take a quick look at the winners:
Best Film
Oppenheimer
Leading Actors
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Emma Stone – Poor Things
Supporting Actors
Robert Downey Jr – Oppenheimer
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Animated Short Film
War is Over! Influenced by the music from John & Yoko
Costume Design
Poor Things
Live Action Short Film
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Makeup and Hairstyling
Poor Things
Original Score
Oppenheimer
Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction – Cord Jefferson
Original Screenplay
Rewritten Text:
The “Anatomy of a Fall” is a mesmerising creation by filmmakers Justine Triet and Arthur Harari. Another captivating animated film includes “The Boy and the Heron”. A notable cinematography work of mention was “Oppenheimer”, directed by the inimitable Christopher Nolan.
In the category of documentary features, “20 Days in Mariupol” bagged the spotlight. Meanwhile, “The Last Repair Shop” led the short documentary section. “Oppenheimer” again registered its prominence with the best film editing award.
On the international platform, “The Zone of Interest” gained recognition. Providing the best music, the original song “What was I made for?”, unfolded barely vibes. With a picturesque production design, “Poor Things” came into the frame. While, the sound mixing for “The Zone of Interest” was outstanding, “Godzilla Minus One” stood out in the visual effects category.
Christopher Nolan, the renowned director who bagged the Oscar for “Oppenheimer”, expressed his gratitude towards his spouse and the film’s producer, Emma Thomas, and the Oscar laureate Cillian Murphy. Nolan showed appreciation for those who trusted him throughout his career. Heartfully, he mentioned his brother Jonathan Nolan, the mastermind behind Westworld, and commended Thomas for producing all their films and children. Raising a toast to the Academy, Nolan pointed out that cinema, though a bit over a century old, still has an unpredictable and riveting journey ahead of it. He was thankful for being considered as a significant part of this journey.
The coveted best actress award went to Emma Stone for her spectacular performance in “Poor Things”. As the evening progressed, “Oppenheimer” continued its momentous victory as Nolan received his best director Oscar from none other than Steven Spielberg. Expressing his respect for the hard-working cast and crew, he specifically highlighted the wondrous work of Cillian Murphy and his spouse Thomas, who was an integral part of all their ventures.
The pinnacle of the night came as Cillian Murphy picked up the best actor Oscar, the first ever Irish actor to achieve this feat, for his exceptional portrayal of J Robert Oppenheimer, the founder of the atomic bomb, in the film “Oppenheimer”. This victory encapsulates an award-season high for the Cork actor, who has already bagged the Golden Globe, Bafta, and Screen Actors Guild awards.
The likely prospect of Murphy clinching an Oscar had put the entire nation, particularly those awake at this moment, on their toes, the announcement of his name sparking a roar of delight from the audience. A far cry from his initial acting endeavor as a Disco Pig on the Cork stage, the actor remained grounded and modest as he always has, delivering his acceptance speech in a composed manner.
Beginning with a genuinely overwhelmed expression, Murphy, though having won multiple awards recently, seemed genuinely surprised; a good kind of surprise. He expressed gratitude to Christopher Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer, all the crew and caste whose support he says “carried me through”. His admiration for his fellow nominees was evident, “I’m stunned by all of you”.
Acknowledging his parents, Brendan and Mary, as well as “Yvonne McGuinness, my life and craft companion”, and his two sons, Malachy and Aran, who were seated in the audience, he announced his love for them. “I’m an exceedingly proud Irishman tonight,” stated Murphy, adding that the film depicted the creator of the nuclear bomb and signifying that we live in the world constructed by Oppenheimer. He dedicated the accolade to advocates of peace around the world. His speech concluded with a simple “go raibh maith agat”.
Billie Eilish predictably scoops the award for What Was I Made For, while Ryan Gosling, well known as Ken, delivered an exemplary performance of his trademark tune. Dressed in a sparkling suit with pink gloves, he performed alongside a team of cowboy-hat wearing Ken duplicates and with Slash. Joined by his co-stars America Ferrara, Margot Robbie, and director Greta Gerwig, even if he doesn’t bag the main prize, he certainly appears to be enjoying the night the most.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar bags the live action short film award in the meantime. After Oppenheimer wins the photography award, Murphy stands five awards away from potentially becoming the first man born in Cork, and indeed Ireland, to win the prestigious leading actor category at the Academy Awards.
In case you’re wondering where we currently stand, we’re considerably more than halfway through with nine of the 23 awards yet to be announced. The feature documentary accolade has been awarded to 20 Days in Mariupol, marking the first ever Oscar for Ukraine. Director Mstyslav Chernov emotionally stated, “I wish I had never had to make this film,” and concluded with an assertive “Slava Ukraini”.
On a brighter note, the best visual effects award has gone to Godzilla Minus One. We’re making good progress now.
Recalling the Oscars past, the scene turns to John Cena, who presented an award in the nude, replicating a notorious incident from exactly 50 years ago when a streaker ran across the stage during the Oscars. That was dubbed the Oscars’ most outrageous episode.
Back then, David Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor as US photographer and gallery owner Robert Opel made an unanticipated entrance from behind the stage, leaving the 1974 audience in fits of laughter and cheer. Cena, hesitantly agrees to play along with Kimmel’s suggestion, even though he initially expressed reservations, stating, “I just don’t feel right about it, it’s an elegant event, you know honestly you should feel shame right now for suggesting such a tasteless idea.”
Kimmel replies, “It’s supposed to be funny,” and Cena retorts, “The male body is not a joke.”
Let’s also not forget the blooper from Tim Robbins who described Robert De Niro’s performance in Killers of the Flower Moon as “Oscar winning” instead of “Oscar nominated”. However, the surprising turn of events saw Robert Downey Jr taking the award home. It’s his first win after previous nominations for Tropic Thunder in 2009 (best supporting actor) and for Chaplin in 1993.
In his address of honour, he attributes his ‘dreadful upbringing’ as well as the organisation for their recognition, mentioning them in that particular order. He also made references to his “veterinarian…apologies…spouse, Susan Downey. She encountered me, a refuge pet full of fury, and replenished my spirit with love. Such is the foundation of my presence here.”
He mentioned a “little secret” that he needed this role more than it required his services and said: “Your presence today shows me as a more refined man due to it.” He also expressed gratitude to his representative who had, according to him, spent half his professional life trying to secure insurance for him. After the Bafta, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice awards, he now had an Oscar under his belt.
Giving due credit to our Irish companions, who for the first time bagged the award for the best international film with ‘Zone of Interest’. To the best of my knowledge, it’s also the first British film in a non-English language to earn an accolade. Director Jonathan Glazer mentions it was a privilege to win and said, “We made all our decisions based on how they confronted us presently – our film portrays the brutal outcomes of dehumanisation,” he references conflicts in the Middle East and “all casualties of this process of dehumanisation.”
The award for the best costume design went to Holly Waddington for ‘Poor Things’, and she was unquestionably flabbergasted.
“I’ve lost track of my speech,” she expressed before showing appreciation for her fellow nominees. She expressed that ‘Poor Things’ presented a rare opportunity that allowed her to express her creative freedom, a fact for which she is deeply thankful.
Interestingly, the award was given by a bare man, noted wrestler John Cena, who acknowledged to the audience that “the ensemble is of utmost importance.”
Indeed.
There is bound to be an increase of jigs in the passageways of the Lighthouse as ‘Poor Things’ and two additional accolades – for production and costume design – take the count to three.
Billie Eilish and her sibling Finneas O’Connell were the opening performers. ‘What Was I Made For?’ is the less intriguing of two songs from ‘Barbie’ to be nominated. The most intense definitely belongs to ‘I’m just Ken’.
With Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Poor Things”, backed by Element Pictures, vying for a whopping 11 awards, the cheering from the Lighthouse Cinema’s Irish team is understandable, especially after bagging the award for hair and makeup design. A special Oscar viewing event was held there.
Switching back to the award proceedings, “American Fiction” was declared as the winner in the Adapted Screenplay category. During the acceptance of the award, Cord Jefferson expressed his gratitude and sentiments. He confessed how he was concerned about his movie being rejected by many initially, which he didn’t intend as a rant but a spotlight on the number of individuals desiring a shot in the industry. He voiced his opinion about the industry’s risk-averse nature, suggesting it diversify into multiple smaller budget movies rather than pumping money into singular big-budget projects.
He gracefully expressed his gratitude towards his film crew, thanking them for believing in a 40-year-old black man who had never directed before. His heartfelt speech hovered on the edge of being a Golden Cleric instance for a bit.
And now, assessing the current state, we are in the early stages basically. The ceremony, despite a delayed start due to the pro-Palestine agitation outside, began with a brisk pace. The event was kicked off with a humorous play act of host Jimmy Kimmel stepping into a scene from the moneymaker film, “Barbie”. Margot Robbie’s Barbie in a bus stop scene compliments him, to which Kimmel humorously responds about his hunger due to not eating for three weeks while preparing to host the Oscars.
Following this virtual enactment, Kimmel materialised on stage, amusingly thanking the Dolby Theatre audience for what he referred to as a “partial standing ovation” and acknowledging their punctuality given the show’s earlier start this year while cheekily hinting it would still commence very tardily.
In his remarks, Kimmel fleetingly mentioned the strikes that caused the Hollywood machinery to come to a standstill, acknowledging the industry’s challenging year. He also referred to Oscar’s overlooked director nomination for Greta Gerwig, director of Barbie. Kimmel praised Gerwig’s accomplishment of transforming an unappreciated doll into a symbol of feminism. He emphasised the widespread sentiment that Gerwig deserved to be on the best director nominee list.
Addressing actors Robbie and Gosling, Kimmel joked that if either failed to secure an Oscar, they had already won a greater prize – the genetic jackpot. He revisited the topic of the strikes and highlighted the landmark agreement reached on the use of artificial intelligence. Kimmel observed that actors could revert to their usual anxieties of being superseded by fresher and more appealing faces. Despite its lofty superficialities, he added, Hollywood remained a stronghold of unions.
Kimmel elicited applause for the backstage crew, echoing his solidarity as negotiations between the IATSE and Teamsters unions began. He vowed to extend the show’s duration to ensure they received plenty of overtime.
The candidates for the best original screenplay were Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Maestro, May December, and Past Lives. The Oscar went to Anatomy of a Fall, a legal drama by French filmmakers Justine Triet and Arthur Harari.
On receiving the award, Triet expressed her gratitude, jocularly stating that the win would assist in navigating her mid-life crisis in such an unconventional year. She shared that the film’s concept was conceived during the lockdown, amidst changing their children’s nappies. Harari underscored that the film was realised owing to ‘total independence and freedom.’
The nominees for Best Animated Feature Film included The Boy and the Heron, Elemental, Nimona, Robot Dreams, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, with The Boy and the Heron taking the prize.
For her portrayal of Mary, the grieving mother and school kitchen manager, in The Holdovers directed by Alexander Payne, Da’Vine Joy Randolph secures an Oscar for best supporting actress. This win was somewhat expected, as her performance in the film had made her a strong favourite among audiences. Remarkably, this is Randolph’s inaugural Oscar nomination.
Upon receiving the honour, Randolph expressed her gratitude to the Almighty and her mother, who had been pivotal in inspiring her to tread the path of acting instead of singing. She remembered being the only black girl in her class, which made her yearn to be unique, but she soon realised the importance of embracing her true self. She took the opportunity to express gratitude towards the women who lent their support and inspiration throughout her journey in acting.
The seasoned host, Jimmy Kimmel, kept the mood lively. However, a remark he made to Robert Downey Jr did initiate some light-hearted embarrassment. Nevertheless, the audience erupted in cheers when he praised the relentless crews that keep the Hollywood machinery running smoothly. Kimmel casually invited Ryan Gosling to a camping trip, whilst reminding the crowd that the program was already overshooting its time limit by five minutes after its commencement.
An initial hiccup caused by traffic delays led to the Oscars beginning five minutes later than the scheduled 11pm Irish time. Jimmy Kimmel then gallantly took to the stage to kick-start the proceedings.
Many among the nominees, such as Billy Eilish and Ramy Youssef, and other guests displayed solidarity towards peace between Israel and Hamas by sporting red pins. These were distributed as part of an initiative by Artists4Ceasefire, a splinter group in the entertainment industry. Youssef articulated the collective sentiments by emphasising on the urgent and lasting need for harmony, especially for children’s safety in Gaza. Their hope is to persuade people into engaging in meaningful conversations about peace without the fear of bombings looming in the background. This conscientious act was accompanied by an open letter pushing a ceasefire penned to President Joe Biden.
A letter by celebrities such as Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Stewart, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Lopez, and Ava DuVernay has stated their indomitable resolve to uphold values common to humanity, including freedom, justice, dignity and peace. The letter also speaks of their wish to prevent further violence and bloodshed. This came ahead of a protest by pro-Palestinian demonstrators seeking an immediate ceasefire, held in front of Hollywood’s Cinerama Dome before the start of the red carpet event.
We have all the reviews of the best picture nominees gathered for you. For instance, Cillian Murphy is praised for his dominant act in “Oppenheimer”, and a captivatingly unsettling performance by Emma Stone is captured in “Poor Things”. Films such as the twisted courtroom mystery drama “Anatomy of a Fall”, the powerful Auschwitz tale “The Zone of Interest” or the strikingly vivid “Barbie” starring Margot Robbie are all discussed at length.
Reviews of “Killers of the Flower Moon”, “Maestro”, “Past Lives”, “American Fiction”, and “The Holdovers” are also included, all demonstrating stunning performances from their casts.
The history of the Irish at the Oscars is notable. A total of 18 Irish actors have managed to gather 31 nominations; amongst them, Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker triumphed, with Day-Lewis taking home the award three times. Barry Fitzgerald also secured a win for his role in “Going My Way”. The Oscar statuette that we now recognise was the creation of Dubliner Cedric Gibbons, designed back in 1928. The Irish may have not ruled the awards, but their contributions are significant nonetheless.
Victor Young, the famed music composer, received 21 Oscar nominations without securing a win. It wasn’t until his posthumous 22nd nomination that he received the award for ‘Around the World in 80 Days’.
In 1990, Brenda Fricker acclaimed the Oscar for her performance in ‘My Last Foot’.
Whilst we anxiously await the commencement of this year’s ceremony, we present various fascinating facts related to the Oscars, bound to be of interest even to those who never wondered why the prestigious awards are referred to as “Oscars”. Officially known as the Academy Awards of Merit, this moniker has been widely used since 1939. Controversially, Bette Davis’ biography suggests that she was the one to coin the nickname, seemingly naming the prize after her first spouse, Harmon Oscar Nelson. However, a more credible source implies that Margaret Herrick, an Academy executive secretary, noted the statuette’s resemblance to her “Uncle Oscar” upon first observing it in 1931.
As we anticipate the event, we might reminisce about unforgettable moments in Oscars history, including the infamous on-stage “Slap”.
It’s difficult to overstate the eccentricity which accompanies the awards, epitomized by the famed swag bag. This year, these extravagant gift bags, exclusively given to the most renowned attendees, are estimated to be valued at a whopping $150,000. So, what do they contain? Highlights include three separate vacations, one in a Swiss cabin, another in a holistic wellness haven near Hollywood, and a three-night stay in Saint Barts. Additionally, recipients can expect a variety of skincare items, liver supplements, glutathione topicals, micro-needling products, and bite-sized cashew cookies free of gluten. Not to mention, sugar-free cherry gummies, a beverage experience of sagar sugar, tequila, gin, and a collagen-enriched drink mixture.
Additionally, there are portable seats for handbags, food mixers, a griller with infrared and a professional insomnia assessment. Affordable merchandise includes a pitch-adjusting fork and a Rubik’s Cube 50th Anniversary Commemorative Set, as well as a book of famous cinema dialogues, a children’s book fostering kindness and compassion, postcards encouraging gratefulness and cross-generational bonding, ​Mark Daley’s depressing memoirs about living in foster care, and Dr Stacie Stephenson’s self-improvement book, Glow. Who will receive these elegant bags? The host of the event, all the 20 nominated actors, and the five contenders for the best director title.
We have an update. The traditional red carpet is back in action, consigning the champagne version to its rightful place in the Hollywood Boulevard rubbish dump. According to the organisers, the bottle of bubbly, in its star-studded glory, was a one-time thing, used because red would have matched poorly with the weather cover that was a last-minute addition owing to unexpected weather disturbances on the big night.
Hello, and welcome to The Irish Times’s live updates on the Oscars. I’m Conor Pope and I’ll be by your side for the next five to six hours. By the end of it, we could all be jubilantly or mildly rejoicing. Or, we could be attempting to swallow our disappointment with help from our (non-existent) gin. There will certainly be no gin or tears.
The coming hours will put to rest many queries, with one of the main ones being whether Cillian Murphy will honour the global betting community’s expectations and become the fourth Irish individual ever to secure an Oscar for an acting part. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Element Pictures, the producers of Poor Things, to see if they’ll be in their element by night’s end. Furthermore, we cannot forget about the all-important awards for best picture, best director, best actress, best song, and numerous other trophies scheduled for distribution throughout the evening.
However, before we delve into the award tally, we must address other vital questions such as the styles donned by the attendees, their reason behind their wardrobe choices, and of course, the colour of the supposed “red” carpet. Now, you may believe that this live news report has jumped the gun (truly though, there is no gin) and the red carpet is obviously going to be red. But that’s where you’d be mistaken.
In a departure from age-old customs last year, the coordinators chose a champagne hue for the red carpet. The decision was a baffling one for all, and it is only a matter of moments before we discover whether the renown red carpet will make a comeback this year or if the organisers will persist with a faded beige tone to welcome the celebrities.
Please be patient. Silence on the set, please.