The cast of “Oppenheimer” had only one job: connect with their characters and bring them to life on screen. Okay, that’s two jobs, but they did not complain, and they did splendidly. Just look at the numbers!
Of course, it was no easy task to pull this off. “Oppenheimer” is a war drama that revisits the historical development of the atomic bomb and depicts all those who played a part in the act. Christopher Nolan has previously shared how weighty the task of directing J. Robert Oppenheimer’s biopic was.
“It’s a story of immense scope and scale,” Nolan said in December 2022. “And one of the most challenging projects I’ve ever taken on in terms of the scale of it and in terms of encountering the breadth of Oppenheimer’s story.”
Keep reading to learn more about the ensemble cast of “Oppenheimer” and the work they put into channeling the historical figures they portrayed in the movie.
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Meet the Cast of the Movie Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy Played J. Robert Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy portrayed the titular theoretical physicist in “Oppenheimer.” In an interview with the Associated Press back in May, Murphy opened up about playing the legend. He saw it as “a huge responsibility” because Oppenheimer “was complicated and contradictory and so iconic.” Murphy endured physical and mental challenges to get into the role in preparation.
He lost “quite a bit of weight” to appear as Oppenheimer did, as the man had been “very slim,” almost to the point of emancipation. To achieve that, he was put on an extreme diet that also affected his behavior.
“I was running on crazy energy; I went over a threshold to where I was not worrying about food or anything,” he said. “I was so in it, a state of hyper something. But it was good because the character was like that. He never ate.”
Emily Blunt as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer
Emily Blunt joined the cast of “Oppenheimer” as Oppenheimer’s wife. Kitty, a biologist, moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico, with her husband in 1943 while he was working on the Manhattan Project. While Oppenheimer secretly developed the nuclear weapons, Kitty worked with a physician to assess the danger presented by radiation.
In an interview with PEOPLE just a month before the film’s premiere in mid-July, Blunt talked about her relationship with her on-screen husband. “Me and Cillian are like thick as thieves because we worked together before [on A Quiet Place Part II] and I adore him,” she said. “We have a lot of trust between us. So I spent the most time with Cillian.”
Matt Damon as Leslie Groves
Matt Damon portrays Lieutenant General Leslie Groves in the historical drama. During World War II, the Army Corps of Engineers officer worked on the Pentagon’s construction before directing the Manhattan Project.
Damon was excited to be tapped by Nolan for the role. The actor greatly admired Nolan and even threatened to take time off acting if no role came from him.
Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss
Robert Downey Jr. brought the Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss to life. Strauss worked closely with Oppenheimer during the development of nuclear weapons. However, their differing political and ideological values resulted in high tensions between them.
Strauss was suspicious of the physicist, afraid he was allied with communist forces, and demanded that the FBI investigate further. This led to months of court hearings about Oppenheimer’s actions and background before his top-security clearance was eventually revoked.
Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock
Florence Pugh joined the cast of “Oppenheimer” as the titular character’s mistress, Jean Tatlock. Her links with the Communist Party put the physicist in a precarious position during the investigations of his political affiliations.
Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence
The war drama cast saw Josh Hartnett play Ernest Lawrence, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who played a key role in the Manhattan Project.
Casey Affleck as Boris Pash
Casey Affleck portrayed a military intelligence officer who interrogated Oppenheimer and others about their possible affiliations with the Communist Party. Boris Pash ultimately concluded that the physicist wasn’t a spy and should remain involved in nuclear development efforts.
Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr
Kenneth Branagh joined the cast of “Oppenheimer” as Niels Bohr. During WW II, Bohr significantly supported Robert Oppenheimer and his colleagues working on the Manhattan Project. Despite the impact both knew it would have on international affairs, Bohr’s hopes for nuclear development aligned with Oppenheimer’s.
Benny Safdie as Edward Teller
Benny Safdie played Edward Teller in the epic war drama. He was the only member of the scientific community to testify against Oppenheimer at his security clearance hearings. Safdie’s role in the movie is his biggest to date. Nolan decided to cast him after seeing him in “Good Time” and in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2021 indie film, “Licorice Pizza.”
“I called Paul [Thomas Anderson], and I asked about Benny,” Nolan recalled. “And he gave him the strongest possible endorsement and pointed out that he’s an incredible actor but also just a wonderful guy.”
Dylan Arnold as Frank Oppenheimer
Frank was a talented scientist who earned a degree in physics from Johns Hopkins University before later getting his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology, where he studied artificially induced radiation.
He joined the Manhattan Project in 1945 and became a professor after the war. A science lover, he founded the Exploratorium—a museum of science, technology, and the arts—in 1969.
Gary Oldman as President Harry S. Truman
“Oppenheimer” brought Gary Oldman and Christopher Nolan, who hadn’t worked together since they collaborated on the “Batman” trilogy, together again. Oldman appears in only one scene in the film, but that is enough to satisfy fans missing his appearances.
He plays President Truman, who ordered the atomic bomb to be used in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII.
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Jason Clarke as Roger Robb
Clarke joined the cast of “Oppenheimer” as U.S. attorney Roger Robb. Robb was one of those chosen to prosecute Oppenheimer’s security clearance hearing in 1954.
Clarke believes the effects of what Oppenheimer did decades ago are still yet to play out fully. Clarke said while at the Paris premiere of the film. “The story is still going to play out. I truly believe that.”
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