Cillian Murphy Shares Why Matt Damon Deemed Him the 'Most Terrible Dinner Companion'

It has come to light why Cillian Murphy, according to his Oppenheimer co-star Matt Damon, is considered the "worst dinner company imaginable".

At 49, the Irish actor attributes this perception to his commitment to staying in character as the creator of the atomic bomb for both on and off camera during the film's making.

A segment on 60 Minutes, which was broadcasted on February 18, included Scott Pelley talking to Cillian about Matt's comment on his dining companionship. Scott explained, "What he was implying was that when you're involved in a movie project, you're engrossed in the character so much that there's barely any room for anything else in your mind."

Cillian responded, "That's always been my approach, I believe. For me, the time on set is precious. You get maybe 10 hours. Then if you have a major role, you need to keep your lines ready."

He also provided another understandable reason for refraining from long dinner outings. "Another crucial thing for me is sleep. I love sleep and it’s a necessity for me."

"During such times, I often crave maximum sleep and do not have much mental capacity for other things," he expanded, noting that since the completion of the shooting, he's had many fun-filled dinner experiences with his 53-year-old co-star Matt.

Cillian mentioned, "Post the film wrap-up, I’ve had quite a few enjoyable dinners with Matt Damon and during its promotional events."

Emily Blunt, who depicts Cillian's character's spouse Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer in the Oscar-nominated film, stated in July 2023 that he wouldn’t engage with the rest of the cast during post-shooting dinner.

"Me, Matt, and the rest of the crew were accommodated in the same hotel in the heart of the New Mexican desert with only each other as company. Matt and I were roommates and we used to plan for dinners," Emily reminisced during a discussion with People. However, Cillian was a rare participant. She continued to empathize with the enormity of Cillian's role as theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Matt jointly expressed during a group discussion with the publication, "Cillian was always engrossed with his role. He couldn't afford to dine with us even if he wanted to. His brain was preoccupied." Cillian agreed saying, "When you have such potent roles to execute, it feels quite overwhelming."

In a conversation with GQ on July 24, 2023, the star from The Dark Knight Rises confessed how the role in the Christopher Nolan-directed film grew on him and consumed his entire existence.

"Naturally, if you devote yourself to a character for an extended period, in my case I researched him for six months and played him for countless hours daily. So, you eventually get absorbed by the character, and that's just the way it is," he disclosed to the magazine.

Cillian concurred with Emily and Matt's observation of his demeanor during the making of the film.

"The role was massive and tackled several complex moral and ethical questions. Since the script was in the first person, I knew a significant portion of the load was on my shoulders, despite us having an outstanding crew," he described.

He felt a great deal of responsibility towards perfecting his character and confessed, "My work consumes me and I don't often make time for social outings. So much so that during the course of this film, I was frequently absent from dinner. This made me not so great to socialize with, but that's how it was. Such is the nature of the work," he concluded.