Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. present their film during the 2024 SAG Awards.
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A catchy nickname for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer crew has emerged during awards season: the Oppenhomies. During his acceptance speech for best actor at Saturday’s SAG Awards, Cillian Murphy made sure to give credit where it’s due by revealing the specific Oppenhomie who came up with it.
“Just an FYI on that exquisite moniker, Oppenhomies, that was actually invented by the great Olivia Thirlby,” Murphy said of the actress who plays Lilli Hornig in Nolan’s epic about American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the events surrounding the creation of the atomic bomb. “So Olivia, I think you should immediately trademark that and start merching the shit out of it because someone else will.”
Murphy then got serious by calling his peers “the greatest group of actors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.” It’s a long and impressive list, too, that includes Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Alden Ehrenreich, Matt Damon, Tony Goldwyn, Rami Malek, Jason Clarke, James D’Arcy, Kenneth Branagh, Josh Hartnett, Alex Wolff, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Josh Peck, Jack Quaid, Casey Affleck and many others. “I have never felt so looked after or cared by a group of actors every day. Looking at your names on the call sheet just made me brave, guys so thank you, thank you, thank you.”
It was a big night all around for the Oppenhomies. The Universal Pictures film picked up the top prize of the night by winning best ensemble film as well as one for Robert Downey Jr. for best supporting actor. Murphy triumphed in a category that also included nominees Bradley Cooper for Maestro, Colman Domingo for Rustin, Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction. “I am just bursting with admiration and respect for you all,” Murphy said of his fellow nominees. He also thanked Nolan and his producing partner (and wife) Emma Thomas; his own wife, Yvonne; and their children, Malachy and Aran.
He closed his speech by calling out his humble beginnings. “Twenty-eight years ago when I was trying to become an actor, I was a failed musician and I felt extremely like an interloper. But now, looking out on all of you guys here today, I know that I’m part of something truly wonderful.”