In the sea of seasoned stars, Cillian Murphy remains a one-of-a-kind icon whose box office hits do not require any introductions. Be it from the cinematic or the television realm, his dedication to outshine his own self lies as a priority over the urge to overpower others. While his stunning cinematic presence often meets the eye with Christopher Nolan and his genius, their collaborative saga has openly chartered the roads of success stories this award season.

Although the duo have been quite outspoken in expressing their gratefulness for one another, Murphy recently dived deep into Nolan’s praise for a foundational element that sets his directorial class apart.

Cillian Murphy mentions his biggest takeaway from Christopher Nolan’s works

Before going head-on for the cinematic combat on the red carpet venue of the 96th Oscars, Cillian Murphy recently appeared on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused Podcast. Talking about things from Nolan’s similarities with Danny Boyle and his first Nolan miss, the Irish actor emphasized one skill of Nolan that not many have spoken about. Murphy said pressing on the factor that Nolan has “many feathers to his bow as a director” but the biggest takeaway lies in his “skill at casting”.

He continued how Nolan has always “been a genius at casting his films, kind of in an unexpected way”. For Murphy, it is Nolan’s unconventional casting skills that make him a visionary maker. A movie is indeed nothing without actors wearing fitting shoes. However, to be able to visualize who can make the theatrical experience count from a distance is truly a magical ability. And fortunately, the resultant masterstrokes have often swept both Murphy and the audience off of their feet.

As Murphy looks mesmerized by Nolan’s casting skills, his conviction goes way back. So much so that he was sure of himself that the first-ever role for Nolan would slip out of his fists before the rejection.

Cillian Murphy already foresaw his first role for Christopher Nolan getting refused

Delving into his long-road of acting career, Josh Horowitz and Cillian Murphy also talked about the first audition the latter did for Nolan. It was back in 2003 and Nolan had offered Murphy the role of Batman in The Dark Knight. Yet, somehow, the Irish actor “knew” that rejection was coming his way as “Christian Bale was the obvious choice” due to his lack of “physicality then”. 

Within a “week or two” after the auditions, his intuition sat right. Therefore, Nolan did not choose Murphy for the role. For the Oppenheimer actor, to be “able to get in a room with Christopher Nolan and say, ‘Oh, I’ve worked with him’” was his ultimate desire. Hence, clearly, the collaborative saga did not do as well at the initial crossroads. However, the same is far from true now as the pair walks with considerable authority from one award ceremony to another, making clean sweeps.

What do you think of Cillian Murphy’s praise for Christopher Nolan’s casting skills? Let us know in the comments below!