Oppenheimer’s Multi-Oscar Success Puts Cillian Murphy In A Very Exclusive Actor Club

Oppenheimer won big at the 96th annual Academy Awards, and its Oscars achievement puts Cillian Murphy in a very exclusive actor club — one that should, frankly, be easier to get into. It was no surprise that Oppenheimer collected multiple Oscar nominations in 2024, as Christopher Nolan’s biopic was one of the most talked-about and highest-grossing movies of 2023. Many 2024 Best Picture predictions suggested Oppenheimer would take home the gold in that category. And with a total of 13 nominations overall, it was expected to take home multiple Oscars.

This proved an accurate analysis of Oppenheimer‘s chances, as the movie also collected another huge honor at the 2024 Academy Awards: Best Actor. Murphy’s performance as the father of the atomic bomb won over the Academy, giving the actor his very first Oscar. This is worth celebrating on its own, but Oppenheimer‘s multi-Oscar success makes Murphy stand out for another impressive reason.

Oppenheimer Is Only The 6th Biopic To Win Best Picture & Best Actor

Oppenheimer is only the sixth biopic to win Oscars in both the Best Picture and Best Actor categories, marking impressive feats for Nolan’s movie and Murphy as its lead. Although many biopics have received nominations in both categories, it’s surprisingly rare to see a film take home awards for both. Only five biopics have managed it before Oppenheimer: Patton, A Man for All Seasons, Gandhi, Amadeus, and The King’s Speech. This lineup also means that Oppenheimer is the first biopic to win both Best Picture and Best Actor in 14 years, highlighting how infrequently this combination occurs.