CILLIAN MURPHY has claimed his first Golden Globe and the win has been branded a “proud moment for Ireland” by culture minister Catherine Martin.
The Cork native won the Best Actor category in the 81st annual ceremony which took place in Beverly Hills, California on January 7.
He took the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his performance in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.
His was one of five wins for the blockbuster biopic at the event held at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Cillian Murphy with his gong at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7Murphy, who played the eponymous physicist who led America's development of the atomic bomb in the film, had been nominated alongside fellow Irish stars Barry Keoghan, for Saltburn, and Andrew Scott, for All of Us Strangers), in the Best Actor category.
Bradley Cooper, for Maestro, Leonardo DiCaprio, for Killers of the Flower Moon, and Colman Domingo, for Rustin, completed the shortlist.
Accepting the award on Sunday evening, Murphy first praised the film’s director Christopher Nolan - who also won the Best Director gong on the night - as well as Nolan’s wife Emma Thomas.
Cillian Murphy accepts his award the 81st Golden Globe Awards“I knew the first time I walked on a Christopher Nolan set that it was different,” he said.
“I could tell by the level of rigor, the level of focus, the level of dedication, the complete lack of any seating options for actors that I was in the hands of the visionary director and master.”
“I want to thank Chris and Emma for having the faith in me for 20 years and six fecking pictures. Thanks so much,” he added.
“One of the most beautiful and vulnerable things about being an actor is that you can’t do it on your own, really,” he added, in a shout out to his Oppenheimer co-stars.
Oppenheimer cast members and creatives Florence Pugh, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Robert Downey Jr., Charles Roven, Matt Damon and Ludwig Göransson at the awards“We had the most incredible ensemble cast in this movie,” he explained.
“It was magic and some of them are here today. Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, Gary Oldman.
“Thank you for carrying me and holding me through this movie.”
Murphy, who was first nominated for a Golden Globe in 2005 for his role in Neil Jordan’s film Breakfast on Pluto, also praised his co-nominees, and paid tribute to his family, before his speech came to a close.
“To all my fellow nominees, if you’re Irish or not, you’re all legends, your stunning work, I salute you,” he said.
“To my mum, the rest of my team, thank you so much.
“To my family, I’m the luckiest man and I love you.”
Golden Globe winners and Oppenheimer co-stars Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. pictured with their gongsFollowing the ceremony, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said Murphy's award was "richly deserved for a supremely talented actor".
"A superb performance by Cillian in a year of some incredible Irish screen performances," he added.
Ireland's Culture Minister Catherine Martin also congratulated the actor, and his fellow Irish nominees.
“Cillian Murphy has won the Best Male Actor, Golden Globes,” she tweeted.
“A particularly proud moment for Ireland as half of the nominees for best male actor in a drama motion picture are Irish,” she added, stating: “Well done Andrew Scott and Barry Keoghan.”
Later Ms Martin congratulated Irish film producers Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, whose Element Pictures company produced Poor Things, which won two awards on the night.
The film, which features Emma Stone in the lead role, is a science fiction fantasy comedy based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray.
Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan was responsible for filming the movie, which took the Best Picture – Musical/Comedy award on the night.
“Huge congratulations to Irish producers Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, and Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan. An outstanding achievement,” Ms Martin said.
