02 August 2023 , 08:34
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David Baddiel has called out the decision to cast Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's new film.
The Irish actor, 47, plays the Jewish theoretical physicist, who helped to develop the atomic bomb during World War II. Cillian has already been tipped for an Oscar for his performance in the film, which is making millions of pounds at the box office.
However, Jewish comedian David, 59, isn't sure he was the right choice for the role. Speaking about the decision to cast non-Jewish actors in Jewish roles, he said: "Authenticity casting I think of as an a priori thing that exists.
David Baddiel has called out the decision to cast Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's new film (Melinda Sue Gordon)"Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, I can promise you that in this business – and I am in this business still – casting directors are now frightened to cast except in line with the minority they are casting. But they are not so worried about Jews," reports The Times.
Film critic Clarisse Loughrey also questioned Nolan's casting decisions, writing in The Independent : "[Oppenheimer] feared deeply, as a Jewish man, about what would happen if the Nazis were to develop a weapon of such deadly capability (that a non-Jewish actor has taken on a role in which identity plays such a central role is, in this light, somewhat strange)."
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The real-life Oppenheimer was the child of two Jewish immigrants, and was raised in a Jewish household. However, historians have noted that the physicist faced antisemitism throughout his life and would often deny his Jewish heritage.
Cillian is unrecognisable in the film after shedding a huge amount of weight for the role. His co-star Emily Blunt, who plays Oppenheimer's wife, recently gave away the actor's secret to his transformation, after the Peaky Blinders star vowed never to share it.
Cillian refuses to say how many kilograms he lost, or what food the nutritionist told him to cut out. When asked if he had signed a Non Disclosure Agreement banning him from talking about his transformation, he insisted he hadn't. But the star did say: "i don’t want it to be, 'Cillian lost x weight for the part'", reports The Guardian.
In a separate interview, Emily said Cillian became "so emaciated" as he invested himself in the physical transformation for the film. She told Extra : "He had such a monumental undertaking. And he could only eat, like, an almond every day. He was so emaciated."
The Irish star's portrayal of Oppenheimer is arguably astonishing and well worth the early Oscar buzz. Cillian has come a long way from his days as Tommy Shelby in BBC's Peaky Blinders with director Nolan telling Wired magazine some of those who’d seen his performance in the thriller were left "absolutely devastated … they can’t speak".