"Proud Irishman" Cillian Murphy makes history winning Oscar for Best Actor

"Oppenheimer" was the big winner at the 96th Academy Awards, while the Irish-produced movie "Poor Things," starring Emma Stone, also took home four awards including Best Actress.

Cillian Murphy, the Irish actor who played the title role in the World War II epic "Oppenheimer," made history on Sunday night at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, taking home the Oscar for Best Actor. He is the first Irish-born star to win the award.

Accepting the award, the Cork star said: "I'm a little bit overwhelmed."

He went on to thank "Oppeheimer's" Director and Screenwriter Christopher Nolan and Producer Emma Thomas, whom Murphy has worked with on several movies, including "Dunkirk" and "Inception."

Murphy said: "It’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively, satisfying journey you’ve taken me on over the last 20 years. I owe you more than I can say, thank you so much.

"Every single crew member, every single cast member on 'Oppenheimer' you guys carried me through. All my fellow nominees, I remain in awe of you guys, truly."

Thanking his team and family, he said: "I want to thank my incredible team. Big shout out to Craig Bankey, Brendan Murphy, Mary Murphy, Yvonne McGuinness, my partner in life and art, my two boys Malachy and Aran who are sitting up there, I love you so much and I’m a very proud Irishman standing here tonight."

He concluded: "You know, we made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb and for better or for worse we’re all living in 'Oppenheimer’s' world, so I’d really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.

Closing with a cúpla focal, Murphy said: "Go raibh míle maith agat [Thanks a million]."

"Oppenheimer" also won the Oscars for Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Ireland's Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin congratulated Murphy. In a statement, she said "This award for his title role in Oppenheimer is the pinnacle of any actor's career and a fitting recognition of the immense talent of Cillian Murphy.

"Long a favorite of Irish audiences on stage and screen, he has since shown himself to be a master of his craft and has secured his place among the world's greatest actors."

Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, said: "We are delighted to see such a talented Irish artist receive worldwide recognition and critical acclaim for his extraordinary performance."

"Poor Things," produced by the Dublin company Element Pictures, took home Oscars for Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, and Costume Design, as well as Best Actress for Emma Stone. This is a record haul for an Irish-produced film that was shortlisted in 11 Oscar categories.

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Emma Stone in "Poor Things".

The 2024 Oscar winners:

Actor in a Leading Role

• Cillian Murphy - "Oppenheimer"

Actress in a Leading Role

• Emma Stone - "Poor Things"

Best Picture

• "Oppenheimer" - Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan, producers

Directing

• Christopher Nolan - "Oppenheimer"

Original Song

• "What I Was Made For" from the movie "Barbie" - Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

Original Score

• "Oppenheimer" - Ludwig Göransson

Sound

• "The Zone of Interest" - Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

Live Action Short Film

• "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" - Wes Anderson, and Steven Rales

Cinematography

• "Oppenheimer" - Hoyte Van Hoytema

Documentary Feature Film

• "20 Days in Mariupol" - Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath

Documentary Short Film

• "The Last Repair Shop" - Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

Film Editing

• "Oppenheimer" - Jennifer Lame

Visual Effects

• "Godzilla Minus One" - Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Robert Downey Jr - "Oppenheimer"

International Feature Film

• "The Zone of Interest" - United Kingdom, directed by Jonathan Glazer

Costume Design

• "Poor Things" - Holly Waddington

Production Design

• "Poor Things" - James Price, Shona Heath, and Zsuzsa Mihalek

Makeup and Hairstyling

• "Poor Things" - Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston

Adapted Screenplay

• "American Fiction" - Cord Jefferson

Original Screenplay

• "Anatomy of a Fall" - Justine Triet, Arthur Harari

Animated Feature Film

• "The Boy and the Heron" - Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

Animated Short Film

• "War is Over!" - Inspired by the music of John & Yoko, Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Da'Vine Joy Randolph - "The Holdovers"