Cillian Murphy On Lack of Hollywood Blockbusters Post Oscar Win: "I Just Wasn't Available"

Cillian Murphy explained why he hasn’t been attached to a major Hollywood blockbuster after winning an Oscar for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. After an Oscar win, many actors become hot commodities in Hollywood, often attaching themselves to a major tentpole franchise. Murphy, however, has followed up Oppenheimer with the indies Small Things Like These and Steve.

In an interview with Variety about his new movie Steve, which is now streaming on Netflix and has earned a solid Rotten Tomatoes score, Murphy was asked if he was in demand to lead more studio-backed projects following his Best Actor win. He answered no, but explains that’s because he already had his two most recent efforts already lined up.

“No, because I had these two other films straight away. I just wasn’t available, so it didn’t happen. Maybe some day it will. Or maybe it’s too late.”

While Small Things Like These and Steve are not continuing the box office success that Murphy had with Oppenheimer, they have been strong follow-ups in that they both received positive reviews – partiuclarly Small Things Like These, with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score – with Murphy’s performances in both films receiving good notices.

What This Means For Cillian Murphy’s Career

Murphy had been consistently acting in Hollywood for 20 years prior to winning his Oscar for Oppenheimer. He starred in both smaller indies, the hit TV show Peaky Blinders, and major blockbusters, including being a frequent collaborator of Nolan’s; he is not part of The Odyssey cast, but he says that is actually a “relief.”

While Murphy didn’t immediately follow Oppenheimer with another major Hollywood film, he does have a few big projects that are coming down the pipe. He is set to reprise his character of Jim from 28 Days Later in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and again in a potential third 28 Years Later movie. He also is returning to the world of Peaky Blinders for the Netflix movie The Immortal Man.

Murphy has also been speculated to star in a handful of other big projects. He’s in talks to star alongside Daniel Craig in a new prison movie from Oscar-winning director Damizen Chazelle. Rumors swirl that he could be involved in Bond 26 (though not as James Bond, as the franchise will look for a newcomer). He’s also consistently been brought up to play Voldemort in the Harry Potter TV series, though he once again denied that in the Variety interview.

Our Take On Cillian Murphy’s Post-Oscar Career

Even if he hasn’t led a major Hollywood blockbuster since winning his Oscar, I would say it’s fair to call Murphy’s post-Oscar career a success. He’s given two strong performances in well-reviewed indie movies, only solidifying his stance as one of the top actors around. He’s also expanding into a producer role, serving in that capacity for most of the projects he’s currently involved with.

Add in his upcoming slate of bigger profile projects, and the fact that fans at least want to see him in these big movies or TV shows, it’s clear that Cillian Murphy is doing just fine.