Emily Blunt Apologises To ‘Oppenheimer’ Co-Star Cillian Murphy For Hurting “That Famous Cheekbone”

Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt has made a public apology to her co-star Cillian Murphy, expressing her regret for hurting him while filming a scene that didn’t even make it to the movie’s final cut.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper, British actress Blunt, who plays Oppenheimer’s wife against Murphy in the title role, shared that she was shooting a scene which required her to slap Murphy. Director Christopher Nolan had her hit her co-star over and over again. She said she was unsure about how hard to do it, but had both Nolan and Murphy egging her on.

Blunt says now: “Sorry about your cheekbone, Cillian. Poor Cillian. Chris went, ‘Hit him.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ And Cillian was like, ‘Do it, do it… Chris was like, ‘He’ll be fine… do it.’

“I slapped him then I grabbed him, by the neck really, by the collar.

“I just saw over the course of, like, ten takes, that very famous cheekbone became even more prominent — and it’s not even in the movie.”

Murphy recently collected a Golden Globe for his role as the wartime scientist, grappling with the dilemma of developing the atomic bomb.

Blunt says of her co-star: “He was an amazing scene partner. I love Cillian, Mr Ocean Eyes, so much. He’s a wonderful friend. He’s captivating. He’s mesmerising in this role. Everything was such a masterclass watching him.”

Both Blunt and Murphy are Oscar-nominated for their roles in the blockbuster movie. The title leads the nominations going into this year’s Awards on March 10, with 13 nods including two for Nolan for Best Director and Best Film.