Cillian Murphy praises Florence Pugh for ‘powerful’ intimate scenes in ‘Oppenheimer’

Cillian Murphy is addressing his steaming s*x scenes in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which featured Florence Pugh with him. The actor sang praises of “phenomenal” Pugh for making the scenes so “powerful.”

The historical epic revolving around J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, features Murphy as the lead portraying the titular character, while Pugh plays the role of Jean Tatlock, a psychiatrist and member of the Communist Party. The plot also explores Oppenheimer's relationship with Tatlock, which occurred while he was still married to Katherine, portrayed by Emily Blunt.

“Those [sex] scenes were written deliberately. He knew that those scenes would get the movie the rating that it got,” he told Sydney Morning Herald as he discussed the scenes that Nolan was “nervous” to direct.

The actor added that the scenes are not just there and they make the film more impactful. “And I think when you see it, it's so f***ng powerful. And they're not gratuitous. They're perfect. And Florence is just amazing,” he said.

The Peaky Blinders alum expressed admiration for the indie film icon, who has delivered noteworthy performances in movies like Midsommar and The Wonder.

He added: “I have loved Florence's work since Lady Macbeth and I think she's f***ing phenomenal. She has this presence as a person and on screen that is staggering. The impact she has [in Oppenheimer] for the size of the role, it's quite devastating.”