Cillian Murphy Could've Played Oppenheimer Almost 10 Years Ago, But Lost The Part
Some things are just destined to happen.
There are not many actors who believe in fate, just because of how hard they had to work to get where they are. With Hollywood being as competitive as it is, it's almost impossible to just get noticed and magically build your whole career on it. However, there are some stories that you just wouldn't believe if they didn't happen.
Cillian Murphy, for example, was so good as Robert J. Oppenheimer that it's easy to believe he was born to play him. Thanks to all the hard work the actor had to put into the character, and all the dinners he had to miss with his co-stars, his performance simply blew audiences away.
What many people don't know is that Cillian Murphy could have gone through the exact same transformation years ago when he was being considered for the 2014 WGN America series Manhattan. The two-season show was based on the project of the same name, which produced the first nuclear weapons.
Ultimately, the role went to Daniel London, but Cillian Murphy was also considered for the role, along with superstars like David Bowie. To say that the creative team behind Manhattan took the casting of Oppenheimer seriously would be an understatement. As the show's creator Sam Shaw recalled in an interview with Vanity Fair:
"We wanted Oppenheimer to feel both like he possessed a certain undeniable charisma, a presence onstage, but also that he was playing a different instrument. He needed to feel alien, or other, in some ways. A thousand percent, Cillian Murphy was on that list".
No matter how well the show was shot and how much praise it received from the public, it was canceled after two seasons. Robert J. Oppenheimer appeared only as a recurring character, although it would be impossible to minimize his impact on the story.
Although Manhattan, which was planned as a six-season show, didn't get the finale it deserved, you can still stream the two seasons that did air. The show is available on Apple TV Plus and Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Vanity Fair