Which actor portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer?

Cillian Murphy portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.

Murphy plays the theoretical physicist who became scientific director of the Manhattan Project during the Second World War. The film follows Oppenheimer from his university years through the development of the first atomic bomb and the later security hearing that damaged his public standing.

Oppenheimer was Murphy’s sixth feature collaboration with Nolan, following appearances in the Batman trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk. For the title role, Murphy carried the film as its central figure, appearing across multiple historical periods and emotional states.

Matt Damon plays General Leslie Groves, Kenneth Branagh plays Niels Bohr and Christian Bale does not appear in Oppenheimer. Bale is associated with Nolan through his role as Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, which is a common source of confusion.