Robert Downey Jr. Presents Cillian Murphy With Desert Palm Achievement Award For 'Oppenheimer'

everyone is nailing all these introductions and these speeches are so good. I feel like I ruined it because I didn't write anything. I'm not going to make an excuse. I'm just going to offer an explanation. He was distracted on vacation. I had a cold and then there were like two earthquakes, there's an earthquake in Japan and California and that triggered my crippling seismic anxiety and then I wrote down some general things so I didn't know what we had here. I didn't make Irish jokes. all in caps and that's it so I'm just going to improvise look at this guy who is Killian Murphy and he's an anomaly he's been an actor actor for over 20 years and no one dislikes this guy that's not easy check out your own board if it was at the beginning of his career, films like 28 Days Later, Disco Pigs, which was highlighted, The Wind that Shakes The Barley or the incredibly popular who is here for blinders for his role as Thomas Shelby, his work as character and his intensity on screen, never fails. uh Captivate is tremendously exciting and although we all feel like we know him from virtually all of Christopher Nolan's films, the characters in all of those films were largely supporting roles, so I've gotten to know Chris a little bit, he's a long guy in the game, so when he cast and you know, the Oppenheimer announcement was made with Mr.

Murphy as the lead, it all made sense, it was that kind of generational casting decision that gives you chills, I just remember the potential. At the time I thought they were making this great movie, look at these great guys, all these great movies, but if you think about it, Jay Robert Oppenheimer you know he will always be one of the truly archetypal and enigmatic figures of our time and Killian . I had just signed up for this literally herculean task. I think I said it right, there are no Irish jokes, so Matt and I and literally half of Hollywood, Ben's cast, she signed up to support him, it was an industry-wide endorsement of the massive capability of this. boy, not just potential, you know he possessed.

I'm going to pause for Applause because someone seemed to kick him. The biggest non-secretor Applause of the night, thank you very much, but he had not yet shown it in a main character that he clearly was. when I heard the announcement I said this was going to be a movie event and then this guy had to prove it and I got to watch him work and I've been in this game for over 40 years and I've never had an experience like watching Killian carry the weight of Jay Robert on his back all the time with his heart on his sleeve with all the sophistication and restraint required and this grueling schedule was brutal, the Behemoth Arc of the emotional stakes, the conflict of self-sacrifice conviction, so We Know We Know the game when a master filmmaker and a leading man converge at the top of their games to tackle characters and themes that are historically urgent, is a joy and then when it transcends market expectations we are reminded of the entire industry again. our audience is hungry to be elevated, it's hungry to be challenged, you know, because again, this is my go-to person here, the one who's ever starting this, we have to talk, the audience is deeper and smarter than which we could give them credit for.

That's all I know, you know, but he's a global phenomenon, literally, Oppenheimer was a global phenomenon. Coming back to my son, let me describe him spontaneously. It's brilliant, it's unique. He is incredibly uncomfortable with praise, so I can't wait to do it. hang in there, he's passionate, he's dynamic, he's passionate, he's an artist through and through, he's wickedly funny and he also happens to be Irish, thank you, thank you so much man for your very kind words, um, I know you all know that. that Robert Downey J. Junor is like a true superstar and an actor with amazing abilities.

Your work at Oppenheimer is truly sublime. I think you'll agree with that, but you should also know that he is one of the kindest and most compassionate. The most generous and fun human beings I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I don't really like to talk about myself, so I'll talk about other people if that's okay with you. I want to thank the Palm Springs International Film Festival. for

award

ing me this

award

, it is a true honor to be in the company of previous winners of this award and also to be in a room with such talented artists, filmmakers, actors and producers, whose work I adored last year and I think it is safe to say that 2023 It was a powerful year for film, so yeah, so it's been 20 years since I first worked with Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas and honestly, it's been a mind-blowing, life-changing experience.

And what can I tell you about Chris Nolan? Really, aren't those enough superlatives to talk about the man and his talent? Suffice it to say that when I read Oppenheimer's script it was one of the best scripts. I had read it once and I remember talking to you about it and we both recognized that scripts like this only come around probably once in your career, um, if you're lucky and I knew that I knew and I really didn't know. I didn't forget it for a moment. I knew it was a response responsibility and I guess I just tried it.

I want to thank everyone at Univers of Pictures for all the hard work they did to put this together. this movie and get behind it and believe in it and guide it through the summer and thank you all for your incredible work, my whole team is sitting there, you know who you are, some of you have. I've been working for decades, which is another date with myself again, but thank you, you're the best and finally, because I never do this too often. I want to thank my family. Two-thirds of them are sitting. Down there, we had to leave one of them at home because he's taking exams, but, um, just thank you for putting up with me, putting up with half of me, the shadow of me, the absent self, and the remains of me.

When I make a movie like this or work in general, you're always there and I love you for that, so thank you guys, thank you.