Christopher Nolan Was Shocked by Cillian Murphy the First Time He Saw Him: “No Offense”

Christopher Nolan knew from the start that he wanted to work with Cillian Murphy. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Nolan recalled first noticing Murphy in press photos for 28 Days Later in San Francisco.

“I saw a picture of you with your shaved head and your crazy eyes — no offense. I remember being struck by your presence, literally from that one photograph,” Nolan said. “I started to look into who you were, and what you’d done, and got very excited about the idea of meeting you.”

Their first meeting came under the pretense of a Batman audition for Batman Begins. Murphy knew right away that he wasn’t the right fit for the role of Bruce Wayne. “It was clear to me from the beginning that I wasn’t Batman material,” he said. “It felt to me that it was correct and right that it should be Christian Bale for that part.”

However, Nolan saw an opportunity. Using the Batman audition as a screen test, he convinced the studio to cast Murphy as the Scarecrow.

Nolan explained, “All the previous Batman villains had been played by huge movie stars: Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Carrey, that kind of thing. That was a big leap for them and it really was purely on the basis of that test. So that’s how you got to play Scarecrow.”

Murphy’s role as Scarecrow became the start of a long and fruitful collaboration with Nolan. He reprised the role in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, showing his range as a chilling villain. Beyond Batman, Murphy has worked with Nolan on films like Inception, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer, bringing a unique intensity to each character.

Nolan has often praised Murphy’s ability to convey vulnerability and menace simultaneously, calling him one of the most versatile actors he’s ever worked with.

Their partnership is now widely regarded as one of modern cinema’s most successful director-actor collaborations. Murphy’s dedication to complex, layered performances complements Nolan’s ambitious storytelling, creating characters that stay with audiences long after the credits roll.

Personally, I think their creative partnership is fascinating. Seeing how Nolan spotted Murphy’s potential from a single photo and nurtured it into multiple iconic roles is inspiring. What do you think about their collaboration? Are there any Murphy-Nolan performances that stand out for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.