‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Star Florence Pugh Opens Up About Uncomfortable Moment Filming a Steamy Scene With Cillian Murphy

Florence Pugh has shared one of the strangest and most uncomfortable moments she experienced while filming Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” The actress revealed that a technical problem happened at the worst possible time, during one of the movie’s most intimate scenes with co-star Cillian Murphy.

The story came up during a Universal Pictures panel discussion where Pugh appeared alongside Emily Blunt. While talking about the challenges of making the Oscar-winning film, Pugh explained that filming an emotional scene suddenly became much more awkward when the camera stopped working.

According to Pugh, she and Murphy were filming a scene where both actors were naked when the equipment suddenly broke. With only a limited number of cameras available on set, the production had to stop while the crew tried to solve the issue.

“In the middle of our sex scene, the camera broke,” Pugh said during the discussion. “No one knows this, but it did. Our camera broke when we were both naked!”

The actress explained that the timing could not have been worse because another camera was already unavailable while being repaired. She recalled director Christopher Nolan asking where the backup camera was, only to find out that it was also out of action.

“There weren’t many cameras. And one camera was in the shop being fixed, and Chris Nolan turned and asked someone, ‘Where’s the other camera?’ The camera was in the shop—bad news for that person that gave him the news,” Pugh joked.

With filming temporarily paused, Pugh and Murphy found themselves waiting on a closed set while a technician worked on repairing the camera. The actress admitted the situation was unusual and that she became curious about what exactly had gone wrong with the equipment.

“So Cillian and I are in this room together, and it’s a closed set so we’re both holding our bodies like this, and this camera surgeon comes into the room and starts working on this camera,” Pugh recalled.

Instead of simply waiting, Pugh said she started asking the technician questions about the problem.

“And I’m like, ‘What’s going on with the shutter here, buddy?’” she said. “Anyway, he explains, and actually Chris comes in and tells me that it’s because the light is coming in wrong.”

Despite the awkward interruption, Pugh looked back at the experience positively. She praised the professionalism of the entire crew and said moments like that showed how dedicated everyone was to making the film.

“It’s just crazy that every person on this set was so knowledgeable and so ready to make this kind of movie, that there was no dull moment,” she said.

The intimate scenes between Pugh’s character Jean Tatlock and Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer became a topic of discussion after the movie’s release, with some viewers questioning whether they were necessary. Murphy, however, defended those scenes and explained why they were important for understanding Oppenheimer’s personal life.

“I think the relationship that he has with Jean Tatlock is one of the most crucial emotional parts of the film,” Murphy said in an interview. “I think if they’re key to the story then they’re worthwhile.”

The actor also admitted that filming such scenes is never easy. “Listen, no one likes doing them, they’re the most awkward possible part of our job. But sometimes you have to get on with it,” Murphy explained.

Nolan also defended the decision to include the scenes, saying they helped audiences better understand the relationship and its impact on Oppenheimer’s life.

For Pugh, the unexpected camera failure became just another unusual memory from a production filled with challenges, pressure, and unforgettable moments.

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