Cillian Murphy jokingly asked if he should sing a “rebel song” to prove what a “proud Irishman” he is after he picked up his BAFTA gong.

The Cork-born actor was handed the best actor gong for his titular role as physicist J Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, which swept the board at the event by bagging seven awards at the 77th BAFTAs on Sunday (18.02.24) in London’s Royal Festival Hall – and he made the remark at a winners’ press conference.

When asked by a journalist for a radio station in Ireland if he wanted to say hello to anyone from his homeland, Cillian replied: “Hi to everybody, and I’m a really proud Irishman – ’course I am.

“And it means a lot to me to be Irish. I don’t know what else to say – should I sing a rebel song?”

He added when asked about ‘Oppenheimer’ being lavished with awards on Sunday: “I mean, its’ a little overwhelming – I don’t think it’s kind of sunk in for any of us. It’s kind of mind blowing… (I’m) thrilled and a little shocked.

“Ask me in a couple of hours – it might be better.”

He went on about the record turnout at the box office for ‘Oppenheimer’: “I think it’s a great reflection on the state of cinema these days.

“This is a very complex and challenging R-rated movie about a physicist, about a very, kind of, dark period in our history – and that people came to see it in huge numbers… . and that people meet me in the street and say they have seen the film five or six times – men and women, young and old – and that is staggering and very humbling and it’s been a really great year for film, as we’ve seen tonight.”

Cillian triumphed against Bradley Cooper for ‘Maestro’, Colman Domingo (‘Rustin’), Paul Giamatti (‘The Holdovers’), Barry Keoghan (‘Saltburn’) and Teo Yoo (‘Past Lives’.)

‘Oppenheimer’ director Christopher Nolan, 53, joked at the winners’ press conference he felt like he was “getting a workout” by picking up so many awards for his bomb epic.

The filmmaker – who picked up best director at Sunday’s event – added about the movie: “It’s a nihilistic subject and the film inevitably reflects that, but the recognition for the film is thrilling.”