Cillian Murphy reveals reason why best mates slag him off after Oscars win as he calls himself a 'fair target'

Cillian Murphy has revealed why his best mates still 'slag him off' following his Oscars win.

The actor, 48, won Best Actor for his role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer last year, with the film taking home a whopping seven Oscars in total from 13 nominations.

The 47-year-old portrayed the theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the project to create the first atomic bomb.

Murphy said he felt 'a little overwhelmed' while accepting the award on stage, and admitted: "I'm a very proud Irish man standing here tonight.

"It's been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you've taken me on over the last 20 years. I owe you more than I can say," he said to Nolan and Emma Thomas about creating Oppenheimer.

"We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb," he added.

"And for better or for worse, we're all living in Oppenheimer's world so I'd really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers, everywhere."

Following his win last year, Murphy explained he still gets stick from his brother and his closest friends over the win.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Murphy said: “There was a lot of healthy slagging [off]. In Ireland, slagging is one of the deepest forms of affection.

"On the day of the Oscars, my best friend and brother flew out as a surprise. They did an intense amount of slagging. It’s a fair target.”

He also spoke about his experience at the awards event, explaining that he 'chose' to enjoy the evening.

“If you went into that with any cynicism or ­feeling like you didn’t want to be there, it would be very unpleasant. I chose to enjoy it, my family were there, we were surrounded by lovely people, [co-stars] Emily [Blunt] and [Robert] Downey [Jr]," he added.

“It was amazing meeting all these amazing artists socially, all the time. Casually bumping into Martin Scorsese, people whose work has changed your life, and being reassured that everyone finds it just as bizarre.”

Murphy has so far appeared in six of Nolan's movies, and the director has previously called him ‘one of the best actors of his generation’.

He told Total Film: “I’ve always known since I first met him – however many years ago it is now, almost 20 years – that he is one of the great actors, not just of his generation, but of all time."