Christopher Nolan's latest historical epic, Oppenheimer, spans decades. It not only deals with the Manhattan Project, but it also tackles the aftermath of it. That includes Benny Safdie's Edward Teller, who is seen with the titular physicist (played by Cillian Murphy) late in the film.
In this scene, Nolan had a strange request for Safdie to help him sound older.
A cheesy request
In Variety's cover story on Safdie, it's reported that Nolan asked him to eat cheese to “age up his voice.” He must have obliged, as Safdie's voice did sound older. Add that to the prosthetics on his face and Safdie nailed it.
Variety's report also reveals that Safdie listened to Teller's speeches while riding his bike to nail his accent.
Though cheese may have been Nolan's strangest request, it wasn't the most prominent thing he learned. Safdie detailed the “fluidity” he learned from observing Nolan.
“You'd come into the room and Chris would say, ‘All right, let's go.' No camera. Everybody's in makeup, and we'd just do the scene. And then it was like, let's figure out where the cameras go,” Safdie recalled, saying, “It was pure openness.”
Perhaps these are tricks and tips Benny Safdie can apply in his own career. As a director, he has made several feature films with his brother, Josh (they recently split, however). His notable credits include Good Time and Uncut Gems.
As an actor, Safdie has starred in films such as Licorice Pizza and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Christopher Nolan's latest film, Oppenheimer, stars Cillian Murphy in the titular role. Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh also star in the film. Released the same weekend as Barbie, creating the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, Oppenheimer made a name for itself.
No, it didn't gross $1.4 billion like Barbie. Even still, Oppenheimer grossed over $950 million worldwide.
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