Cillian Murphy has once again proven that he is the ultimate enigma of Hollywood. While most celebs bask in the flashing lights of the Oscars red carpet, the 48-year-old actor apparently moonwalked past it, possibly using an invisibility cloak.
But fear not! He did, in fact, appear on stage—like a stylish apparition—to present the award for Best Actor at the 2025 Academy Awards on Sunday (March 2) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Cillian, who won Best Actor last year for turning atomic science into high cinema in Oppenheimer, handed over the golden statue to Adrien Brody for his role in The Brutalist. This marks Brody’s second Oscar win, proving that once you master the art of looking dramatically tormented on screen, the Academy will forever be at your service. His first win, of course, came in 2003 for The Pianist, where he made history—and also made out with Halle Berry on stage. (We see you, Adrien.)
Meanwhile, the ceremony was hosted by comedy legend Conan O’Brien, because nothing says “prestigious film industry event” like a man who once spent an entire monologue interviewing a dog puppet. The show is airing live on ABC and Hulu, ensuring that even people pretending to cancel their subscriptions can still watch.
As for the films, Emilia Perez is leading the nomination scoreboard with 13 nods, while The Brutalist and Wicked are trailing behind with 10 each. Which means Wicked fans are already preparing dramatic speeches about how their movie was “robbed.”
And thus, the Oscars continue: drama, glamour, and a reminder that Cillian Murphy will always do things his way.
