I believe movie fans will come to remember 2023 as a truly great year for cinema. I have zero doubt which two films will come to define these past 12 months of movies. Barbie and Oppenheimer both arrived in theaters on the same day. Despite being about as different as two films can be, they’re forever connected. The two global blockbusters combined to give us “Barbenheimer,” an unofficial double feature created organically by fans. If, like so many others, you’re one of them, you can now appreciate both movies in a whole new way. Their respective stars, Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy, sat down to interview each other in the latest episode of Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” web-series.
Their delightful conversation provided tons of great tidbits and insights into the making of each film. It’s a conversation so good it should be an extra on both Barbie‘s and Oppenheimer‘s Blu-rays.
This fun, informative, entertaining chat between two of 2023’s most notable stars has too many amazing moments to mention all of them. Robbie and Murphy touched on a wide range of subjects covering almost every aspect of their movies, from pre-production through the overwhelming success of both. They also discussed everything and anything about their directors, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, from their approach to filmmaking to each directors’ wardrobe choices on set. The two also talked about developing their characters, how they research their roles, finding the right accent, and what it was like to carry such a heavy burden as their films’ stars. If you love learning how the Hollywood sausage is made, this is a must-watch.
That’s also true if you also like listening to two talented, charming people enjoying each other’s work. That’s how you’ll learn which one ends up talking to themself in a basement before filming starts. Or which one loves wearing masks to see their own films while the other can’t stand to see themself on-screen. And it’s how you’ll learn they both love writing letters to people they hope to work with someday, how much they know about memes, and what they’re okay with people screaming at them on the street.
Peaky Binders fans will also be thrilled to know Robbie got to ask Murphy about the show. Meanwhile, he asked her about a possible Barbie sequel. And you definitely won’t expect which one of them used David Bowie as a reference in developing their character. (Seriously. It wasn’t Robbie. Seriously!)
Barbenheimer already made 2023 a great year for movie lovers. Turns out that phenomenon had even more to give us.