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    1. Celebrity

    Here's Why Matt Damon Thinks Cillian Murphy Is the "Worst Dinner Companion"

    "Yeah, I mean, I’ve always been like that, I think,” the 'Peaky Blinders' actor responded.

    Danielle Campoamor's avatar
    By Danielle Campoamor
    Published 24 February 2024 In News

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    Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy attend the "Small Things Like These" premiere and Opening Red Carpet for the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin.
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    It doesn't sound like actors Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy are going to be enjoying a joint dinner any time soon... if they're working together, that is.

    According to Damon, the Oppenheimer cast would "always eat together" while filming, Us Weekly reports. But because Murphy was constantly in character, Damon considered him to be "extremely distant when they socialized and often turned down dinner invitations."

    In a recent 60 Minutes interview, which aired Sunday, Feb. 18, host Scott Pelly asked Murphy if he agreed with Damon and his assessment—that Murphy is "the worst dinner companion imaginable."

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    "What he meant by that was when you’re working on a film—when you’re being the character—there’s very little room in your head for anything else," Pelly clarified to Murphy.

    "Yeah, I mean, I’ve always been like that, I think,” Murphy admitted. “But it’s because, to me, you have the time on set, which is short enough time—you have 10 hours, maybe. And then the other part, if you’ve got a significant part, you’re having to keep your lines fresh.”

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    Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy attend the "Small Things Like These" premiere and Opening Red Carpet for the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    As Us Weekly noted, the Oscar-nominated film Oppenheimer was shot in the middle of a remote New Mexico desert that was home to only one hotel and one restaurant.

    Without a slew of nearby amenities to choose from, the cast was often tasked with entertaining themselves. Murphy, however, wasn't reportedly that interested in participating.

    "The other big thing for me is sleeping," Murphy continued, arguing that he prioritized sleep over socializing opportunities with his coworkers. "I love sleeping and I need sleep. You just don’t have the room … in your head, and you want as much sleep as possible.”

    In a previous interview with Entertainment Tonight, Damon clarified that he understood why Murphy isolated himself from the rest of the cast during meal time.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    “He was losing so much weight for the role that he couldn’t eat dinner,” Damon told the publication at the time, adding that Murphy would usually eat nothing more than “one almond most nights or a little slice of apple" in preparation for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer.

    Matt Damon says, "Cillian is the worst dinner companion imaginable." Hear Cillian Murphy's reaction. https://t.co/FNkS0GJWQC pic.twitter.com/a2UkC9xlNFFebruary 19, 2024

    In the same 60 Minutes interview, Murphy went on to add that once filming had wrapped and production had ended, he was much warmer towards Damon and his fellow co-stars.

    “I’ve had lots of lovely dinners with Matt Damon since the movie’s finished and we’ve been out promoting it and stuff," Murphy explained.

    Danielle Campoamor
    Danielle Campoamor
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    Weekend Editor

    Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.

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