Actor Cillian Murphy has been in dozens of films and television shows, but is perhaps best known for playing the lead roles in the movie Oppenheimer and the British TV drama Peaky Blinders. The Irish native is also known to be a favorite casting choice for director Christopher Nolan, playing roles in six of his 12 films, including Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk.
The upcoming Nolan film epic The Odyssey is a notable exception, however. When a Variety interviewer asked Murphy if he was feeling any FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) over not being involved in the project, his response made waves.
“No, I have ROMO—Relief Of Missing Out,” he said, laughing. “No, I can’t wait to see it. If any director in the world could tackle The Odyssey, it’s gonna be Christopher Nolan. I’m so excited to see it.”
Murphy’s response resonated with so many people who experience ROMO more often than FOMO. Introverts, in particular, ran with the acronym, which perfectly encapsulates the relief they feel when a party or other social event gets canceled; or even sometimes the relief of not being invited to a social event in the first place.
In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Murphy clarified the ROMO comment:
“What I meant to say was it’s a real gift to go and watch Chris’ films without having the terrible burden of looking at my own stupid head,” he said. “Do you know what I mean?”
The answer was refreshing in a world where ambition is celebrated and expected, especially when fame is involved. Many might assume that an actor would always want to be a part of every big thing, but there’s a cost that comes with being part of a major project. One, it’s a lot of work, and two, you never get to just enjoy it as an audience member.
Murphy isn’t the only actor who doesn’t like to see his own face on screen. In fact, there are some actors who refuse to watch their own films, with some saying they prefer the process to the product, and others saying seeing themselves on screen creates too much self-consciousness.
People might assume that in order to act you have to be an extrovert, but a surprising number of actors are actually introverts. People might also assume that fame is something all actors seek, but that’s not accurate, either. Murphy is famously averse to fame, desiring to focus on the acting work itself. Despite his best efforts to avoid it, fame found him anyway.
Ironically, Murphy’s ambivalence toward the spotlight makes him all the more relatable, so his ROMO comment hits home. Introverts everywhere felt seen by it, especially since he seems sincerely relieved to be able to just enjoy a Christopher Nolan movie without all the stress and pressure of being a part of one. It must be weird to be an actor who gets cast in major films but who really doesn’t want the glitz and glamour that comes along with it. There’s a strange irony in simply loving the craft of acting, but knowing that the better you are as an actor, the more famous you’ll become, even if you don’t want to.
No wonder Murphy feels relieved to not be in The Odyssey. And now he’s launched a viral meme—ROMO—inadvertently putting the spotlight on himself in a whole other way (but at least this spotlight captures a bit of his true self and not the characters people mistake him for).
Thank you, Cillian Murphy, for giving those of us who feel ROMO more often than FOMO a term of our own.
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