Contains spoilers for “Oppenheimer.”
“Oppenheimer” features towering performances from Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., among other stars. And we mean towering. In cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s pursuit of shooting what he referred to IndieWire as “a three-hour-long movie about faces,” actors’ visages ballooned to 14-foot-tall portraits.
But the smaller faces in the background are just as fascinating. Indeed, “Oppenheimer” is truly an achievement in “hey that guy!” cinema, with the likes of Jack Quaid, Alex Wolff, and even Josh Peck cropping up unexpectedly. One star you might have missed is Gregory Jbara of “Blue Bloods” fame, who can be seen in the black and white portion of the film.
Gregory Jbara may not have starred in “Drake and Josh,” but for “Blue Bloods” fans who recognize Jbara as Garrett Moore, his “Oppenheimer” appearance was especially notable. Jbara played Senator Warren Magnuson, the real-life politician who, as the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, oversaw the Senate confirmation hearing on Lewis Strauss’ (Downey Jr.) nomination as Secretary of Commerce.
Blue Bloods’ Gregory Jbara plays a senator in Oppenheimer
As Senator Warren Magnuson, Gregory Jbara isn’t afforded the same mammoth close-ups as Robert Downey Jr., nor the incendiary Atomic Energy Commission hearing scenes as Jason Clarke’s Roger Robb. But as the overseer of Lewis Strauss’ confirmation hearing, Jbara is crucial to the final act of “Oppenheimer,” holding court over David L. Hill’s (Rami Malek) game-changing testimony, among others.
Jbara has plenty of experience sussing out the truth on “Blue Bloods,” in which he has played Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Garrett Moore since 2011. Along with Detective Abigail Baker (Abigail Hawk), and Lieutenant Sid Gormley (Robert Clohessy), Moore is one of Frank Reagan’s (Tom Selleck) most trusted advisors.
Jbara considers his co-star Tom Selleck a close friend, and the pair have collaborated together numerous times over the years, including in 1997’s “In & Out.” In fact, it was Selleck who suggested Jbara for the part of Garrett. “I don’t know where he got this insane perception of me as an actor,” Jbara joked to Starry Mag, “but gratefully he considers me someone that he likes to work with and has repeatedly called on me and offered me opportunities.”