Cillian Murphy once said that he smoked 3,000 cigarettes on the sets of Peaky Blinders (in two seasons). In his recently released movie Oppenheimer, he once again played the role of a heavy smoker.
For the unversed, J Robert Oppenheimer was a chain smoker. In fact, a lot of his friends said that he was prone to periods of depression throughout his life. He died of throat cancer at the age of 62, perhaps because of his smoking habits.
But do actors smoke real cigarettes in movies?
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Murphy also revealed that the cigarettes he smoked were fake cigarettes. "I've smoked so many fake cigarettes for Peaky and this," he said.
Mad Men actor Jon Hamm once said that if the actors smoked real cigarettes to the extent they smoked the herbal varieties, "Well, we’d all be dead". That is one of the reasons why Disney has a blanket ban on actors smoking on the sets of their films or TV shows. This happened after Walt Disney, the founder of the company died of lung cancer. He was a chain smoker.
Also Read: Varun Dhawan Addresses Auschwitz Controversy Of 'Bawaal', Takes An Indirect Dig At Oppenheimer
What are these fake cigarettes made of?
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They are called herbal cigarettes!
It is said that the production team provides their actors with herbal cigarettes, also known as prop cigarettes, when the actor is described as a heavy smoker in Hollywood movies. Puffing so many cigarettes isn't good for their health, especially when there are so many re-takes.
Also Read: Christopher Nolan Did A Fab Job With Oppenheimer Casting! This Reel VS Real Comparison Is Proof
What are they made of?
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These herbal/fake cigarettes are nicotine and tobacco-free. They contain a blend of herbs like jasmine, ginseng, lotus leaf, and passion flower.
Several brands in the US sell these. One of them is Honeyrose Herbal Smokes. So, are these cigarettes tar-free? No. However, they have less tar than the usual cigarettes. And they are NOT harmless.
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As per cancer.org, these herbal cigarettes with no tobacco give off tar, particulates and carbon monoxide -- all of them are dangerous to your health. And this is one of the reason why Cillian Murphy doesn't want to take up characters that are heavy smokers. "They can't be good for you. Even herbal cigarettes have health warnings now," he said.
Also Read: 24 Pictures Of Bollywood Actors You May Have Never Seen Before
What do these prop cigarettes taste like?
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"They taste like a mix of pot and soap," Jon Hamm once said and added, "Somebody actually watched the pilot and counted the amount of cigarettes I smoked in the pilot – it was 74 or some ridiculous number like that. But you have to remember that shooting a scene is not shooting one take of a scene – it’s four or five set-ups, and three or four takes on each set-up. So every time you see me light a cigarette, I do it five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 times. You can hear from my voice that it’s a debilitating endeavour."
Do bollywood actors smoke real or fake cigarettes?
Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh / Twitter
Shahid Kapoor had once said that he thought about quitting smoking after Kabir Singh. He would smoke at least 20 cigarettes a day. "I don’t endorse smoking at all. However, the role required it, as the protagonist uses it to channel his angst and rage. It wasn’t easy, and it came to a point where I smoked almost 20 cigarettes a day. It would take me close to two hours to shower and get rid of the smells before I could return home to my children."
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Similarly, e-cigarettes are also harmful.
These e-cigarettes have some amount of nicotine in them, which varies depending on the e-liquid/flavour. When you vape, the e-cigs heat the e-liquid which turns into aerosol, also known as vapour that you inhale. Aerosol is harmful too. It can cause heart-related problems and even cancer. It contains cancer-causing chemicals too, but in lesser quantity than cigarettes.
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As per cancer.org, "Besides nicotine, e-cigarettes and e-cigarette vapor typically contain propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin. These are substances used to produce stage or theatrical fog which have been found to increase lung and airway irritation after concentrated exposure." Besides, they also contain chemicals like Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), flavouring chemicals and Formaldehyde among other things.
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