Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy
6.1
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Name:
Cillian Murphy
Who is:
Birth date:
(49 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Douglas, County Cork, Ireland
Height:
5'9 ft ()
Weight:
196 lb (89 kg)
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Photos: Cillian Murphy

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Biography of Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy is an Irish film and theater actor best known for his roles in "28 Days Later," the hit series "Peaky Blinders," Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, and "Inception." He won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's drama "Oppenheimer." Net worth: $20 million.
Irish actor Cillian Murphy
Irish actor Cillian Murphy

Childhood and Family

Murphy was born on May 25, 1976, in the Irish town of Douglas, but spent his childhood in the village of Ballintemple in County Cork. His father, Brendan Murphy, worked for the Irish Department of Education, while his mother taught French. Murphy's aunts, uncles, and grandfather were also teachers.

Murphy attended Catholic school, but his restless nature often landed him in trouble, resulting in multiple suspensions. After four years, Murphy transferred to a less strict school.
Cillian Murphy at a young age
Cillian Murphy at a young age
The frail Cillian wasn't into sports—he was drawn to creative pursuits instead. At 10, he became passionate about music and started writing songs. Like his three younger siblings, he dreamed of rock stardom and practiced guitar religiously. As a teenager, he formed a band called "The Sons of Mr. Green Genes," which also included his younger brother Paidi.

Everything changed when 16-year-old Cillian took a drama class at school. He realized theater could match music's emotional intensity and joined the theater club "Corcadorca."

In 1996, Murphy enrolled in law at the National University of Ireland in Cork, but failed his first exam—he simply had no interest in the field.
Cillian Murphy chose acting
Cillian Murphy chose acting
In September 1996, he made his professional stage debut with his theater group. The production was called "Disco Pigs" and told the story of two teenage lovers. Murphy later described the experience as "exalted" and feeling "fully alive." Soon after, Murphy embarked on a two-year tour of Europe, Canada, and Australia with the troupe—dropping out of university and leaving his rock band dreams behind.

Acting Career

Murphy started his film career with short films and independent projects from Irish directors. In 1999, he played the lead role in the drama "Sunburn."

In 2001, he appeared in the arthouse film "On the Edge," about 19-year-old Jonathan, a psychiatric patient who decides to end his life after his father's death.

That same year brought the film adaptation of "Disco Pigs."
Cillian Murphy in the film '28 Days Later'
Cillian Murphy in the film '28 Days Later'
In 2002, Murphy hit it big when he starred in Danny Boyle's horror film "28 Days Later," earning the Best Newcomer award at the 8th Empire Awards in 2003 and the Breakthrough Male Performance award at the MTV Movie Awards in 2004.

In late 2003, Murphy appeared in "Intermission," playing a mild-mannered supermarket worker who robs a bank with professional thief Lehiff, played by Colin Farrell. The film became the highest-grossing Irish independent film in the history of the national box office until "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" broke its record in 2006 – Murphy also starred in this film.

Next came notable supporting roles in Hollywood dramas "Cold Mountain" (as deserter soldier Bardolph) and "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (alongside Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth).

Murphy achieved widespread success and recognition in 2005 when he played Dr. Jonathan Crane in Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins." Initially, Cillian was actually considered for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Murphy never thought he had the "face of a superhero," but he wasn't about to miss the chance to meet Nolan. Ultimately, the role of Batman went to Christian Bale, and Murphy landed the supporting role without question.

His subsequent leading roles cemented Murphy's status as a top-tier actor, with "Red Eye" alongside Rachel McAdams particularly grabbing audiences' attention. Murphy delivered the "perfect film villain," with "icy blue eyes that freeze water and a wolfish gaze that instills fear."

Murphy's range as an actor was showcased in the 2005 film "Breakfast on Pluto," where he played transgender Patrick "Kitten" Braden. He'd auditioned for this role as early as 2001, but director Neil Jordan hesitated to tackle the sensitive subject matter. Murphy spent years convincing the director to start filming before he aged out of the role.
Cillian Murphy in Breakfast on Pluto
Murphy went on to star in American films "Watching the Detectives" (2007), "Peacock" (2009), "Inception" (2010), "In Time" (2011) and acclaimed British films "Sunshine" (2007), "The Edge of Love" (2008), "Retreat" (2011), "Anthropoid" (2016), and "Free Fire" (2016).
Cillian Murphy breaks down the rise of Tommy Shelby
Since 2013, Murphy has starred in the British TV series "Peaky Blinders," following a Birmingham crime gang in the 1920s. He plays the leader of the Shelby crime family, known as the "Peaky Blinders" for the razor blades sewn into their caps.
In February 2017, the new film by Sally Potter, "The Party," featuring Murphy, Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, and other well-known actors, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.

In July 2017, Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" hit Russian theaters, telling the story of the famous Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. The film starred Cillian alongside Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, and singer Harry Styles.
Cillian Murphy Shares The History Behind Dunkirk
Murphy co-wrote the script for the short film "Keepers" (2001) with director Paloma Baeza and starred in the lead role.

In 2013, Murphy made his directorial debut with the music video for Money's single "Hold Me Forever." The video was filmed at the Old Vic Theatre in London and featured dancers from the English National Ballet.

In 2015, Cillian contributed to the tracks "8:58" and "The Clock" for the album "8:58" by musician Paul Hartnoll. While Murphy is no longer in a rock band, he still plays music with friends and writes songs.

In 2019, Cillian Murphy appeared in the action film "Anna" alongside Helen Mirren and Alexander Petrov. That same year, he started filming the thriller "A Quiet Place Part II" with Emily Blunt.
Cillian Murphy as Emmet in a Quiet Place Part II

Personal Life of Cillian Murphy

In 2004, Murphy married Yvonne McGuinness, an Irish artist. He met his future wife in 1996 at one of his band's concerts. The couple lives in Monkstown, Ireland, with their sons Malachy (born 2005) and Aran Murphy (born 2007).
Cillian Murphy with his wife
Cillian Murphy with his wife
Because Murphy often performs in Dublin theaters, he doesn't want to move to Hollywood. He prefers not to talk about his private life and rarely appears on television; he doesn't have a personal stylist or publicist and often attends film premieres alone.

Murphy is friends with fellow Irish actors Colin Farrell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Liam Neeson, whom he calls his "surrogate movie dad." However, his closest friends are the ones he met before becoming famous.
Cillian Murphy with his family: wife and sons
Cillian Murphy with his family: wife and sons
In 2015, the actor was listed in GQ magazine's "50 Most Stylish British Men."

Murphy is an atheist, something he revealed during the filming of the sci-fi movie "Sunshine."

Murphy was a vegetarian for many years after learning about the cruel methods of agribusiness. However, when he landed the role in "Peaky Blinders," he had to start eating meat again.

Cillian Murphy Now

In 2024, Murphy's role in the biographical drama about theoretical physicist and atomic bomb inventor Robert Oppenheimer earned him two prestigious film awards: the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama and the Oscar for Best Leading Actor.
Cillian Murphy and His First Oscar
Cillian Murphy and His First Oscar
In his speech, the actor expressed gratitude to all peacemakers.
Cillian Murphy accepts Academy Award for Best Actor in Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy: latest news and articles

  • Anthropoid is a good movie with Murphy, which is based on a true story. This actor is very talented in my opinion.
    2021-05-07 09:29:35
  • How cool he played in Peaky Blinders! We watched this cool series with the whole family, I strongly advise everyone
    2021-05-06 11:10:29
  • Although Murphy is not handsome, this Irishman`s eyes are simply unreal, and in general this actor gives the impression of a very educated and erudite person. I think this is much more important than talent.
    2021-04-02 13:13:44
  • A very suitable film with him is Shootout, a crime comedy. Cillian Murphy, like the other main actors, brings the film to life very much.
    2021-03-28 14:52:24
  • The same guy from Peaky Blinders, he won several awards for his role as Thomas Shelby. A talented actor, that`s for sure
    2021-03-14 08:03:52
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