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.
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.

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.

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."

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.
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.
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.
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).
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.

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.