Cillian Murphy biography, height, wife, net worth, children, young photos, age 2025

Biography of Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy is an Irish film and theater actor, known for his roles in the movie "28 Days Later," the series "Peaky Blinders," Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, and the film "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 he spent his childhood in the village of Ballintemple, located in the same county of Cork. The actor's father, Brendan Murphy, worked in the Irish Department of Education, and his mother taught French at school. Murphy's aunts, uncles, and grandfather were also teachers.

Murphy attended a Catholic school, but his restless nature often got him into trouble, leading to suspensions from classes. Eventually, after four years of study, Murphy transferred to another, less disciplined school.

The sickly Cillian didn't like sports; he was interested in the world of creativity. At the age of 10, the boy became passionate about music and started writing songs. Like his three younger siblings, he dreamed of becoming a rock musician and diligently practiced playing the guitar. 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 attended a drama class organized by his school teachers. He admitted to himself that theater matched music in emotional intensity and joined the theater club "Corcadorca."

In 1996, Murphy enrolled in the law faculty of the National University of Ireland in Cork, but he failed his very first exam because, as he said, he had no ambitions in that field.

In September 1996, he performed on a professional stage for the first time with his theater studio friends. The production was called "Disco Pigs" and told the story of two teenage lovers. Murphy later described this experience as "exalted" and "fully alive," which he thoroughly enjoyed. Soon, Murphy went on a two-year tour of Europe, Canada, and Australia with the theater troupe; for this, he dropped out of university and left the rock band behind.

Acting Career

Murphy began his journey into cinema with short films and independent projects by Irish directors. In 1999, he played the lead role in the drama "Sunburn."

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

That same year saw the release of the film version "Disco Pigs."

Cillian Murphy in the film '28 Days Later'

In 2002, Murphy achieved significant success when he starred in the lead role 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 participated in the film "Intermission," playing a docile supermarket worker who robs a bank with the professional thief Lehiff, the character of 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.

Following this were notable supporting roles in Hollywood dramas "Cold Mountain" (as the deserter soldier Bardolph) and "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (where Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth also appeared).

Widespread success and recognition came to Murphy in 2005 when he played the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane in "Batman Begins" by Christopher Nolan. Initially, Cillian was considered for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Murphy never thought he had the "face of a superhero," but he didn't miss the opportunity to meet Nolan. Ultimately, the role of Batman went to Christian Bale, and Murphy was cast in the supporting role without any discussions.

Subsequent leading roles only solidified Murphy's position as a top actor, and the film "Red Eye" with Rachel McAdams particularly caught the audience's attention, where Murphy portrayed the "perfect film villain," with "icy blue eyes that freeze water and a wolfish gaze that instills fear."

The actor's multifaceted talent was revealed in the 2005 film "Breakfast on Pluto," where Murphy played the role of transgender Patrick "Kitten" Braden. He auditioned for this role as early as 2001, but the project's director Neil Jordan hesitated to tackle the sensitive topic. Murphy persuaded the director for several years to start filming before he became too old for the role.

Cillian Murphy in Breakfast on Pluto

Murphy also starred in leading roles in American films "Watching the Detectives" (2007), "Peacock" (2009), "Inception" (2010), "In Time" (2011) and well-known 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 played the lead role in the British TV series "Peaky Blinders" about a Birmingham crime gang in the 1920s. His character is the leader of the Shelby mafia 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, the film "Dunkirk" by Christopher Nolan about the Dunkirk evacuation at the start of World War II was released in Russia. Alongside Cillian, the film featured actors Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, and Mark Rylance, as well as singer Harry Styles.

Cillian Murphy Shares The History Behind Dunkirk

Together with director Paloma Baeza, Murphy wrote the script for the short film "Keepers" (2001), in which he also starred in the lead role.

In 2013, Murphy made his directorial debut by directing the music video for the single "Hold Me Forever" by the band Money. 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. Murphy is no longer part of a rock band but regularly plays music with friends and writes songs.

In 2019, fans saw Cillian Murphy in the action film "Anna" alongside Helen Mirren and Alexander Petrov. In the same year, he began 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 his girlfriend Yvonne McGuinness, an Irish artist. He met his future wife in 1996 at one of his band's concerts. The couple lives in the town of Monkstown, Ireland, raising their sons Malachy (born 2005) and Aran Murphy (born 2007).

Murphy often performs in Dublin theaters, so 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 he 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 those he met before his stardom.

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, which he admitted during the filming of the sci-fi movie "Sunshine."

The actor was a vegetarian for many years, a decision he made after learning about the cruel methods of agribusiness. However, when he got 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 the life of theoretical physicist and atomic bomb inventor Robert Oppenheimer earned the actor two prestigious film awards: the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama and the Oscar for Best Leading Actor.

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

An undesired hairstyle, an almost Batman, and a favourite of Nolan: 13 facts about the star of «Peaky Blinders,» Cillian Murphy

23 May 2023

Christopher Brandon Griffin

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
Helen Arnold

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
Dawn Clark

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
Everett Bailey

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
Edwin Hunt

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