Cillian Murphy is one of the most well-known performers in Hollywood, as well as one of the most difficult to track down. He is rarely seen on red carpets and remains far removed from the Hollywood scene, despite having starred in many of the biggest blockbusters of the last two decades – often with the help of his esteemed colleague Christopher Nolan – but it’s hard to hide when you’re the lead on one of the most popular shows on television.
Peaky Blinders, a BBC drama about a family of Brummie criminals in post-World War One Birmingham, has become a cultural phenomenon, as proven by the amazing influence it has had on men’s style since its premiere in 2013.
The sky is tinted with orange as morning breaks above the green hills (it may be a cliché, but it is also true) and a section of the river Liffey that will finally meet the sea after flowing through the Irish capital when we meet in County Wicklow, south of Dublin.
Russborough House, a Palladian-style granite monolith built in the mid-eighteenth century for Joseph Leeson, who would eventually become the first Earl of Milltown, stands in front of us. It is now a museum, and the Alfred Beit Foundation takes excellent care of it. It houses the collections of the three generations who have resided there.
Paintings, Sèvres vases, leather-bound volumes from art and architectural collection, a Steinway & Sons piano, silver items, and Italian ornaments mix together like the various branches of the family trees of individuals who have lived here.
What more did Cillian Murphy Shared?
Murphy (Cork, 1976) appears alone in his MINI Cooper and gently greets everyone with a bashful air. He now lives in Dublin with his family, having fled London amid the toxic fog of Brexit.
As he prepares for his next role, J Robert Oppenheimer, “the father of the atomic bomb,” in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, he is extremely skinny. Surprisingly, he admits that casting is not his forte. “I’m terrible at auditions.”
I believe that if you truly want to be a great actor, you must go through a lengthy process of connecting with the character you’re portraying, recognizing what’s going on, and becoming invested in what you’re going to create. Auditions, on the other hand, are the polar opposite. They irritate me. You won’t be able to get into the part in 15 seconds if that’s all you have.”
When we don’t ask Cillian Murphy to look at the camera during the shot, he appears to be calmer. “That’s my job,” he continues, “and I don’t want to have to do it again today.” I believe it is insecurity rather than a sense of self-importance that is causing this.
Murphy learned how to act in front of an audience at a young age. He was interested in music since he was ten years old, and as a teenager, he established a band with his brother. Murphy saw A Clockwork Orange on stage after failing as a law student, which led to a meeting with a teacher who urged him to pursue acting. He heeded the advice and was cast in the play Disco Pigs, in which he would play ‘Darren’ both on stage and in the film adaptation.
