Cillian Murphy: the art of disappearing to better embody

A piercing gaze, a rare intensity and a unique ability to disappear into his characters. This is what defines Cillian Murphy . But it is only a fraction of what makes him one of the most fascinating actors of our time. Behind this mysterious facade hides a man who has traversed the meanders of the film industry without ever losing sight of his convictions or his authenticity.

Born in Cork in 1976, Murphy grew up in an ordinary family. His mother taught French, his father worked in school administration. However, nothing predestined this young Irishman to tread the red carpets of Hollywood. As a teenager, he dreamed more of rock than theater. With his brother, he formed a group, The Sons of Mr. Green Genes , which even came close to signing with a label. But the call of university law, followed by a budding passion for theater, changed the course of his destiny.

It was during a performance of A Clockwork Orange by a local troupe that he discovered an irrepressible desire to act. At the age of 20, he left behind his musical ambitions to pursue a career in acting. His first professional role in Disco Pigs (1996), a play that propelled him onto the international stage, marked the beginning of this adventure.

Cinema as a mirror of human intensity

The year 2002 was a turning point for Murphy. With Danny Boyle's post-apocalyptic 28 Days Later , he captured Hollywood's attention. The success opened doors, but instead of giving in to the lure of classic blockbusters, he chose demanding roles. From Breakfast on Pluto , where he played a transgender woman searching for identity, to The Wind That Shakes the Barley , a historical drama about the Irish War of Independence, Murphy demonstrated impressive versatility.

His association with director Christopher Nolan began in 2005 with Batman Begins . Although his role as Scarecrow was secondary, he left a lasting impression. This fruitful collaboration continued with Inception , Dunkirk and reached its peak with Oppenheimer in 2023. In the latter, Murphy played physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer with heartbreaking intensity, winning a well-deserved Oscar.

While cinema offered him memorable roles, it was on television that Murphy found one of his most iconic characters. In 2013, he took on the role of Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders . The leader of a gang in interwar England, Shelby is a complex character, between calculating coldness and intimate wounds. For nearly a decade, Murphy inhabited this role with a finesse that transcended expectations. “I had to learn to become Tommy. He is so different from me,” he confides.

The man behind the roles

Murphy, however, remains fiercely private. Not inclined to fame, he avoids social media and prefers to keep a low profile. When asked about his success, he humbly replies: “I just do my job.” But behind this modesty lies a rigorous professional. For Oppenheimer , he loses weight and immerses himself in hours of reading to understand his character. Each role becomes an act of transformation for him.

Off set, Murphy lives a quiet life in Ireland with his wife and two children. He left London in 2015 to rediscover the simplicity of his roots. Passionate about music, he also hosts a radio show where he shares his musical favorites.

An actor at the service of great stories

WithSmall Things Like These (2024), Murphy returns to an intimate story, deeply rooted in Irish society. The film explores the abuses committed in the Magdalene Laundries, these infamous institutions. “It’s a gentle way of approaching heavy subjects, to allow people to reflect without being overwhelmed,” he explains.

His career is marked by bold choices. Refusing to confine himself to stereotypes, he favors stories that question, that move, that leave a mark. Whether he plays a tormented scientist, a ruthless gangster or an ordinary man confronted with injustice, Murphy always demonstrates a disarming humanity.