When we talk about the British crime drama series, Peaky Blinders always pops up in our minds at the top of the list. The drama was a trend-setter and a complete cultural experience giving Cillian Murphy global recognition who is an Irish actor and producer. Cillian was a protagonist in the series who played the role of Tommy Shelby. His other remarkable roles include “Scarecrow” in Christopher Nolan`s Batman trilogy. He made his acting debut in (The Tale of Sweety Barrett) (1998). Most recently he featured in Christopher Nolan`s Oppenheimer (2023). Cillian also has the credit for Barbenheimer, a phenomenon created due to the release of two movies simultaneously (Barbie and Oppenheimer). Murphy is also the winner of an Oscar and winner of BAFTA Award.
BIOGRAPHY
Cillian Murphy was born on 25 May 1976, in Douglas, Cork, Ireland. He belongs to a family of educators. His parents, grandfather, aunts, and uncles were all teachers. He was raised in Ballintemple, Cork, and has a younger brother Páidi, and two younger sisters Sile and Orla. Cillian started writing and performing songs when he was just 10. He was brought up in a Roman Catholic environment. The Irish actor decided to focus on law studies but later he dropped out. He later decided to join acting and began appearing in plays. Murphy made his professional acting debut in 1996, and he subsequently performed in theatre in Dublin, and London through the end of the decade.
SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
The British-Irish superstar is active on his social media accounts and is known for his intense and striking personality. Cillian isn’t very expressive and wants himself to be recognized through his work in TV and Films. He is also introverted in nature and believes in real-life interaction as compared to virtual interaction with his fans just like Joel Kinnaman.
WIKI
The Peaky Blinder actor is of Irish roots. He is 5’7” feet in height. He has dark brown hair and fair skin. His eyes and intense looks are prominent features of his face. Cillian is frequently characterized as having a ruggedly attractive look and physique. He has bright blue eyes which can distract the actor working opposite him. His face has prominent cheekbones and a sharp jawline.
| Real Name | Cillian Murphy |
| Stage Name | Cillian Murphy |
| Nickname | Cilly Lian |
| Birthday | May 25, 1976 |
| Age | 47 years old |
| Birthplace | Douglas, Cork, Ireland |
| Present Residence | Monkstown, in South County Dublin, Ireland |
| Gender | Male |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Nationality | Irish, British |
| Mother Tongue | Irish, English |
| Ethnicity | Irish |
| Religion | Roman Catholic Christian (By Birth) Atheism (Now) |
| School | Presentation Brothers College |
| College/University | University College Cork |
| Qualification | Law Theatre |
| Occupation | Acting Producer |
| Net Worth | USD 20 million |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Children | 2 Sons |
| Height | 5′ 7” |
| Weight | 70kg |
| Eye Color | Deep Bright Blue |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Pets | Dogs |
| Hobbies | Horse riding Singing Playing Guitar |
ZODIAC SIGN
His sun sign is Gemini and the moon sign is Aries. People under this zodiac sign are intelligent, authentic, athletic, and ambitious. They are often known for their intuition, energy, courage, self-confidence, and enthusiasm. Influential personalities like Donald Trump, Lexi Rivera, Ben Strokes, and Tom Holland have the same star sign as him.
PARENTS AND SIBLINGS
Cillian father and mother are both Irish. His mother Jane was a French language teacher whilst his father, Brendan, worked for the Department of Education. Murphy’s family are all educators and his grandfather, aunts, and uncles were also teachers. He was born and raised in Cork, Ireland with his younger brother Páidi and two younger sisters Sile and Orla. His English teacher Novelist William Wall encouraged and advised him to pursue acting but he was set on becoming a music rock star. Cillian along with his brother Páidi was obsessed with The Beatles. On one occasion he said about not pursuing a career in music,
I’m very glad in retrospect that we didn’t sign because you kind of signed away your life to a label and the whole of your music.
He also talked about his early acting career,
At the beginning of my acting career, my primary motivation at the time was not to pursue an acting career, but to go to parties and meet women.
| Father | Brendan Murphy |
| Mother | Jane Murphy |
| Brother | Páidi Murphy |
| Sisters | Sile Murphy Orla Murphy |
| Best Friend | Tom Hardy |
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
He got his early education from Presentation Brothers College. Murphy did well academically but often got into trouble and sometimes was suspended. He was keen on sports, which was a major part of his studies. Cillian began studying law at University College Cork in 1996, but failed his first-year exams because he “had no ambitions to do it”. Later he focused on his passion for theatre and acting and joined the Corcadorca Theatre Company. He played the lead in the theatre drama Little Shop of Horrors, which was performed in the Cork Opera House.
MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN
In 2015, Cillian Murphy married his girlfriend Yvonne McGuinness, who was his long-time girlfriend and he met her at one of his rock band’s shows in 1996. Yvonne McGuinness is an Irish visual artist. They lived in Dublin after their marriage until 2001. Later, they moved to London so his wife could attend the Royal College of Art. After 14 years, they moved back to Dublin in 2015. They have two sons, Malachy and Aran born in December 2005 and July 2007.
| Wife | Yvonne McGuinness |
| Sons | Malachy Murphy Aran Murphy |
CAREER
Murphy started his acting career through theatre. His debut film was Sweety Barrett (1998). Cillian worked in Disco Pigs (2001) and How Harry Became a Tree (2001), before a breakthrough role in 28 Days Later (2002). His villainous role in commercially successful movies like Batman Begins (2005). He received several awards for his role as a villain. Cillian has also starred in the BBC crime drama, Peaky Blinders (2013-2022 ).
Peaky Blinder was a cultural experience for the viewers and he got global recognition for his role. He plays Tommy Shelby, the furious leader of the Peaky Blinders gang. In Nolan`s 2017 World War II thriller, Dunkirk, Murphy starred alongside Tom Hardy and Harry Styles. This is the fifth time Murphy has starred in a Nolan movie. His 2019 release includes Anna. He then featured in Christopher Nolan`s Oppenheimer (2023) which emerged the phenomenon of Barbenheimer. Recently he appeared in Small Things Like These (2024) a historical drama film adapted by Enda Walsh from the 2021 novel of the same name by Claire Keegan.
Films
From his iconic Villain role in the Batman trilogy to the comedy action film “Free Fire“, his roles are Silent, but Deadly and Intense! His seamless transitioning abilities between the genres and characters captivate audiences with his raw and extraordinary talent. Let’s take a look at the films and TV series he worked in.
| The Tale of Sweety Barrett | 1998 |
| Eviction Sunburn At Death’s Door The Trench | 1999 |
| On the Edge How Harry Became a Tree Disco Pigs Watchmen | 2001 |
| 28 Days Later | 2002 |
| Intermission Girl with a Pearl Earring Cold Mountain | 2003 |
| Batman Begins Red Eye Breakfast on Pluto | 2005 |
| The Wind That Shakes the Barley | 2006 |
| Sunshine Watching the Detectives | 2007 |
| The Dark Knight The Edge of Love Waveriders | 2008 |
| Perrier’s Bounty The Water | 2009 |
| Peacock Inception Tron: Legacy | 2010 |
| Retreat InTime | 2011 |
| Red Lights Broken The Dark Knight Rises | 2012 |
| Aloft Transcendence | 2014 |
| Anthropoid Free Fire | 2016 |
| Anna | 2019 |
| Kensuke’s Kingdom Oppenheimer | 2023 |
| Small Things like These | 2024 |
Television
Cillian worked as a Thomas Shelby in BBC’s longest-running crime drama series “Peaky Blinders. A list of Television series in which he played a significant role is as follows:
| The Way We Live Now | 2001 |
| Peaky Blinders | 2013-2022 |
| Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth | 2015 |
| The Irish Revolution | 2019 |
| Fight for First: Excel Esports | 2020 |
NET WORTH
According to Investor Times, the Irish actor has a net worth of USD 20 million. Right now, he is a millionaire and the most successful Irish actor with worldwide recognition and dedicated fandom.
Source of Income
His main source of income is several successful roles in Films, TV, and online series.
Activism
Cillian Murphy is known for his striking appearance on camera, he is also vocal about various social, political, and environmental issues. He participated in the 2007 Rock the Vote political campaign in Ireland, which made young voters for the general election, and campaigned for the rights of the homeless with the organization Focus Ireland. In 2011, he became a sponsor of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at the National University of Ireland Galway. Murphy was a supporter of the 2018 Irish referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the constitution that restricted access to abortions. His activism showcases his commitment to making a positive impact beyond the world of glamour.
FAVORITES
Although he is a very conservative person and barely talks about his personal life. He takes inspiration from multiple resources and people. Let’s see what are his favorite things:
| Favorite Color | Blue |
| Favorite Actor | Liam Neeson Tom Hardy |
| Favorite Actress | Emily Blunt Downey Chris Emma |
| Favorite Music Band | The Beatles |
| Favorite TV show | Doctor Who |
| Favorite Movie | The Butcher Boy Star Wars Arizona Dream Mean Streets The Shining |
| Favorite Food | Vegetables Cheese |
| Favorite Song | The Final Countdown Man of the World Always Trying to Work It Out No Surprises Maybe I am Amazed |
| Favorite Sports | Football |
| Favorite Destination | West Kerry on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way |
| Favorite Books | The Ginger Man Appointment in Samarra Eclipse The Sportswriter |
AWARDS
The Irish diva won Awards for his remarkable acting skills in Television and Films.
| British Academy Film Awards Golden Globe Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards Palm Springs International Film Festival Capri Hollywood International Film Festival Saturn Awards Satellite Awards | 2024 |
| Irish Film & Television Awards | 2007-2020 |
| National Television Awards | 2022 |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Dublin Film Critics’ Circle Awards | 2023 |
| Oscar | 2024 |
INTERESTING FACTS
- Murphy’s first name is pronounced, “Kill-ian“.
- He is a vegetarian.
- Cillian was brought up in a Roman Catholic background however, he identifies himself as an Atheist.
- Cilly has a clean record and has zero controversy.
- He decided to build his career in Law until he found his interest in acting.
- Murphy is the first leading actor in a Christopher Nolan film to receive the Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role in Oppenheimer.
- Cilly is crazy about music.
- Cillian Murphy is fluent in Irish, Gaelic, and English.
What is the religion of Cillian Murphy?
Although he was raised in a Roman Catholic family, he identifies himself as an Atheist after working in Sunshine.
Does Cillian Murphy have wife?
He married his long-time girlfriend Yvonne McGuinness, an Irish visual artist in 2004.
Is Cillian Murphy Russian?
He is an Irish man born in Cork, Ireland.
How many Oscars does Cillian Murphy have?
He was nominated for an Oscar and won 39 multiple awards.
Who is Thomas Shelby?
Why is Thomas Shelby so famous?
He is famous for his blunt and deadly role in the longest-running BBC period crime drama series.
Who played the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer?
Cillian Murphy an Irish actor played that role.
