Cillian Murphy: filmography and personal life of the actor

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Last updated: 12/27/2018 How did the Peaky Blinders star, a former vegetarian who has never been in a fight, become a Hollywood man?

Cillian Murphy hoists a full bag and leather backpack as he walks to our lunch in London's deepest Hackney. It's a signal not only that this movie star is still carrying his own baggage. But also that, having lived here for a decade and a half, he is no longer a Londoner. He had just driven from his new home in Ireland to Berlin for a film festival.

The actor was born in Cork, Ireland. He and his wife, artist Yvonne McGuinness, swapped Queen's Park NW6 for Dublin in 2020. They decided "it was time to release some pressure," he says. “I don't miss London. There are only six million people on the entire island of Ireland. It's better for your head to have fewer people around, and the Irish are really healthy and strong."

The couple and their sons Malachy, 11, and Aran, nine, share a Victorian townhouse on the coast south of the Irish capital with a 16-month-old black Labrador. The boys named him Scout after seeing the movie To Kill a Mockingbird. “I’ve always loved Labradors,” Murphy says. “They are so caring and emotionally intelligent. We walk with him every day on the beach. He has a better life."

Killian turned 40 last May. This milestone may have had something to do with his lifestyle taking a more relaxed turn. “Most middle-aged men do some kind of self-improvement, like yoga or not drinking,” says Murphy, who jogs. “You don’t want to age dishonestly when you can find a way to look younger.”

Murphy is wearing casual clothing, including a blue wool hat, blue shirt, blue knit jacket, and blue jeans. “Yes, my wife knows a lot about all things blue,” he says. “It's just safe. You can never go wrong with navy blue. My taste is: good jeans, good jacket, good shoes. Well made pieces that fit together. I'm not that adventurous."

Blue has the added benefit of matching Murphy's piercing eyes, which inspire Irish folk ballads, balanced with his expressive cheekbones that look like marble. Different filmmakers saw different things in these distinctive features.

Danny Boyle gave Cillian Murphy the role of the heroic everyman in the film 28 Days Later and the cult sci-fi film Inferno. Neil Jordan gave him the role of a drag queen in Breakfast on Pluto, while in Peacock he played a personality disordered man whose alter ego is his own "wife."

short biography

Cillian Murphy (photos of the actor before and after plastic surgery are shown below in the article) was born in May 1976 in the Irish town of Douglas, in the family of an education department employee and a teacher.

Restless since childhood, Killian has always had a difficult character, because of which the boy was suspended from his first school, forcing his parents to transfer the child to an educational institution with less strict rules.

At the age of 10, Killian became seriously interested in music, took up playing the guitar and began writing songs. Dreaming of becoming a rock musician, the teenager created his own group, The Sons of Mr. Green Genes", where he played with friends and his younger brother.

The hobby bore fruit, and even an offer to sign a contract, which, unfortunately, required the guys to sell the copyright to their songs for little money. On the advice of their parents, Killian and his brother refused the job offer.

The decision to change the previously chosen dream came to the teenager at the age of 16, after attending a theater class. Having decided that the work of an actor was not inferior in impulsiveness to music, Killian entered drama school, where he made his debut in the production of “See the Sons of Ulster Go to the Somme.”

In 1996, yielding to the request of his parents, Murphy entered the Faculty of Law at the University of Ireland. Unfortunately, jurisprudence did not interest the future actor at all, who preferred to perform with his rock band and study in a theater group instead of studying.

Despite his exams, Killian and his theater troupe went on a tour of European cities, demonstrating his talent as an expressive teenager in love in “Disco Pigs.” The tour lasted about 2 years, during which young Murphy was expelled from the university.

In 1999, the actor made his film debut in the independent film Sunburn, which was favorably received by viewers and critics. Two years later, Killian seriously announced himself by appearing in “On the Edge,” in the role of a crazy teenager who decided to commit suicide after the death of his father and “Shock Love Story.”

Real success came to Murphy after filming 28 Days Later, for which the actor was awarded the Empire Award and the MTV Award for Best Male Breakthrough Actor of the Year.

In 2003, the actor's collection was replenished with supporting roles in The Breakup, Cold Mountain and Girl with a Pearl Earring, but Murphy achieved real fame in 2005, after the release of Christopher Nolan's Batman, where Murphy appeared in the role of the villain Dr. Crane.

That same year, Killian starred in Night Flight, which earned the actor the title of “the perfect movie villain with the piercing gaze of cold blue eyes.” Also in 2005, the actor played the role of a transgender person in Breakfast on Pluto, which allowed him to reveal new facets of his talent.

In the years that followed his success, Murphy starred in:

• in "After Watching Detectives";
• at first";
• in Peacock;
• in Forbidden Love;
• in "Retreat";
• in "Shootout";
• in "Party";
• in Dunkirk;
• in "Stranger Strangers".

Work in films made Murphy popular, but Killian’s real fame and recognition came from his participation in Peaky Blinders .
The popular multi-part television project gave the actor the best role of his career so far as the head of a crime clan, named after the metal inserts worn by criminals on their hats. In addition to his acting work, Killian participated in writing the script for “Watchmen,” and in 2003 he tried himself as a director, shooting the “Hold Me Forever” video for the group Money. Killian is also haunted by music, which prompted the actor to participate as a songwriter and musician in the videos “8:58” and “The Clock” by Paul Hartnoll.

Other achievements of Cillian Murphy

Together with director Paloma Baeza, Murphy wrote the screenplay for the short film Watchmen (2001), in which he also starred.
In 2013, Murphy made his directorial debut: he shot a video for the single “Hold Me Forever” by the group Money. Filming took place at the Old Vic Theater in London, and the participants in the video were dancers from the English National Ballet.

In 2020, Killian participated in the recording of the tracks “8:58” and “The Clock” for the album “8:58” by musician Paul Hartnoll. Murphy is no longer in a rock band, but regularly plays music with friends and writes songs.

Appearance

Cillian Murphy (photos of the actor before and after plastic surgery can be seen on his Instagram) is a dark-haired Irishman with a piercing and freezing gaze of bright blue eyes, rightfully recognized as the “ideal villain” of cinema.

Body parameters:

Biography

It’s impossible to take your eyes off the movie characters played by Cillian Murphy. The Irishman with bottomless blue eyes is interested in images that evoke a storm of feelings, when after watching a film the viewer wants to drink a glass in the nearest bar to relieve tension and “unload” the brain.

“And only the wife knows what it’s like to live with a scoundrel and a sociopath,” the actor admitted in an interview.

Embed from Getty Images Actor Cillian Murphy
It turns out that most often he has to play negative personalities or those with a difficult fate, but always - natures that are both holistic and multifaceted. And this does not mean that it is easy for directors who select a performer for another marginal figure to persuade Killian. Murphy is not chasing fashionable blockbusters, “if you want a long-lasting career, please choose suitable roles.”

Interesting facts and achievements

Cillian Murphy is considered a true chameleon actor, capable of reliably transforming himself into absolutely any character on screen.

Over the years of his work, the actor was awarded:

• BAFTA EFFP awards for best actor for the film “Breakfast on Pluto”;
• awards from GQ UK magazine, for the role of a transgender in “Breakfast on Pluto”

Killian's other achievements include:

• 6 IFTA Award nominations for participation in “Disco Pigs”, “28 Days Later”, “Night Flight”, “The Wind That Shakes the Heather”, “Bae”
• 3 nominations for the Empire Movie Awards, for work in “Night Flight”, “Bae”;
• nomination for the Saturn Awards (“Night Flight”);
• nominations for the European Film Awards and British Independent Film Awards (“The Wind That Shakes the Heather”);
• Golden Globe and Satellite Awards nominations for Breakfast on Pluto

Interesting facts about Cillian Murphy:

• Since the age of 10, the actor has been interested in music, sings well and writes lyrics. The rock band created by the actor was even offered a contract, but, according to Killian, the working conditions were so difficult, and his brother, who was one of the participants, was barely 16 years old. Having assessed the prospects, Murphy listened to his parents, who believed that such work would ruin the lives of their sons, and abandoned his musical career. Now that his career as a rock musician is finally over, Murphy always takes a ukulele with him on trips, serving him as a talisman.

• The actor considers his favorite age to be the one in which he is currently. Killian calmly crossed his 40th birthday, noting that he now has much more common sense than at 21.
• The actor is very respectful of all the people present on the set and during the preparation of the theatrical production, and equally respects the work of both directors and ordinary workers. Murphy argues his attitude by saying that any work is very important and even if he is the only one under the spotlight, a lot of people made an effort to ensure that he ended up there.
• Killian loves to read and considers himself a true fan of romantic literature. The actor especially highlights the American novel, noting that each new book helps him immerse himself in a special world and make friends with new characters.
• Murphy considers New York his favorite city, but notes that he will never go there on vacation.
• The actor’s debut, which took place on the set of “Sunburn,” brought Killian together with the Lithuanian actress Ingeborga Dobkunaite and was very warmly received by viewers and critics.
• Chris Nolan, getting ready to film his “Batman,” invited Murphy to try out for the lead role, impressed by the actor’s work in “28 Days Later.” Killian passed the audition and even tried on the legendary costume, but the director suddenly changed his mind, inviting the actor to play the main villain Scarecrow.
• The actor tries to get used to each of his characters as much as possible and every time while working on a film he feels sorry for his wife, because she has to live for months with drug addicts, sociopaths and mentally unstable people. Killian is not interested in simple roles, he needs the audience to be impressed by his performance when leaving the cinema. After completing work on the film, Killian always takes a short vacation, which he spends with his family.
• The actor, according to him, gained the greatest experience working on Dunkirk and Peaky Blinders. Killian worked on his Tom Chardy for a long time, diligently getting used to the role of the mafia leader. A haircut, clothes, and a change of voice helped the actor transform into a tough guy, which he actually is not, since, as Murphy himself notes, he never even took part in a fight.

• The actor is categorically against smoking, using a cigarette only to create a credible stage image.
• Killian hates colleagues who constantly complain. According to Murphy, acting is a very difficult job, but that's how it should be.
• Killian calls Liam Neeson his friend and “surrogate film father,” who once gave him good advice, which was that you don’t need to be an Irish actor, but just be an actor while remaining Irish.
• For his role as a transgender man in Breakfast on Pluto, the actor spent a lot of time with real transvestites. Killian simply put on a woman's dress and immersed himself in the environment required for the role. The actor also spent a lot of time watching women and even tried to understand the psychology of women.
• Killian could be the new James Bond. Bookmakers note that the actor's chances of taking Daniel Craig's place are quite high, and even slightly exceed those of Tom Hiddleston.

Plastic

Cillian Murphy (before and after plastic surgery is considered one of the most beautiful young actors of European origin) has the ideal aristocratic appearance of a real gentleman, ideally fitting into the image of the main characters and cynical movie villains.

The bright beauty of the actor is a gift not only from nature, but also from the achievements of plastic surgery. Before his real success, the Irishman could rightfully be proud of his appearance, but the skillful work of the surgeon turned him into a real sex symbol and the dream of millions of women. During the 10 years that have passed since receiving his first role, Killian has:

Rhinoplasty

Before and after plastic surgery, Cillian Murphy had a beautiful, small nose, but fans of the actor rightly believe that at the height of his film career, the handsome Irishman had rhinoplasty, which made it possible to make the actor’s natural nose narrower, and the tip neat and slightly upturned.

The back of the respiratory organ has also changed, acquiring a more even shape. Similar changes are clearly visible in earlier photos of the actor, where Murphy has a wider nose.

Removing Bisha's lumps

Before the plastic correction, Killian had beautiful, well-defined facial features, but to give his appearance more expressiveness and aristocratic thinness, the actor underwent plastic surgery to remove Bish’s lumps, which made it possible to sharpen and clearly define the line of his cheekbones.

Cillian Murphy before and after plastic surgery (removal of Bisha's lumps)

In photographs taken before the operation, it is clearly visible that previously there was no indentation in the area of ​​the actor’s cheeks, but the new face suits Killian much better, who has achieved harmony in the combination of cheeks, cheekbones and chin.

Circular facelift and fillers

Facial contouring helped the actor contour his face and tighten his skin , and botulinum toxin injections made it possible to prevent the appearance of wrinkles. In the new photos, the 40-year-old actor’s face looks simply perfect, without any trace of age-related changes.

Fans attribute to the actor also enlarging his lips with fillers, but such changes are not noticeable on Murphy’s face, which suggests that the actor’s voluminous mouth is a gift of nature.

Appearance after plastic surgery

All of Killian's operations were carried out very carefully and allowed the actor to improve his naturally beautiful face, as well as achieve the ideal balance between his cheeks, cheekbones and chin.

Murphy's elegant, aristocratic appearance is considered a true standard of modern male beauty, and easily allows the actor to transform into any character.

Style

Cillian Murphy has been recognized more than once as a style icon, and in 2020 he was included in the list of “50 Most Elegant Men” published by GQ magazine.

The actor himself considers himself a fashionista, although he enthusiastically wears tweed suits from the 1920s while starring as the British Godfather in Peaky Blinders.

The popularity of the series and Murphy's character led to a revival of the style of the 20s, and Killian himself has repeatedly noted that such suits have always been considered ideal clothing and even his mother-in-law keeps one of these at home.

Killiant never uses the services of a stylist, creating her own looks for everyday life and the red carpet. The actor notes that he copes well with his wardrobe on his own, and he does not need the help of a professional at all.
In his wardrobe, the actor prefers to have only well-tailored and made items, giving preference to elegant trousers, jackets and shirts. Killian also considers himself a real fan of men's belts.

Murphy buys clothes only from high-quality materials that do not lose their original appearance after the first wear, and places them in his wardrobe.

Murphy wears things almost to the point of holes, noting that a person can consider clothes completely his only if he wears them practically without taking them off for several years, which leads to the fact that things take on the silhouette of a person. Killian loves naturally aged clothing, trying to wear out his boots, trousers and jackets as much as possible.

The actor prefers blue clothes because of their practicality and always elegant look. A shirt, jacket and trousers in dark blue, according to the actor, look very stylish, and if you add good shoes to them, you can create an elegant and long-lasting set.

Killian shrugs off accusations of being “old-fashioned,” noting that he never wanted to launch his own clothing line. Murphy pointedly notes that he is just an actor who strives to do his job well, starring in 1-2 films a year and can easily handle his wardrobe on his own.

On the role of a transgender person in the film “Breakfast on Pluto”

You can't fully appreciate Cillian Murphy's talent without seeing Breakfast on Pluto. The image of the cheerful young man Patrick Branden in a wig and boa, who is looking for his mother, is not similar to any of his roles.

As Murphy himself said, he wanted to star in this film because such an opportunity comes only once in a lifetime. He had never dealt with transgender people before, so the actor had to find someone who agreed to dress up Killian and take him to nightclubs.

I noticed that all the drag queens are very sharp-tongued. This is because they are constantly forced to fend off insults pouring in from all sides. They also very often behave like evil bitches, but this is also a defense mechanism. The kitten is exactly the same - they tried to hurt him too often, so he put on an impenetrable shell.

Despite the drama, Breakfast on Pluto is a very positive and humorous film. For all his masculinity, Killian looks very confident in this role - thanks to his expressive eyes, sensual lips and his signature eccentricity.

Secrets of beautiful appearance

Cillian Murphy never shows off his body and tries not to show it off. The actor believes that nature has done a good job on his appearance and he likes what he sees in the mirror.

Proper nutrition, sports training and rest, which Killian never neglects, helps the actor keep in shape:

Sport

The only sport Killian likes is running. In his interviews, the actor said that he used to easily cover 10 km distances and run marathons, but now he prefers to exercise only to relax and free himself from thoughts. Trying to remain alone as much as possible while jogging, the actor never listens to music, but chooses the company of a family dog ​​as a companion.

A break from filming

The actor calls the real secret of his success complete immersion in work and tries to fully integrate with each of his new roles . After completing the project, Killian makes sure to take the vacation he needs to relax and return to real life.

The actor prefers to relax in his native Ireland. Murphy simply chooses any point in his homeland and goes there with his wife and sons, preferring to lie on the beach, visit pubs and communicate with his compatriots on vacation.

Nutrition

For more than 15 years, the actor was a vegetarian, giving up meat after watching a TV show about how to become infected with cow disease through meat products. The horror of what he saw took over the actor so much that he was vomiting at the mere thought of swallowing a piece of steak.

In 2013, when auditioning for a role in Peaky Blinders, Killian was required to participate in the project only if he followed proper nutrition, since Thomas Shelby could not possibly look haggard. The actor agreed and went to a sports trainer, who prepared a special diet for him containing animal protein, which helped Murphy quickly get back into good shape.

Personal life

Cillian Murphy diligently hides his personal life , arguing that the less people know about him, the more convincingly he can embody his characters on screen.

The actor also avoids his “celebrity” status due to natural shyness, and always appears alone at the premieres of his films, noting that the red carpet for him is a serious test and stress.

Despite the appearance of a luxurious handsome man and conqueror of women's hearts, Killian has been happily married to Irish artist Yvonne McGuinness for more than 15 years, whom he met in 1996 at a concert of his rock band. The couple live in London and do not intend to move to Hollywood, since Killian often plays in Irish and English productions, and although he adores America, he does not want to live in it.

The couple has two sons: Malachi and Aren.

For many years, Killian has been friends with actors Collin Farrell, Jonathon Rhys Meyers and Liam Neeson, the latter of whom he considers his “surrogate film father,” but his best friends are those who were with him even before working in films.

Cillian Murphy is one of the most talented and controversial actors of our time, who has earned the title of a real chameleon.

The actor’s unique appearance, created thanks to the efforts of plastic surgery, allows the handsome Irishman to be considered a real sex symbol of our time and to choose complex, diverse roles for himself that give him the opportunity to demonstrate his acting skills to the fullest.

Cillian Murphy: height, weight and interesting facts about the actor

• The hero of our story today is a vegetarian.
• Killian knows Gaelic and also speaks excellent French, as his mother is a school teacher in this subject.
• The actor is not very interested in team sports. However, he loves to run and this is how he keeps himself in excellent physical shape.
• Murphy's idol is Liam Neeson, whom he jokingly calls "his surrogate movie father."
• When Killian was a teenager, his main hobby was music. At that time he played in several bands, the most serious of which could be called The Sons of Mr. Green Genes. Murphy played guitar, sang and wrote songs. In addition, he infected his younger brother Paidy with his enthusiasm, who later also became a member of the group.
• In 1996, one of the record companies even offered Killian and his team a contract. However, the parents did not allow their sons to sign it, as they were afraid of the consequences: after all, their children had no experience in the “cutthroat” music industry. As it turns out, they were right in the end, as the contract deprived the Murphy brothers of all rights to their songs.
• The actor's height is 174 centimeters and his weight is 75 kilograms.