Cillian Murphy is well known for his powerful portrayal of Tommy Shelby in the series Peaky Blinders. He was also chosen by Christopher Nolan to star in his new film Oppenheimer.
If there is a name that stands out in the current scene of cinema and television, that of Cillian Murphy comes to mind. The actor born in Cork, Ireland in 1976, has managed to build an interesting career putting himself in the shoes of complex and unique characters, without repeating himself on any occasion.
Whether it's her breakout performance as a transgender woman in Breakfast on Pluto or her haunting performance as the villainous Dr. Jonathan Crane in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, Murphy is one of those names that stands out for her versatility and breadth when it comes to switching between projects.
In recent years, the interpreter has played the role of war veteran Tommy Shelby in the drama Peaky Blinders. For many, the tormented Birmingham gangster with piercing blue eyes is one of his best roles to date and one of the most iconic on the small screen.
But now, Murphy will have the opportunity to show the whole world another of his acting facets. In this case, in the skin of the physicist Robert Oppenheimer, one of the men who went down in history for having contributed to the creation of the atomic bomb. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan, who after having worked with the actor on more than five occasions, decided to cast him as the lead in his new story.
Cillian Murphy competed with Jason Statham for the role of Tommy Shelby
Before becoming Tommy Shelby, the creator of the series had chosen another actor to put himself in the shoes of the protagonist. The portrait of a violent but vulnerable guy, strongly tormented by his past, had to be embodied by an actor who could demonstrate all of this in the blink of an eye.
"I met them both in LA to talk about the part and I went with Jason. One of the reasons was because physically in the room, Jason is Jason. Cillian, when you meet him, he's not Tommy, obviously, but I was stupid enough not to understand that" Steven Knight once said.
Following the failed encounter, Murphy sent Knight a text message that read, "Remember. I'm an actor." Later, the series creator explained that Murphy's words were a way of saying that he was not Tommy Shelby but could become him.
Cillian Murphy stopped being a vegetarian for his role in Peaky Blinders
In addition to the emotional and mental transformation to put himself in Tommy's shoes, Cillian Murphy had to work on his physical appearance. One of the most drastic changes he had to implement in his life was to go back to eating meat, a habit he had given up some 15 years before.
In an interview, Murphy explained that the creator of Peaky Blinders didn't want him to look like a "skinny Irish dude", so the actor's trainer suggested that he start including meat in his daily diet.
Cillian Murphy was part of a band called Mr. Green Genes
Many actors have admitted that before becoming actors, their first great love was music. After finishing high school, he and his brother founded an experimental group called Sons of Mr. Green Genes. The name of the band arose from a song by Frank Zappa from the album Hot Rats. There, Murphy served as a guitarist, vocalist, and occasionally pianist. Despite receiving an offer for a record deal from Acid Jazz Records, the band ended up disbanding and Murphy decided to carry on with his education.
Before becoming an actor, he studied to be a lawyer
Before trying his hand at music or acting, Cillian Murphy had planned to make a living as a lawyer. His determination to pursue the path of law was very serious until one day he had a "eureka" moment that led him to change his mind and drop out of college.
Of course, his decision was not well seen within his family, but without a doubt, it was something that made him happy and every title in his career is a faithful reflection of it.
Cillian Murphy hates fame and everything associated with being a celebrity
If there is something that Cillian Murphy treasures above all things, it is his privacy. Although he enjoys acting and fulfills his role of giving interviews and promoting his projects, he always makes sure it is to talk about his profession, keeping his personal life under lock and key. Hence, the actor has decided not to have a presence on social networks and tries to take a long break between projects, and thus be able to rest from the dizzying pace that "being famous" implies.
