Cillian Murphy names his acting idol: “It’s a career I’d very much like to emulate”
There are many wonderful actors to come from Ireland, with Cillian Murphy being one of many to hail from the green pastures across the pond, along with Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal and Colin Farrell. Murphy began his career in the film industry after starring in the 1996 play Disco Pigs, which led to a leading role in the hit zombie horror film 28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle. The actor subsequently took on many daring parts in independent dramas such as Sunshine and Breakfast on Pluto, showing that he was undaunted by a challenge, later earning him a Golden Globe nomination.
However, he gained a much wider fan base after his portrayal of Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders, as well as his continued collaboration with Christopher Nolan on films such as Oppenheimer and Dunkirk. But in all his years on the silver screen, Murphy has named one actor that he considers to be his idol.
Sweety Barrett, directed by Stephen Bradley in 1998, follows a man with child-like mannerisms who becomes involved in a corrupt smuggling operation, leading to a dangerous chain of events. Brendan Gleeson stars in the titular role of Sweety Barrett, with Andrew Scott, Andy Serkis and Cillian Murphy also appearing in the story.
Although Murphy only briefly appears in the film as a bartender, it marked the first collaboration between him and Gleeson, with the pair going on to star in five more films together. They next worked together on Cold Mountain, Breakfast on Pluto, 28 Days Later and Perrier’s Bounty, forging a strong chemistry that creates a commanding presence.
When describing his work with Gleeson, Murphy lavished high praise onto the fellow Irish actor, saying, “I’d been watching him since before I became an actor or even had ideas of becoming an actor. I didn’t start ’til I was 20. He started off doing theatre in Dublin, and then TV, and then small art films. He’s amazing in The General. So that trajectory seemed like a sound way to build a career: Start small and get by on the consistency of your work.”
Adding, “And I very much like his attitude to the business — toward Hollywood and the independent world. He’s very rational and common-sensical about the whole thing. I’ve gone to him a number of times for advice about situations in the business and how to deal with certain things. But above all, he’s a fantastic actor.”
Gleeson has always been versatile in his approach to his craft, with a constant quest for reinvention and risk that has added to such a unique filmography. Murphy expanded on this by describing the roles he most admires from him, saying, “I mean, to play Churchill on HBO, and then he’s in Harry Potter, and then he’s in this film as this incredibly charismatic performance as this fucking crazy sociopath gangster. I love the way he moves between genre and can just play any type of character. Good guy, bad guy… It’s a career I’d very much like to emulate”.
It’s safe to say that Murphy has been successful in forging his own similar career path, ranging from lovable rogues to insidious antagonists that inspire fear and reverence. He most recently starred in Small Things Like These alongside Emily Watson and Eileen Walsh.
