Cillian Murphy says The Beatles were a “constant source of exploration”
Cillian Murphy has recently shared how The Beatles served as an inspiration to him growing up. Murphy, a striking member of the SAG-AFTRA actors union, is currently unable to discuss his film projects but shared stories about what music he listened to growing up.
His BBC 6 radio show, Cillian Murphy’s Limited Edition, has seen him play some of his favourite artists on his Sunday night slot, the likes of Nina Simone, Patti Smith, and Nick Cave.
“I hate to talk about myself, but talking about music, I’m happy,” he said in an interview with the Irish Times. “Music was my first love. I had ambitions to be a musician, way, way before I ever thought about becoming an actor,” he said.
On his Cork upbringing, he said there was a lot of music around. “I was brought to loads of sessions by my parents when I was a youngster: trad sessions… falling asleep under the table, with Tayto and Tanora and all that stuff that a lot of kids of our generation experienced,” he recalled.
On the influence of the Beatles, who have recently released their last song, ‘Now and Then‘, he said both he and his dad listened to them a lot.
“My dad was a Beatles fan and they were huge for me, listening to the greatest hits and then discovering the more interesting albums and having my mind blown,” he said. “It was a constant source of exploration for me creatively. I remember going to the Cork City Library to rent out cassettes, and then taping them and returning them.”
He continued: “Someone would have a cassette [and] you might get a copy of it. My first connection with anything artistic or creative was music.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.