Cillian Murphy says it was “very flattering” to be mistaken for a zombie in ’28 Years Later’
Cillian Murphy has responded to being mistaken for a zombie in the trailer for Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later.
Last December, when the first trailer arrived for the sequel to the 2002 zombie horror, social media was flooded with speculation surrounding a split-second shot of a zombie who they believed to be Murphy, which wasn’t the case.
The zombie was actually played by art dealer Angus Neill, who told The Guardian of his role in the film after the case of mistaken identity, “Danny told me he’d always had me in mind for the role. So we met up, hit it off, and I agreed to take part. On set he has an extraordinary ability to hypnotise you, and working with him on the film was a very, very intense experience.”
Now, in a new interview with the Observer, Murphy, who stays away from social media, revealed his son made sure that he was aware that people believed he was the zombie.
The Irish actor joked of the perceived resemblance: “That’s great people think I look like a zombie cadaver,” before adding, “It’s very flattering.”
While Murphy didn’t appear in 28 Years Later, he will play a small role in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is set to be released in cinemas on January 6th, 2026.
He told the Observer that he’s “only in it for a little bit” and stressed that “everyone’s got to go and see the second one” in order for the trilogy to be completed. If a third movie is made, Murphy is expected to have a much more significant part in the film.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple‘s official synopsis reads: “Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship — with consequences that could change the world as they know it — and Spike’s encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can’t escape.”
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