Cillian Murphy, a striking Irish actor, was born in Douglas, County Cork, to Brendan Murphy, a civil servant, and a French teacher mother. He is the eldest of four siblings. Murphy's education began at Presentation Brothers College in Cork, where he developed a passion for music, playing guitar in various bands.
After dropping out of University College Cork, where he was studying law, Murphy joined the Corcadorca Theater Company in Cork, playing the lead role in "Disco Pigs" and other plays. His breakthrough in film came with the 2002 movie "28 Days Later," earning him nominations for Best Newcomer at the Empire Awards and Breakthrough Male Performance at the MTV Movie Awards.
Murphy's subsequent roles in high-profile films like "Cold Mountain" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring" showcased his versatility. He then took on villainous roles in "Batman Begins" and "Red Eye," impressing critics with his portrayal. Manhola Dargis of the New York Times described him as a "picture-perfect villain," while David Denby of The New Yorker noted his performances were both "seductive" and "sinister."
In 2005, Murphy starred in Neil Jordan's "Breakfast on Pluto," a film adaptation of the Pat McCabe novel, earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical and an Irish Film and Television Academy Award for Best Actor. The following year, he appeared in Ken Loach's "The Wind that Shakes the Barley," which won the Palm D'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
Murphy continued to take on roles in independent films and reprised his role as the Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight." Nolan, known for working with actors in multiple films, cast Murphy in "Inception" as Robert Fischer, the young heir of a multi-billion dollar empire. Murphy's most notable work is starring as Thomas Shelby in the British TV show "Peaky Blinders," which premiered in 2013.
Throughout his career, Murphy has appeared in high-profile films such as "In Time," "Red Lights," and "The Dark Knight Rises," the final installment of Nolan's Batman trilogy. He is married to artist Yvonne McGuinness, with whom he has two sons, Malachy and Aran.
