Cillian Murphy

Biography

Cillian Murphy (born May 25, 1976) is an Irish actor.

He made his professional debut in Enda Walsh's 1996 play Disco Pigs, a role he later reprised in the 2001 screen adaptation. His early notable film credits include the horror film 28 Days Later (2002), the dark comedy Intermission (2003), the thriller Red Eye (2005), the Irish war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), and the science fiction thriller Sunshine (2007). He played a transgender Irish woman in the comedy-drama Breakfast on Pluto (2005), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination.

Murphy began collaborating with filmmaker Christopher Nolan in 2005, playing Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012) as well as appearing in Inception (2010) and Dunkirk (2017) and portraying the lead role of J. Robert Oppenheimer in the biographical epic Oppenheimer (2023). By the year 2023, Murphy has already worked with Nolan for around 20 years and six films. He also gained prominence for his role as Tommy Shelby in the BBC period drama series Peaky Blinders (2013–2022) and for starring in the horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II (2020).

In 2011, Murphy won the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Actor and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for the one-man play Misterman. In 2020, The Irish Times named him one of the greatest Irish film actors.

CritifyHub Reviews Featuring Cillian Murphy

A Whisper of Vermeer: How ’Girl with a Pearl Earring’ Still Haunts Us

on Girl with a Pearl Earring | Aug 21, 2025

Ever wonder what a single glance can hold? In Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003), director Peter Webber transforms a fleeting moment from Vermeer’s canvas into a quiet, piercing meditation on art and de... Read more

Celestial Ambition, Earthbound Flaws: The Radiant Paradox of Sunshine

on Sunshine | Jul 16, 2025

Danny Boyle’s Sunshine (2007) is a cinematic voyage that dares to stare into the sun, both literally and metaphorically, grappling with humanity’s existential yearning and the fragility of its hubris.... Read more

"The world will remember this day." This ominous statement foreshadows the world-altering consequences of the events depicted in "Oppenheimer."

on Oppenheimer | May 31, 2025

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a meticulously crafted and intellectually gripping biographical drama that immerses the viewer in the intense and morally complex world of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cil... Read more

"What is real? What is dream?" This fundamental question lies at the heart of the mind-bending and visually stunning "Inception."

on Inception | May 29, 2025

Christopher Nolan’s Inception is not just a heist movie; it’s a meticulously crafted and intellectually stimulating journey into the complex and often surreal world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCap... Read more

"Why so serious?" This chilling question, embodying chaos, defines the unforgettable conflict at the heart of "The Dark Knight."

on The Dark Knight | May 29, 2025

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight transcends the superhero genre, delivering a dark, complex, and morally ambiguous crime epic that explores themes of chaos, order, justice, and the nature of herois... Read more