Cillian Murphy
Biography
Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor and film producer born on May 25, 1976, in Douglas, Cork, Ireland. He is the oldest child of a teacher and an employee of the Irish Department of Education and has three younger siblings. Educated at Presentation Brothers College in Cork, Murphy has established an extensive career across stage and screen. Known for his intense performances and striking looks, he has received significant industry recognition, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Beyond his professional work, he is a husband and father. He is also known by the name Cillian O Murchu and maintains a significant presence in both film and television.
Career overview
Murphy made his professional acting debut in the 1996 play Disco Pigs by Enda Walsh, a role he later reprised for the 2001 screen adaptation. His early film credits include the 2002 zombie film 28 Days Later, the 2003 dark comedy Intermission, the 2005 thriller Red Eye, the 2005 comedy-drama Breakfast on Pluto, the 2006 Irish war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley, and the 2007 science fiction thriller Sunshine. His performance in Breakfast on Pluto earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Starting in 2005, Murphy began a long-standing collaboration with filmmaker Christopher Nolan, appearing as Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as Scarecrow, in The Dark Knight Trilogy. He also starred in the 2023 film Oppenheimer, directed by Nolan. On television, Murphy is widely recognized for his starring role as Tommy Shelby in the series Peaky Blinders. He is also associated with the Peaky Blinders movie. With 86 known acting credits, Murphy has built a diverse filmography that spans various genres, solidifying his reputation as a versatile performer in both blockbuster cinema and television productions.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- A Quiet Place Part III (2027) as Emmett
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) as Jim (uncredited)
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Executive Producer
- Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (2026) as Tommy Shelby
- Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (2026) Producer
- 28 Years Later (2025) Executive Producer
- Steve (2025) as Steve
- Steve (2025) Producer
- Small Things Like These (2024) as Bill Furlong
- Small Things Like These (2024) Producer
- Kensuke's Kingdom (2024) as Dad (voice)
- Oppenheimer (2023) as J. Robert Oppenheimer
- Inside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023) as Self - J. Robert Oppenheimer
- A Quiet Place Part II (2021) as Emmett
- All of This Unreal Time (2021) as Man
- Fight for First: Excel Esports (2021) as Narrator
- A World of Calm (2020) as Narrator
- Anna (2019) as Lenny Miller
- The Irish Revolution (2019) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- The Irish Revolution (2019) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- I'm the Man (2019) as Narrator
- The Delinquent Season (2018) as Jim
- The Overcoat (2018) as Akaky (voice)
- The Silent Man (2018) as The Doll
- Dunkirk (2017) as Shivering Soldier
- Free Fire (2017) as Chris
- The Party (2017) as Tom
- Anthropoid (2016) as Josef Gabčík
- Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach (2016) as Self - Actor
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- In the Heart of the Sea (2015) as Matthew Joy
- Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth (2015) as Himself - Narrator
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self - Guest
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors (2014) as Self
- Transcendence (2014) as Agent Donald Buchanan
- Lennon or McCartney (2014) as Self
- Aloft (2014) as Ivan
- From the Mountain (2014) as Man
- Peaky Blinders (2013) as Thomas Shelby
- Peaky Blinders (2013) Executive Producer
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012) as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow
- Red Lights (2012) as Tom Buckley
- Broken (2012) as Mike Kiernan
- In Time (2011) as Raymond Leon
- Retreat (2011) as Martin
- Misterman (2011) as Thomas Magill
- Inception (2010) as Robert Fischer, Jr.
- TRON: Legacy (2010) as Edward Dillinger (uncredited)
- Peacock (2010) as John Skillpa / Emma Skillpa
- Perrier's Bounty (2010) as Michael McCrea
- The Water (2009) as The Son
- The Dark Knight (2008) as Scarecrow
- The Edge of Love (2008) as William Killick
- Waveriders (2008) as Narrator
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- Sunshine (2007) as Capa
- Watching the Detectives (2007) as Neil
- The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) as Damien
- Carry On Ken (2006) as Self
- The Silent City (2006) as Unnamed Character
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005) as Self
- Batman Begins (2005) as Dr. Jonathan Crane
- Red Eye (2005) as Jackson Rippner
- Breakfast on Pluto (2005) as Patrick 'Kitten' Braden
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self - Guest
- Cold Mountain (2003) as Bardolph
- Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) as Pieter
- Intermission (2003) as John
- 28 Days Later (2002) as Jim
- How Harry Became a Tree (2002) as Gus
- The Way We Live Now (2001) as Paul Montague
- On the Edge (2001) as Jonathan Breech
- Disco Pigs (2001) as Pig / Darren
- Watchmen (2001) as Phil
- Watchmen (2001) Writer
- Watchmen (2001) Co-Producer
- Filleann an Feall (2000) as Ger
- A Man of Few Words (2000) as Best Man
- The Trench (1999) as Rag Rookwood
- At Death's Door (1999) as Young Reaper
- Sweety Barrett (1999) as Pat the Barman
- Sunburn (1999) as Davin McDerby
- Eviction (1999) as Brendan McBride
- Quando (1997) as Pat
- 60 Minutes (1968) as Self
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- The Oscars (1953) as Self - Presenter
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
- 28 Years Later: Part III as Jim
- 28 Years Later: Part III Executive Producer
- Untitled Damien Chazelle Film
- Blood Runs Coal as Chip Yablonski
- Blood Runs Coal Producer
- Untitled Peaky Blinders Sequel Executive Producer
- Harriet and the matches as Cat (voice)
- Peaky Blinders: A Peek Behind the Curtain as Thomas Shelby / Tommy / Himself