There are actors you see and forget the next day. And then there are actors who stay with you. Cillian Murphy is the latter. You come out of one of his films, and for a while you’re just sitting there, trying to figure out what a masterclass of acting you’ve just seen. He has been at this for more than two decades. Won an Oscar last year. He continues to walk around Dublin doing shopping, just like any other bloke.
Most Oscar winners milk it. They are on every talk show, every magazine cover, selling watches or perfume or whatever. Not him. He just went home to Ireland and kept on with his life. That tells you everything about the kind of person he is.
Why Everyone’s Obsessed With Cillian Murphy Height
People are weirdly fixated on this. How tall is Cillian Murphy? He stands at 5 feet 7 and three-quarters inches, which is how tall is Cillian Murphy in feet. Convert that to metric and you get 1.72 metres. Bang, on average height for Irish men, nothing remarkable about it.
However, this is the deal with Cillian Murphy height – on screen, he looks tall. Much taller. Those eyes do something. The cheekbones. How he carries himself. You see him in Peaky Blinders or Oppenheimer, and the words “average height bloke” do not register. It reads, “commanding presence who owns every scene.”
Put him next to Tom Hardy in Inception and, yeah, you can see the height. Hardy is a few inches taller than he is. Does it matter? Not remotely. Murphy’s performance makes you forget about physical stats within five minutes. That’s what proper acting does.
He’s 70 kilos; he lost a lot of weight for Oppenheimer. Accentuated those cheekbones further. The chest is about 38 inches, and the waist is about 31 inches. These are numbers that feel meaningless to say, but they keep popping up in the searches, so there you go.
Cillian Murphy Age and His Irish Roots
Cillian Murphy was born on 25th May 1976, in Douglas, a suburb of Cork. That would make him 48 years old today. I’ve googled photos of him from 28 Days Later and put them next to recent ones, and the man has hardly aged a day. Maybe it’s the Irish weather. Maybe it’s good genes. Either way, he’s ageing backwards whilst the rest of us fall apart.
His father, Brendan, worked for the Irish Department of Education. Steady work, respectable position. His mum was a teacher of French at a local school. They provided him and his siblings with an upbringing that was solidly middle-class Irish in Cork. Catholic school education, sang in the choir (which is why he has a good voice), and had played football with his buddies. Standard Irish childhood, really.
Here’s the crazy bit – he went on to study law at University College Cork. Could you ever imagine Cillian Murphy being a solicitor? Sitting in an office in Cork doing conveyancing? He lasted about a year before dropping out to do theatre. His parents must’ve been thrilled.
Prior to acting, he was a band member of The Sons of Mr Green Genes. They were offered a record deal and everything. He rejected it because he felt they weren’t good enough. That’s so him – he has standards.
Cillian Murphy 28 Years Later, and His Big Break
Everyone’s talking about Cillian Murphy 28 years later because the new film just came out in June 2025. It is called “28 Years Later”, and it would be the third movie in the zombie blockbuster series that began with “28 Days Later” in 2002.
That first film was the one that changed everything. Danny Boyle made him Jim, a bike courier who emerges from a coma to find London deserted and crawling with infected people running loose and wild like rabid dogs. It was shot on digital cameras for bugger all money, and it became this super cult hit.
Murphy isn’t in the “28 Years Later” film that was just released. He was an executive producer on it, yet he doesn’t appear on screen. But Danny Boyle did confirm that he’s returning for the sequel “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” in Jan. 2026. His character Jimmy becomes a “dominant” part of that film, apparently.
Twenty-three years after the original, he’s back in the role that made him famous. That’s got to feel weird.
Cillian Murphy Peaky Blinders Made Him Properly Famous
Let’s be honest; we all know most people know Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby from Cillian Murphy Peaky Blinders. Six seasons of being a Birmingham gangster with that haircut, those flat caps and that piercing stare. The show lasted from 2013 to 2022, and it became what he was best known for.
Before Peaky Blinders, he was “that actor from those films”. After it, he became Tommy Shelby! Everyone knew him. Blokes started copying his haircut. The flat caps came into vogue. Peaky Blinders became this massive cultural thing.
He has said in interviews that the years he spent playing Tommy were draining. The character’s so dark, so violent, so damaged. He had to get into that headspace for months at a time during production. And now it’s done, and you can tell he’s relieved.
Cillian Murphy Movies and TV Shows You Should Watch
His filmography is brilliant. There are tonnes of them, you know, other than the ones everybody knows. “The Wind that Shakes the Barley“, in which he starred as an IRA fighter during the Irish War of Independence. Directed by Ken Loach, it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Properly good film.
“Breakfast on Pluto”, in which he starred as a transgender woman living in 1970s Ireland. That took courage, and he was great in it. Was nominated for a Golden Globe.
He collaborated with Christopher Nolan on six films. Scarecrow in the Batman trilogy, then bits in “Inception” and “Dunkirk”, and now Oppenheimer. The latter one won him the Oscar for Best Actor at the March 2024 ball. He made a lovely speech and thanked his wife. Cillian Murphy refused to do any Hollywood nonsense.
“Red Eye” with Rachel McAdams. “Sunshine”, which is also a Danny Boyle film. “A Quiet Place Part II” “Anna.” And this year there was “Small Things Like These”, an Irish period drama that came out. And “Steve” premiered on Netflix in October 2025, when he showed up as the headmaster of a reform school.
Is Cillian Murphy Married? His Very Private Life
Yes, Cillian Murphy is married; he tied the knot with Yvonne McGuinness in August 2004. They were first introduced in the late 90s when she attended one of his band’s gigs in Dublin. She’s a visual artist who works in video installations and performance art. These two basically keep a low profile, and that seems to work just fine for them.
They are parents of two sons, Malachy (born 2005) and Aran (born 2007). The family had spent years living in London but moved back to Dublin in 2015. Murphy said he wanted his kids to have an Irish upbringing and be close to their grandparents for a regular life.
He’s absolutely militant about privacy. You won’t see his wife at every premiere doing the red carpet thing. You won’t see photos of his kids. He doesn’t talk about them in interviews beyond basic stuff. Fair play to him, and that’s how it should be.
Does Cillian Murphy Have a Twin Brother?
No, does Cillian Murphy has a twin brother is one of those random internet questions. He’s got three younger siblings: his brother Páidi and two sisters, Sile and Orla. But no twin. People probably ask because they’ve seen him play dual roles or because there are other actors who look a bit like him.
His family’s not in show business. His dad worked in education, and his mum taught languages. Very normal Irish family from Cork. No Hollywood dynasty, no connections, no leg up. He got where he is through talent and graft.
Where Does Cillian Murphy Live Now?
Where does Cillian Murphy live these days? Dublin. He moved back in 2015 with his family after years in London. He’s never said exactly where in Dublin, which is sensible. The last thing you want is tourists turning up at your gaff.
He cycles around Dublin, does his shopping, and lives a pretty normal life when he’s not filming. You’d think an Oscar winner would be in LA or New York, but he’s stayed Irish. Raises his kids Irish. Lives in Ireland. He pays his taxes in Ireland. Good on him.
Cillian Murphy Instagram Doesn’t Exist
This is the thing about Cillian Murphy Instagram – he doesn’t have one. Fan accounts with millions of followers bring that word his way, but Murphy himself does not participate in social media. There is no Instagram, no Twitter, no Facebook and no TikTok. Nothing. He doesn’t want that noise in his life, he’s said.
He doesn’t want to be bombarded by the opinions of others. He’ll grant an interview when he has a movie to promote, and he just puts his head down and does it. It’s refreshing, honestly.
In an age of selfies and breakfast tweeters, where everyone’s posting selfies and tweeting their breakfast, he’s just not interested.
How to Pronounce Cillian Murphy Properly
How to pronounce Cillian Murphy comes up loads because people get it wrong constantly. It’s “KILL-ee-an,” not “SIL-ee-an.” The C is hard, like in “cat” or “kill.”
Irish names trip people up. Americans especially struggle with it. You’ll hear TV presenters on chat shows saying “Sillian” and you can see him wince slightly, but he’s too polite to correct them most of the time.
His surname’s easy enough – it’s just Murphy. But get his first name wrong and Irish people will judge you. It’s “KILL-ee-an.” Remember it.
Cillian Murphy Young and Starting Out
Looking at Cillian Murphy young photos is mental because he’s barely aged. Those cheekbones have been sharp since his twenties. He started doing theatre in Cork and got cast in “Disco Pigs” on stage, which then became a film in 2001.
His early career was mostly Irish theatre and small films. He was living hand to mouth, wondering if he’d made a massive mistake dropping out of law school. His parents probably wondered the same thing.
Then “28 Days Later” happened in 2002. Danny Boyle cast him, the film became a hit, and suddenly he was getting offers from Hollywood. He went from being a struggling Irish actor to Batman auditions in about six months.
Things Most People Don’t Know
He auditioned for Batman in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. Didn’t want the role, though, as he wanted Scarecrow, which is what he got. Smart move that. He was in all three Batman films without the pressure of being Batman.
He turned down playing Voldemort in Harry Potter. It would’ve made him stupidly rich but typecast him forever as a bald villain.
He’s a vegetarian. Has been for years. Also doesn’t drink alcohol, which is unusual for an Irish actor.
He hosts a radio show on BBC Radio 6 called “Cillian Murphy’s Limited Edition”. It’s brilliant – he plays music from his personal collection and talks about why he loves it, none of that commercial radio rubbish.
He’s mates with Christopher Nolan, obviously, and has worked with him six times. Also close with the Peaky Blinders cast, especially Paul Anderson, who played Arthur Shelby.
The Oscar Win Changed Things
Winning Best Actor for Oppenheimer in March 2024 was massive. He beat out some serious competition, like Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo, Paul Giamatti, and Jeffrey Wright. His acceptance speech was lovely; he thanked his wife, thanked Nolan, and didn’t do any Hollywood schmaltz.
But has it changed him? Doesn’t look like it. He’s still in Dublin, still keeping his head down, picking interesting roles over blockbusters. The Oscar’s probably sitting on a shelf somewhere whilst he gets on with his life.
What’s Coming Next
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” is his next confirmed project, out in January 2026. He’s back as Jim/Jimmy from the original film, and apparently, it’s a major role.
Beyond that? Nothing confirmed. He’s not in Christopher Nolan’s next film, “The Odyssey”, which is probably a relief. Working with Nolan is intense, and after Oppenheimer, he probably needs a break.
There are always rumours, always scripts being sent his way. At 48, he’s at the peak of his powers as an actor. The next decade could be even better than what’s come before.
Why Cillian Murphy Stands Out
Here’s what makes Cillian Murphy different. He’s not interested in fame. He’s not building a brand or doing endorsements or turning up to every party. He just acts, does it brilliantly, and then goes home to Dublin and lives his life.
In an industry full of people desperate for attention, he’s the opposite. He lets the work speak for itself. From a terrified survivor in “28 Days Later” to Thomas Shelby to J. Robert Oppenheimer, he creates characters that stay with you long after the credits roll.
He’s Irish through and through. Didn’t move to LA, didn’t lose his accent, didn’t change who he is. He’s the same Cork lad who dropped out of law school to do theatre, just with an Oscar now.
That’s the real achievement – being one of the best actors of his generation whilst staying completely yourself. Not bad for a bloke who almost became a lawyer.
