From music to cinema, the Irish actor reveals his journey.
He’s one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. Irishman, he became famous thanks to the British series Peaky Blinders, then he earned the attention of Christopher Nolan and thanks to the role played in Oppenheimer, he won the Best Actor Oscar. Ladies and gentlemen, here is Cillian Murphy.
There is something in his face. Something unusual. Something unique. A cascade of brown curls falls, as branches moved by the wind, over two eyes of a blue difficult to define. It’s as if two natures coexisted in him: that of an angel (thinking about his finely chiseled features) and that of a demon (those same features can become unexpectedly sharp). “I think it’s a characteristic of human beings, duality is part of us”, he explains, “it has always attracted me, so much so that it led me, in a completely natural way, to prefer roles where there’s a fine line between good and evil, good and bad. The best roles I’ve played were constantly balanced between these two opposites. The viewer wondered: is he the good or the bad guy? Or is he both?”.
Let’s start from the beginning. How did you embark on your acting adventure?
“I love music, art in general. As a boy I played in a band with my brother… a group that had all it takes to hit the big time but, while I was attending school in Cork, I saw a performance of A Clockwork Orange at the theatre, and from there I started to work on the stage and my life changed”.
When, more or less?
“It was 1996. I also tell you the month: August”.
In what way has your life changed?
“I clearly felt, inside me, that I had taken a very specific direction. You know, sometimes you are at a crossroads, and you don’t immediately realize that choosing one path rather than the other can influence your whole life. You feel it on an unconscious level. But rationally, you only consider them as choices…”.
I see. But I’m curious. What happened so extraordinary in that distant month of August?
“It all happened at the same time. I got my first role, met my wife (Cillian has been married to artist Yvonne McGuinness for 20 years, with whom he has two children), and realized that law school wasn’t for me. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place by themselves”.
Wow, I suppose it was exciting to experience such a moment! Do you think it was fate?
“Fate, chance, chaos… I don’t have the answer. I like to be amazed by life and its mysterious ways. I also have a very particular relationship with time. I don’t like looking back or even focusing on a future that doesn’t yet exist. So I focus on the present, it’s the only fragment of life that can be controlled, don’t you think?”.
Absolutely. Here and now. Hic et nunc…
“You see, I forget the past or alter it. Involuntarily I rewrite it a little, as if it was a book. The future, on the other hand, is just an idea of how I would like things to go… but I don’t like making plans too far ahead”.
In light of this way of life, what relationship do you have with fame?
“I experience it as a side effect of my job! It’s part of the game. It alternates with ‘normal’ life. Everything is linked to a movie release, or to an award that has the power to attract all the world’s attention to you”.
Are you talking about the Oscar?
“Yes. I’m happy obviously. Satisfied with the work I did. But the truth is that no movie stays in theaters forever. Just let a little time pass and people forget about you, the films you starred in, the awards. That’s how it works. Live what comes while you’re waiting to go back to normality”.
How is your everyday life when you are away from the set?
“I try to rest, to recharge my batteries. I’m lucky enough to have a good sleep, I even sleep ten hours. I spend time with my wife and our children, I go around museums and art galleries. I read. Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned. I don’t like so much technology even though I appreciate its usefulness. I would even do without my mobile if I could, I only use it to make calls”.
No pictures, no social networks?
“I stay away from social networks, by choice. Pictures? Few and only for me. I mean, they are photos with my family… it’s a life I keep private. I use my mobile to listen to music. I like to lead a normal existence. I like simple, true things. Like watching old movies at home in the evening. I try to live a healthy existence in every sense”.
Imagine I’m the Genie of the Lamp, what would you ask me?
“Nothing more than what I already have. I have a happy life. I’m a happy man. I have a wonderful family. I’m lucky enough to do the job I love. What more could I ask for?”.
