Cillian Murphy Biography: Life, Net Worth & Acting Career

Cillian Murphy is a famous actor of Hollywood. Popular for his amazing acting skills. Murphy is also famous for his heavy voice and blue eyes. He has the talent to do any role or character. He has worked in several movies and TV shows.

Murphy got great fame and respect from the film industry. He won several awards in his career. His mega hit character is Tommy Shelby in the movie Peaky Blinders.

Quick Info

Early Life & Education

He was born in Douglas, Ireland. Father was a government employee. Mother was a French teacher. He was raised with his brother and two sisters. Education was essential in his family. But he loves music and writes songs in young age.

He studied in a Catholic school to study. He was not interested in any kind of sports but loved creative subjects like the arts. Murphy began to do his acting role in a school drama. Then he realized that he was good at acting.

He wanted to be a musician. He began a band with his brother. They got offered a record deal, but they denied. After school, he got admitted to University College Cork to get a law education. He lost interest in this subject and failed in examinations.

Professional Career of Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy got an opportunity to work with Corcadorca Theatre Company. He primarily plays a role in Disco Pigs. He also played a wild teenager from Crok. The writer, Enda Walsh, said Murphy had a strong and mysterious feeling on stage.

Murphy said he was confident and which assisted in doing the role well. That play was scheduled to run for three weeks. But the play became very popular and ran for 2 years.

During this time, Murphy left the university and his band. He made a decision to return to music when his career began to grow.

Murphy do several plays at stage, like Much Ado About Nothing, The Country Boy, and Juno and the Paycock. He also appeared in small films like On the Edge and short films like Filleann an Feall and Watchmen.

Murphy acted in the movie Disco Pigs again in 2001 and also appeared in the BBC mini-series The Way We Live Now.  He migrated from Cork to Dublin and then to London. The audience said that his acting feels natural and clear.

2002–2004:  Early Success

Cillian Murphy do the role of  Jim in the scary movie 28 Days Later. Due to his earlier work, the director selected him. On set, Murphy was a bit shy but had a special presence that fit the movie well. The film became very popular worldwide and helped many people notice him.

He was also nominated for some awards. It was not just a movie for him but a source of increasing his fame. The next year, Murphy got a role in The Seagull at a festival. He enjoyed the role due to the changing personality of the character.

Murphy worked in the Intermission movie. He was the supermarket worker that involved in the bank robbery plan. The movie became popular in Ireland. Also, he got more fame from this movie. He loved working on stage.

Villain Roles in (2005-2006)

He played the role of Dr. Jonathan Crane. He became famous as Scarecrow in the Batman Begins. Also wanted to do the main role of Batman. He was happy to play the villain role in Batman. People saw that his eyes are unique.

Also acted in the thriller Red Eye. He played a scary, bad guy character in this. People loved his acting as a villain, and movie made lot of money. He also play a role in the movie Breakfast on Pluto. He was a transgender woman in that.

Murphy was taught by real actors and changed his appearance for the movie. He got a nomination for the Golden Globe. Several fans appreciated his high acting skills and performance.

2006-2012 Stages & Film Roles

Murphy has worked in both the theatre & film. He came back to the stage in London with the play Love Song. The audience appreciated his performance. Also, did a role in the movie Sunshine. Murphy had small roles in The Dark Knight( 2008) and The Edge of Love.

He was seen in the movie Inception as a businessman whose mind is targeted. He also appeared in the Peacock movie as a man with multiple personalities. Murphy worked in a man’s play, Misterman.

The audience saw him again in Red Lights. Also came back as the Scarecrow in The Dark Knight Rises movie.

2012-2020 Growing Fame

Murphy took on more serious and important roles. He appeared in the Anthropoid movie, a World War 11 movie about a mission to murder the Nazi leader. Also worked in Free Fire and Dun Krik.

He began playing the Tommy Shelby character in the hit show Peaky Blinders. This character was worldwide famous. The show was a huge success, and his part as the clever gang leader made him world- notorious.

Murphy’s quiet but violent amusement style impressed cult and critics around the world.

2020 – 2025 Major Awards and Big Systems

He played J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the infinitesimal lemon. His performance was praised by numerous people and earned him the Oscar for Stylish Actor.

In 2024, he started his own product company called Big Effects Flicks. He helped produce the movie Small Effects Like These, where he also played the supereminent part.

He was seen in new movie called Steve. Audience hoped that he will return as Tommy Shelby in the movie named The Immortal Man. Will also be seen 28 Times Later, a follow-up to his megahit film 28 Days Later. Hoped to release in 2026.

Personal Life of Cillian Murphy

Cillian doesn’t like to share about his personal life. He got married to Yvonne McGuinness and have 2 sons together. His family went from London to Dublin the childhood area of Cillian. They want to spend a quality time with their relatives.

Murphy avoids social media. He loved to enjoy at home, cooking meals and listening to songs in his spare time.

Cillian Murphy Net Worth

He has net worth of $20 million as of 2025.  He gets money from his successful career in acting, TV shows, and stage works. Also, increase his wealth by doing brand collaborations. He got royalties from the movies, that factor also assisted him in increasing net worth.

Cillian Murphy Movies

• 28 Days Later
• Intermission
• Batman Begins
• The Dark Knight
• Inception
• The Wind That Shakes the Barley
• The Edge of Tomorrow
• Dunkirk
• Transcendence
• Peaky Blinders
• Oppenheimer

Awards & Achievements

• Golden Globe Award Nomination
• Critics’ Choice Award
• IFTA Award
• Best Actor – Venice Film Festival
• Screen Actors Guild Award
• BIFA Award
• European Film Award Nomination
• BAFTA Award Nomination
• MTV Movie Award Nomination

Conclusion

Cillian Murphy is a famous actor of Hollywood. Popular for his amazing acting skills. Murphy is also famous for his heavy voice and blue eyes. He has the talent to do any role or character. He has worked in several movies and TV shows. Murphy got great fame and respect from the film industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is Cillian Murphy Height?

Ans: His height is about 5 feet 9 inches.

Q2: Who is Cillian Murphy Wife?

Ans: He got married to Yvonne McGuinness and have 2 sons together.

Q3: What is Cillian Murphy Age?

Ans: According to his birthdate his is 49 years old.

Q4: What was the role of Cillian Murphy In Peaky Blinders?

Ans: He played the role of Thomas Shelby, the fearless leader of Shelby family.