Cillian Murphy
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Film
The Dark Knight
Scarecrow
2008
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest
2014
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest
2015
Series
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2005
Series
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Series
Peaky Blinders
Thomas Shelby
2013
Series
60 Minutes
Self
1968
Film
Inception
Robert Fischer, Jr.
2010
Series
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Film
Oppenheimer
J. Robert Oppenheimer
2023
Series
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self
2014
Film
The Dark Knight Rises
Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow
2012
Film
In Time
Raymond Leon
2011
Film
Batman Begins
Dr. Jonathan Crane
2005
Film
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Jim (uncredited)
2026
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Series
The Oscars
Self - Presenter
1953
Film
28 Days Later
Jim
2002
Film
Dunkirk
Shivering Soldier
2017
Film
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Tommy Shelby
2026
Film
A Quiet Place Part II
Emmett
2021
Film
TRON: Legacy
Edward Dillinger (uncredited)
2010
Film
In the Heart of the Sea
Matthew Joy
2015
Film
Anna
Lenny Miller
2019
Film
Transcendence
Agent Donald Buchanan
2014
Film
Sunshine
Capa
2007
Film
Red Eye
Jackson Rippner
2005
Film
Cold Mountain
Bardolph
2003
Film
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Pieter
2003
Film
Anthropoid
Josef Gabčík
2016
Film
Small Things Like These
Bill Furlong
2024
Film
Red Lights
Tom Buckley
2012
Series
A World of Calm
Narrator
2020
Film
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Damien
2006
Series
The Way We Live Now
Paul Montague
2001
Film
The Edge of Love
William Killick
2008
Film
A Quiet Place Part III
Emmett
2027
Film
Free Fire
Chris
2017
Film
Steve
Steve
2025
Film
Breakfast on Pluto
Patrick 'Kitten' Braden
2005
Film
Broken
Mike Kiernan
2012
Film
The Party
Tom
2017
Film
Sacrifice
Film
Peacock
John Skillpa / Emma Skillpa
2010
Film
Watching the Detectives
Neil
2007
Film
The Trench
Rag Rookwood
1999
Film
Intermission
John
2003
Film
Kensuke's Kingdom
Dad (voice)
2024
Film
Perrier's Bounty
Michael McCrea
2010
Film
The Delinquent Season
Jim
2018
Film
Retreat
Martin
2011
Film
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight
Scarecrow (archive footage)
2008
Film
On the Edge
Jonathan Breech
2001
Film
Aloft
Ivan
2014
Film
28 Years Later: Part III
Jim
Series
Fight for First: Excel Esports
Narrator
2021
Quando
Pat
1997
Film
The Story of Our Time: The Making of Oppenheimer
Film
Inside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer
Self - J. Robert Oppenheimer
2023
Film
Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach
Self - Actor
2016
Series
Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth
Self - Narrator
2015
Film
Lennon or McCartney
Self
2014
Film
Disco Pigs
Pig / Darren
2001
Film
How Harry Became a Tree
Gus
2002
Series
The Irish Revolution
Self - Narrator (voice)
2019
Film
Misterman
Thomas Magill
2011
Film
Waveriders
Narrator
2008
Film
Pure Rage: The Making of '28 Days Later'
Self
2003
Blood Runs Coal
Chip Yablonski
Film
The Overcoat
Akaky (voice)
2018
Film
All of This Unreal Time
Man
2021
Film
Eviction
Brendan McBride
1999
Film
Sunburn
Davin McDerby
1999
Film
Peaky Blinders: Rambert’s The Redemption of Thomas Shelby
Thomas Shelby (voice)
2024
Film
Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth
Himself - Narrator
2015
Film
Sweety Barrett
Pat the Barman
1999
Film
Carry On Ken
Self
2006
Film
A Man of Few Words
Best Man
2000
Film
At Death's Door
Young Reaper
1999
Peaky Blinders: A Peek Behind the Curtain
Thomas Shelby / Tommy / Himself
Film
Harriet and the matches
Cat (voice)
2013
Film
Filleann an Feall
Ger
2000
Film
Watchmen
Phil
2001
Film
I'm the Man
Narrator
2019
Film
The Silent City
Unnamed Character
2006
Film
The Water
The Son
2009
Film
The Silent Man
The Doll
2018
Film
From the Mountain
Man
2014
Film
The Irish Revolution
Self - Narrator (voice)
2019