Oscar-nominated actor Cillian Murphy has admitted that he has struggled with being in the spotlight, but will be trying to enjoy the Academy Awards ceremony next month.
The Irish star has been nominated for his first Oscar for Christopher Nolan’s epic historical film Oppenheimer, and will face competition for the best actor prize when he goes head-to-head with US leading men including Maestro’s Bradley Cooper.
He has also been nominated for a Bafta for his work as the father of the Atomic bomb, J Robert Oppenheimer, in the movie – which has received 13 Oscars nods – and has already won a Golden Globe Award for the role.
Murphy – also known for horror film 28 Days Later, thriller Red Eye and playing Tommy Shelby in hit BBC crime series Peaky Blinders – is often not forthcoming about his private life and has spoken about finding red carpets “challenging”.
He was asked by Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs about how he will deal with being out of his comfort zone at the Oscars.
The Cork-born actor, 47, said: “I have struggled with it in the past and you know, it’s not something I’m ever totally at ease with – but I think you have to, like, choose to enjoy it and I think you can do that in your brain, just make that alteration and it’s easier then.
“I’ll have my wife and my kids with me, and that’s been lovely… and you’d be an eejit not to enjoy it, just go with it, that’s my attitude.”
He also said that having his wife, the visual artist Yvonne McGuinness, by his side has been “crucial” to feeling grounded as the “sort of ancillary aspect of being an actor is quite challenging”.
Murphy also said: “To have a really secure solid base (with fame) is important. It’s been really important for me, you have to have that safe place.
“I think I certainly do, where it’s just like an island of comfort and ease.”
He also admitted that he gets “nervous” doing films more than stage work as there is a record “forever”, and you cannot improve on the performance during another night.
Murphy, whose earliest role was in Enda Walsh’s play Disco Pigs which he then returned to in a film adaption, said: “I found the whole sort of apparatus of filmmaking, the huge lights and the vans and the trucks and electricians and all the crew and everything, (that) would come to a complete stop and complete silence and then you’re supposed to perform.
“I found that very, very intimidating when I was younger actor. I think I’ve made my peace with it now, but it was a lot to take on.”
He was also in director Nolan’s superhero movie Batman Begins, science fiction film Inception and war epic Dunkirk.
Murphy said that he has a “very close” colleague-style relationship with Nolan, but they do not “hang out and go bowling”.
He added: “It’s a lovely feeling to walk onto a set and to feel safe, and to also, most importantly, to be able to make an eejit of yourself to be able to fail, to be able to get it wrong… and I’ve always had that with him. I’ve always felt that with him and it’s just a gift.”
Murphy also said it is “a little bit of a relief” that Peaky Blinders ended with its sixth season last year, but if “phenomenal writer” Steven Knight makes a good script, he will play crime boss Tommy in his 50s.
He also said. “It was good time to have a little respite from (the show). I think we all needed a break from each other.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here