Cillian Murphy
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.
Known for
Acting84
moviePeaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
2026
Tommy Shelby
movie28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2026
Jim (uncredited)
movieSteve
2025
Steve
movieSmall Things Like These
2024
Bill Furlong
movieKensuke's Kingdom
2024
Dad (voice)
movieOppenheimer
2023
J. Robert Oppenheimer
movieInside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer
2023
Self - J. Robert Oppenheimer
tvA World of Calm
2020
Narrator
movieI'm the Man
2019
Narrator
movieAnna
2019
Lenny Miller
movieThe Irish Revolution
2019
Self - Narrator (voice)
tvThe Irish Revolution
2019
Self - Narrator (voice)
movieThe Overcoat
2018
Akaky (voice)
movieThe Silent Man
2018
The Doll
movieDunkirk
2017
Shivering Soldier
movieFree Fire
2017
Chris
movieAnthropoid
2016
Josef Gabčík
movieVersus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach
2016
Self - Actor
movieIn the Heart of the Sea
2015
Matthew Joy
tvThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
Self - Guest
movieAtlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth
2015
Himself - Narrator
movieTranscendence
2014
Agent Donald Buchanan
tvLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
Self - Guest
movieAloft
2014
Ivan
tvPeaky Blinders
2013
Thomas Shelby
movieBroken
2012
Mike Kiernan
movieThe Dark Knight Rises
2012
Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow
movieRed Lights
2012
Tom Buckley
movieIn Time
2011
Raymond Leon
movieRetreat
2011
Martin
movieMisterman
2011
Thomas Magill
movieTRON: Legacy
2010
Edward Dillinger (uncredited)
movieInception
2010
Robert Fischer, Jr.
moviePeacock
2010
John Skillpa / Emma Skillpa
moviePerrier's Bounty
2010
Michael McCrea
movieThe Water
2009
The Son
movieThe Dark Knight
2008
Scarecrow
movieThe Edge of Love
2008
William Killick
movieWaveriders
2008
Narrator
movieThe Silent City
2006
Unnamed Character
movieBreakfast on Pluto
2005
Patrick 'Kitten' Braden
movieRed Eye
2005
Jackson Rippner
movieBatman Begins
2005
Dr. Jonathan Crane
movieCold Mountain
2003
Bardolph
tvJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
Self - Guest
tvThe Way We Live Now
2001
Paul Montague
movieDisco Pigs
2001
Pig / Darren
movieOn the Edge
2001
Jonathan Breech
movieA Man of Few Words
2000
Best Man
movieSunburn
1999
Davin McDerby
movieEviction
1999
Brendan McBride
movieThe Trench
1999
Rag Rookwood
movieAt Death's Door
1999
Young Reaper
movieSweety Barrett
1999
Pat the Barman
tv60 Minutes
1968
Self
tvThe Oscars
1953
Self / Self - Presenter
tvGolden Globe Awards
1944
Self - Nominee
Blood Runs Coal
Chip Yablonski
Peaky Blinders: A Peek Behind the Curtain
Thomas Shelby / Tommy / Himself
movieHarriet and the matches
Cat (voice)
Production10
movie28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2026
Executive Producer
movieSteve
2025
Producer
movie28 Years Later
2025
Executive Producer
movieSmall Things Like These
2024
Producer
tvPeaky Blinders
2013
Executive Producer
movieWatchmen
2001
Co-Producer
movie28 Years Later: Part III
Executive Producer
tvUntitled Peaky Blinders Sequel
Executive Producer
Writing1
movieWatchmen
2001
Writer