Cillian Murphy's son helped young actor score role in film

A chance encounter with Cillian Murphy's son led young Dubliner Louis Kirwan to his big break in Small Things Like These.

As the pandemic enveloped the country, Louis occupied his time doing performances with his cousin Chloe Cody who was also passionate about singing, acting, and dancing.

A pupil of Showstoppers Stage School in Templeogue, the youngster enjoyed his time in the spotlight doing smaller performances such as Matilda and picked up some other parts in productions.

But it was at an audition for a part in them musical theatre production of Fun Home at the esteemed Gate Theatre that would send his star into space in a completely unexpected way.

Chatting to RollerCoaster alongside his dad Ken Kirwan and mum Gillian Cody, Louis recalled heading to audition for one part and ending up leaving with another.

‘The casting director for Fun Home was the amazing Maureen Hughes, and with her that day on work experience was Cillian Murphy’s son. After I left my audition, Maureen asked him "Does he remind you of anyone?”. Maureen called my agent Elaine Hearty as we were on the way home.’

Dad Ken explained: ‘Maureen was the casting director for it Fun Home but at the time, she was also the casting director for Cillian’s film, and they had been looking for a kid to play the younger version of Cillian. They couldn’t find anyone.’

After seeing a picture of Louis, Cillian, who produced the movie as well as starring in it, asked if he could read for the role- and the rest is history.

Even though Louis said the audition for Small Things Like These was ‘nerve-wracking’, everyone was so kind to him and he absolutely nailed his lines.

‘I was kind of stressed when I did my audition, but everyone was so nice there. Cillian was there actually too, which is kind of cool.

Cillian Murphy as Bill Furlong. Pic: Enda Bowe/Lionsgate.

‘I had to scream into a camera, which was kind of weird. I had to say my lines and then I had to do a bit of improv as well and then She [Maureen] said, “Yeah, we’ll give your mum a call in a couple of days”, and I was kind of like, oh, that’s hopeful. And then a couple of days later, I got a call to find out I got the overall part.’

Days on set were long, but as mum Gillian explained there are very strict rules for kids on set and Louis even had a stand-in to help share the workload.

‘He’d stand in when the cameras were getting set up and then they’d call Louis in because they’re very strict with the child actors on the hours, and he can only work like 45 minutes and then he needs a 20 minute break,' she said.

‘It was amazing being on set,’ Louis said. ‘It was some of the best days of my life, to be honest. One of the best things about it- this isn’t to do with acting- but they had a snacks table with a bunch of Oreos and all that!

‘I remember whenever I always grabbed chocolates in between scenes and then the makeup artist kept having to come back to me being like, “Oh, you have chocolate around your face, Louis”.’

The movie Small Things Like These is based on the book of the same name, telling a fictional story related to one of the most shameful periods in Irish history about the Magdalene Laundries.

Even for adults, some of the accounts of these institutions are hard to comprehend, but aged only 10, Louis tried to understand the script as best he could.

‘Well, since I was quite young, I didn’t know about the Magdalene laundries. I understood it, but there were parts I didn’t really understand but when after my mum explained it to me, and I got to watch it at the premiere, I understood it a lot more. I found it quite moving as well. Especially when it says at the end [that the film is] dedicated to all the people from these years.'

As he was playing a younger Cillian in the film, Louis didn’t act alongside the Oscar winner, however, as a producer the Cork man was frequently on set for his scenes and he made a big effort to show Louis how it’s done.

Louis said: ‘He was on set for some of my scenes as well and he kind of told me some of the things I was able to do to like improve my acting. And Time the director was really nice and helpful.’

At the recent premiere of the film, mum Gillian said Cillian even made a beeline to chat to his younger counterpart about what he thought of the finished production.

‘We were just standing around waiting and he made his way over to chat to Louis.’

Louis continued: ‘I was able to chat to him a lot. My dad did chat to him. He was saying about the movie, he was saying, “Oh, it’s so good, you were so good in it”.

‘And then he was saying what he thinks about the movie, and he was asking what we think about it. And just being really like nice and really humble and modest, and it was so nice.’

Louis is the youngest of three kids, with an older sister Lia, 20, and a brother Jack, 18, who is sitting the Leaving Cert. The book Small Things Like These is on the syllabus, and Cillian told Louis he hopes his brother- and his own son, who is also doing the Leaving, paid special attention.

Louis laughed: ‘The book is on the Leaving Cert. My brother’s doing it, and Cillian's son is, and he was saying that they better get a H1!’

Now that the movie is out, Louis’ friends and teachers are all incredibly impressed with his work.

‘My friends think it’s really cool. It was a lot of like, “Oh my God, you’re in a movie, Oh my God, you’re in a movie! How much did you get paid? When’s the trailer coming out? When’s the movie coming out?” They were very supportive and they found it really cool.'

Louis can’t help but smile thinking about the whole experience. ‘It’s kind of weird sometimes. It felt so random, it just like, there, one day, and the next I’m in a movie. And then I have to I’m doing like interviews and I’m doing I’m going to premiere and I’m going I’m talking to Cillian Murphy, I’m doing auditions, I’m getting like calls from agents from abroad. It’s really crazy!’

The 12-year-old said the taste of the big time has only made him more determined to become an actor when he grows up.

Zara Devin as Sarah Raymond and Cillian Murphy as Bill Furlong. Pic: Lionsgate / Enda Bowe

‘I’m still in Showstoppers Stage School, I also do stuff with the R n’ R, the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society. I played Oliver in their in their production in the National Concert Hall. I did another thing as well, Going Dutch with Dennis Leary. It’s a TV show on Fox. It’s out in 2025.

‘Being able to perform for everyone is kind of just that special feeling of being able to stand up and able to show them what you can like do. And, like, being able to entertain people at home, like you like seeing people smile.’

For mum and dad Ken and Gillian, seeing all the hard work their son did play out on the big screen was a proud- but weird- moment.

Gillian said: ‘At the first screening, we were kind of like, “We think he’s really good. Is that because he’s our son?!” It was very hard to be unbiased, but we’re just so proud.’