Four things we learned from Cillian Murphy's 60 Minutes interview
It’s been an incredible year for Irish actors, which has now culminated with a Bafta win for Cork star Cillian Murphy. It now looks increasingly likely that his performance in Oppenheimer could bag him an Oscar.
But as the world finally learns to pronounce Irish names, there’s still a refreshing groundedness to many of the Irish stars stepping onto the world stage. From Paul Mescal’s expletive-laden ‘eek’ when he spotted David Beckham on the red carpet at the Baftas, to Andrew Scott’s refusal to be phased by the celebrity that now surrounds him and Barry Keoghan, it’s an endearing swerve away from the often fame-chasing stereotype of Hollywood.
Now, in a new interview with 47-year-old Cillian Murphy on Scott Pelley’s CBS 60 Minutes special, viewers were given an insight into how the Corkonian is handling the buzz.
Here's everything we gleaned from the sit-down with the ultra-private dad-of-two.
1. Age is a factor in his success
Cillian Murphy poses with the Leading Actor Bafta Award. Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images“I heard very early on in my career,” reveals Murphy, “a director, I think it was one of the Sydneys; it could’ve been Sidney Lumet or it could’ve been Sydney Pollack, but one of them said, 'It takes 30 years to make an actor'.
"It’s not just technique and experience and all that, it’s about maturing as a human being and trying to grapple with life and figure it out. So, by the time you’ve been doing it 30 years, you have all that banked, hopefully. And eventually, then I think you get to a point where you might be an okay actor.”
That maturity is what drives the role of Bill Furlong in Murphy’s next film, Small Things Like These, which is based on the hugely successful novella by Irish writer Claire Keegan.
2. He does everything to extremes – even generosity
Eileen Walsh and Cillian Murphy pose at the Berlin launch of Small Things Like These. Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty ImagesCork actress Eileen Walsh, who plays Murphy's wife in his latest film, Small Things Like These, has a long history with her co-star.
They starred alongside one another in the Enda Walsh-penned play, Disco Pigs, which debuted at Triskel in Cork in 1996. Produced by Corcadorca, the play marked the breakthrough for both actors, and some of the 60 Minutes interviews are recorded at the Tobin Street arts centre where it all began.
Walsh says she learned early on that Cillian Murphy doesn’t hold back.
“The deeper we go with acting; the cost is greater for us. And physically, I know Oppenheimer, has cost him for the weight loss he insisted on. And it was his choice to do, but it was the right choice to create that amazing silhouette.
"But from the very beginning, our warm-ups for Disco Pigs involved us punching each other quite hard," Walsh remembers. "And, we were like going for it, and then bursting out into it. This huge ball of velocity coming into it was the beginning of an Oppenheimer. It was the whole kind of atom of us."
Their shared relationship ended up playing a huge role in Small Things Like These, which Eileen describes when interviewer Pelley asks her the sweetest thing Murphy has ever done for her.
“There’s a scene in Small Things Like These that I’ve never gone anywhere else with another actor," she admits, "and that was because we trust each other and know each other so well. Tim Mielants, who directed it, knew that too.
"He and I know that," she says, referring to Murphy.
"That was only because we trust each other, that suddenly you felt everything drop in the room and they just let it film. And it’s amazing. That’s something we will always share and always have.”
“What scene was that” asks Pelley during the interview.
“It’s a scene were just the two of us are in bed and discussing how he’s seen this young girl that needs help" says Walsh, "and I don’t want him to do anything because of the shame and the fear and the looks and it just puts a magnifying glass over our relationship and our marriage and our girls and our standing in the community. It’s a very simple scene.”
“So that,” Walsh laughs. “And he also gave me his house while they were away and my kids were small and I had nowhere to live in London, so he does that too.”
3. He is the worst dinner companion imaginable, according to Matt Damon
Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy backstage at the 76th DGA Awards. Picture: AP Photo/Chris PizzelloScott Pelley jokes about Matt Damon’s observations, pointing out to Cillian Murphy that “when you are working on a film or being the character, there’s very little room for anything else.”
“Yes. I’ve always been like that I think." Murphy admits. "It’s because, to me, you have the time on set which is short enough time, ten hours maybe. Then the other part, if you have a significant part you have to keep your lines fresh. The other big thing to me is sleep,” he laughs.
“I love sleep. I need sleep. I’ve had lots of lovely dinners with Matt Damon since the movie’s finished and we’ve been out promoting it and stuff, but at the time, yes, you don’t have the room in your head. You want to have as much sleep as possible!”
4. The Douglas native is a book person
Cillian Murphy has always let stories lead his path, even naming his labrador Scout, a character from To Kill A Mocking Bird.
“You find so much empathy in novels" he points out, "because there you are putting yourself into somebody’s else’s point of view. I’ve always been a big reader.
"When a movie can connect with someone, and they feel seen or feel heard, or a novel can change somebody’s life, or a piece of music – an album – can change someone’s life. And I’ve had all that happen to me. That’s the power of good art I think.”
“So there’s a straight line from the music in the pub to Oppenheimer?” wonders Scott Pelley.
“I think they’re from the same source, I mean, I really do,” admits Murphy. “I see it’s all on a continuum. It’s just a form of expression.”
Watch the full interview here.
