In a candid new interview, Oscar winner Cillian Murphy reveals that music—not acting—was his true “first love,” a revelation that reframes his legendary humility and craft just as he returns to his iconic role as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
The notion that Cillian Murphy always dreamed of the silver screen is a myth the Oppenheimer star is eager to shatter. While promoting the upcoming Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, Murphy disclosed in a recent interview that his original ambition was a life in music—a passion that quietly shaped the actor’s renowned work ethic and deep respect for the entire filmmaking organism.
Speaking with ELLE Magazine, the 49-year-old described how music was the constant backdrop of his childhood in Ireland. “We used to go to an awful lot of traditional Irish music sessions in pubs, where I’d sit there with a Fanta and a straw listening to the people who show up with instruments and play. They would appear as if by magic,” he recalled. His father further fueled this love by introducing him to the Beatles around age four, with cassettes perpetually in the car.
This musical foundation existed long before Murphy ever set foot on a professional stage. He never received formal acting training; instead, he cut his teeth in theater productions between ages 20 and 24. One formative experience, he told ELLE, involved a rushed rehearsal where he discarded his costume. An older actor pulled him aside and imparted a simple but profound directive: “Always hang up your costume.” This moment crystallized a philosophy that would define Murphy’s career.
“The lesson is, it ain’t just you out there prancing around under the spotlights. It’s every other person involved in this endeavor that’s important, and show some respect,” Murphy explained. “The technicians, the electricians, the carpenters, the drivers, the caterers—they’re all part of this organism that keeps it going. Hang up your costume.” This ethos of collective respect, born from a musician’s appreciation for ensemble performance, became a hallmark of his collaborations with directors like Christopher Nolan and his leadership on sets such as Peaky Blinders.
From Pub Sessions to the Oscar Stage
Murphy’s path from Irish pub sessions to Hollywood’s apex was unconventional. He first garnered attention in the early 2000s with roles in 28 Days Later and Girl with a Pearl Earring. His breakthrough into the global consciousness came through his collaboration with Christopher Nolan on The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Dunkirk. Parallel to these blockbuster projects, he achieved television immortality as Thomas Shelby in the BBC’s Peaky Blinders, which ran from 2013 to 2022 and found a massive second-life audience on Netflix.
The crowning achievement arrived in 2023 with Oppenheimer, where Murphy’s portrayal of the physicist earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, cementing his status as his generation’s most revered performer. Yet, despite this pinnacle, he frequently deflects praise onto his collaborators—a humility traceable directly to that “hang up your costume” lesson.
The Return of Tommy Shelby
Now, Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, a cinematic continuation of the series. The film sees Tommy return from self-imposed exile during World War II to reunite with his family and combat a Nazi-backed plot to flood the United Kingdom. Complicating matters, his son Duke (played by Barry Keoghan) is leading the Peaky Blinders into increasingly reckless operations.
The movie receives a limited theatrical release on Friday, followed by a Netflix streaming debut on March 20. All six seasons of the original series remain available on the platform, allowing both longtime fans and newcomers to revisit the saga before the new chapter. Murphy’s confession about his musical first love adds a poignant layer to this return—the actor bringing a lifetime of eclectic influences to a character he has defined for over a decade.
For fans, this insight into Murphy’s own unfulfilled artistic passion deepens the authenticity he brings to Tommy Shelby, a man perpetually caught between his love for family and his ruthless ambition. It underscores why his performances feel so lived-in: they are built on a foundation of genuine artistic curiosity, not just a desire for fame.
In an industry often obsessed with star-making narratives, Murphy’s revelation is a quiet reminder that the most powerful stories are the ones that exist behind the curtain. His journey from aspiring musician to Oscar winner wasn’t a linear climb but a tapestry of experiences—each one teaching him that the spotlight is shared, and the real art lies in the respect you show when no one is watching.
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