“The best roles you have to fight for. You have to really want to do it and you have to go after it.” This quote encapsulates the dedication and determination of acclaimed Irish actor Cillian Murphy. Known for his piercing blue eyes and chameleonic acting abilities, Murphy has crafted an eclectic career spanning independent films, blockbuster hits, and critically acclaimed television series. Whether embodying the menacing Scarecrow in Batman Begins or the calculating Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders, Murphy imbues his characters with a subtle intensity and depth that captivates audiences.
As an intensely private person who shuns the trappings of fame, Murphy reveals himself primarily through his acting rather than interviews. However, the quotes attributed to him provide illuminating glimpses into his artistic vision, work ethic, and philosophical perspectives on life. This article will explore the most insightful “words of Murphy” to uncover the man behind the enigmatic on-screen persona.
II. Exploring the Depths of Cillian Murphy’s Words:
Theme 1: On Craft and Creativity
Murphy is dedicated to continuously honing his acting skills, once stating “You have to learn your craft, learn your trade – and also you have to live a life and experience things.” He undertakes intense preparation for his roles, immersing himself in research, “I do a lot of research, I read a lot, I watch a lot of films. But ultimately, it’s about finding the truth in the character and the script.” This dogged commitment infuses his characters with authenticity.
Theme 2: On Ambition and Perseverance
From early days, Murphy was determined to make it as an actor, “My whole career has been completely random and haphazard. But I’ve always been determined to make it work.” He encourages creatives to embrace risks and failure as part of the process, “I’ve learned that you can’t be afraid to fail. You have to take risks and go for it.” This perseverance and resilience in overcoming early setbacks has paved the way for his success.
Theme 3: On Humanity and Society
Despite eschewing celebrity status, Murphy leverages his platform to highlight societal issues, once stating “Men and women are custodians of this society, and we both decide what’s going to happen for our future.” His song choices in Peaky Blinders underscore his sensitivity to the human condition. As he notes, “Cause things look beautiful when they’re away from you, things look beautiful when they’re so new and things look beautiful when they’re away from you.”
Theme 4: On Maintaining Privacy and Avoiding Stardom
Murphy has consciously avoided the limelight, focusing single-mindedly on his craft, “If you behave like a celebrity, then people will treat you like a celebrity, and if you don’t, they won’t. There’s not much to write about me in the tabloids.” He keeps a low profile, driven by his art rather than fame, “I’m not interested in being famous. I just want to do my job and tell stories.” This restraint has only heightened his mystique.
III. Beyond the Words: The Enduring Impact of Cillian Murphy
By steering clear of splashy publicity and Hollywood gossip, Cillian Murphy has carved a unique space in pop culture – his enduring allure rooted in his inscrutability. The quotes attributed to him offer rare insight into the discipline, social consciousness and old-school grace that shape his work. Far from diminishing his mystique, these words underline why audiences remain captivated by Murphy’s hypnotic talent.
As an actor, Murphy has deliberately blurred the lines between virtuoso performer and reluctant celebrity. His quotes distill hard-won wisdom on success while doubling as philosophical musings on life’s fleeting beauty. In poles apart characters from the gutters of Birmingham to the glitter of Gotham city, he exposes visceral human truths. Cillian Murphy compels because even when the camera stops rolling, the enigma endures.
“It’s always nice to be challenged.”
“Whiskey is good proofing water. It tells you who’s real and who isn’t.”
“She’s in the past. The past is not my concern. The future is no longer my concern, either.”
“Get yourself a decent haircut, man. We’re going to the races.”
“Good taste is for people who can’t afford sapphires.”
“You have to get what you want your own way.”
“You can change what you do, but you can’t change what you want.”
“When you plan something well there’s no need to rush.”
“I learnt long ago to hate my enemies, but I’ve never loved one before.”
“My only two constants are to challenge myself and to try not to repeat myself.”
| No. | Quote |
| 1 | “I personally think if something’s not a challenge there’s no point doing it because you’re not gonna learn much.” |
| 2 | “I like being at home with my music and my books. I’ve done all the partying, I’ve done enough partying for four or five people as a young fella. But now I like the quiet life.” |
| 3 | “I think it’s necessary to keep moving forward. I’ve always said that nostalgia is death, really for anyone creative.” |
| 4 | “I don’t consider myself a shy person necessarily, but there’s something about getting under the skin of a character and allowing you an abandon or a sense of courage that you would never have in your own life.” |
| 5 | “My only two constants are to challenge myself and to try not to repeat myself.” |
| 6 | “I’m pretty adamant to do an American accent because you get it immediately.” |
| 7 | “It’s obvious that if you’re going to play a character you need to amass information about that person and about their environment or their era that they’re in and use as little or as much as necessary.” |
| 8 | “I’d probably have been wealthier if I had stayed with law, but pretty miserable doing it.” |
| 9 | “And once you’re unafraid with death, I think your capacity for violence is immediately increased. Once you’re unafraid of death, you are a very, very dangerous adversary.” |
| 10 | “I suppose I’ve always been attracted to this sort of outsider in general – in literature, in music, politics, whatever – and to the person that is able to be relentlessly themselves. I don’t think that I have that quality, that strength of mind.” |
| 11 | “It’s always nice to be challenged.” |
| 12 | “The best roles you have to fight for. You have to really want to do it and you have to go after it.” |
| 13 | “That’s what acting is about, Funny wigs and voices, that’s what we do.” |
| 14 | “I come from a long line of teachers. Not only did I not go into the family business; I had an aborted law career and I played in bands. ‘Disco Pigs’ was my first professional acting experience.” |
| 15 | “I will always love film, the romance of film, sitting in the darkened room with strangers and watching a story for two hours – that will always remain and never be eroded by television.” |
| 16 | “Every Irish person of my generation and earlier, we were raised Catholic and we’d have to learn it in school, we’d to learn the catechism by rote.” |
| 17 | “If you behave like a celebrity, then people will treat you like a celebrity, and if you don’t, they won’t. There’s not much to write about me in the tabloids.” |
| 18 | “Two weeks ago we couldn’t pronounce your name, but you were in the lead in a film that made millions, so we’re sending you all these scripts.” |
| 19 | “I’m Irish and very proud of being Irish, but as an actor, your extraction should be secondary, really. You should be able to embody whatever character it is, wherever the character comes from. That’s always been important, for me. I’m an actor who’s Irish, not an Irish actor.” |
| 20 | “I don’t know if anyone will ever sit beside me on a plane again.” |
| 21 | “My wife can see always how a part affects me personally because she has to live with it.” |
| 22 | “I feel very lucky to be making good work still. The confidence of youth, or that sort of competitiveness you get when you’re 22 or 23, the impatience – that’s probably been tempered. Hopefully I’m slightly better company.” |
| 23 | “I don’t care if people perceive me as always selling out because I’m doing a studio picture. For me, the whole thing is you should be diverse in your choices; that’s the beauty of being an actor, you should be able to do that.” |
| 24 | “Having started out in theatre, I feel an impulse to do it as much as I can.” |
| 25 | “At the moment I’m doing this space movie, so I’m obsessed with physics and space travel. I know three months down the line it’s gone. Then I’ll be able to superficially say stuff about space.” |
| 26 | “You need to be as clean of a slate as you can be, as an actor. You have to try to be open to every experience.” |
| 27 | “I try not to think retrospectively. It’s important, as an artist, to look forward, always. I do try to take work that involves some challenge. If you approach a piece of work and you’re going, “Yeah, yeah, I can do that,” then that’s kind of a red flag.” |
| 28 | “There’s a lot of comedy in Intermission but it’s got this depth. It’s not comedy for comedy’s sake – it’s informed by something else. I like stuff like that.” |
| 29 | “From a very young age I had an ambition to be a musician, and to do that professionally. That’s what I pursued until I was about 20, playing in bands that were taken pretty seriously at that stage.” |
| 30 | “I’ve had the pleasure and the great luck to work with some incredible actors over the years and you have to observe and learn and take something from it and try and become better yourself.” |
| 31 | “I think audiences are a lot more intelligent than what we give them credit for and understand that an actor is playing a role and that doesn’t mean he can’t play different types of roles.” |
| 32 | “I don’t have a burning passion to live in America per se but I would certainly like to work there.” |
| 33 | “I think there’s such a thing, as a performance gene. If it’s in your DNA it needs to come out. For me it originally came out through music, then segued into acting and came out through there. I always needed to get up and perform.” |
| 34 | “It was very much about performances, the whole ensemble thing was just great – everybody working together. Sometimes it didn’t feel like a film set. It wasn’t technically driven, it was very, very enjoyable.” |
| 35 | “I never make a distinction between doing a film in Hollywood or doing a film independently. It’s just the story. It’s always the story for me. The constants are that it should challenge me and I shouldn’t repeat myself. And the story should always be a story worth telling.” |
| 36 | “I like the little bit of distance that London affords me and I like living in a world capital. I like having the culture at my fingertips.” |
| 37 | “I think if you play characters, it’s very important not to ever tag them with any sort of disorder, or diagnose them, or whatever. You have to normalize the behavior to get inside the character.” |
| 38 | “I’ve always felt kind of safe on stage, protected. I’ve talked to other performers about this and they feel the same things, particularly in the live arena. I never get nervous going on stage to do a play. Doing film or television I’ll have more butterflies.” |
| 39 | “All I’ve tried to do as an actor is follow the good writing. That’s been my main drive. It’s not always possible, so when you do come upon it, like when I came upon this, you realize pretty quickly this is something you need to be involved with.” |
| 40 | “I don’t think they’d ever make a movie about Chuck Baker but I’d love to play Chuck Baker.” |
| 41 | “You’re an actor who’s Irish, not an Irish actor. And you shouldn’t be limited by your extraction.” |
| 42 | “I’d love to work in America, some of my favourite films come from America.” |
| 43 | “I’ve never done a film for the money.” |
| 44 | “I always think it’s a sign of a truly gifted director when they can move seamlessly between genres.” |
| 45 | “I think every director has a different methodology.” |
| 46 | “Cause things look beautiful when they’re away from you, things look beautiful when they’re so new and things look beautiful when they’re away from you. They seem to stay away from you.” |
| 47 | “I suppose I’ve always been attracted to this sort of outsider in general… to the person that is able to be relentlessly themselves.” |
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