Irish actor Cillian Murphy has marveled at the cinematic world on many occasions but starring as Tommy Shelby in Steven Knight-created British crime drama Peaky Blinders pushed the actor to achieve sky-high fandom.
Also, the actor’s collaboration with the master of commercial cinema with a complex idea, Christopher Nolan has been well established. After appearing in five of Nolan’s movies, the actor finally lived his dream starring in the lead role in the sixth collaboration Oppenheimer, a huge hit of 2023.
Earnings of Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy’s evolution as an actor is quite interesting. After establishing himself as a capable actor after starring in Danny Boyle’s zombie thriller 28 Days Later in 2002, the actor got a global break after appearing in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. Following his popularity after the 2005 movie, the actor reportedly charged around $3-5 million. In the later collaboration with Nolan, the actor earned around $1 million for the supporting roles he played up until Oppenheimer. The latest and sixth collaboration with the director has earned him a whopping $10 million for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Notably, the most popular role he played in the Netflix series Peaky Blinders earned him a fortune. In the initial seasons, Murphy earned around $100,000 per episode for playing the crime lord in the British period drama. Soon, the series witnessed global fandom and insane viewership and the actor’s salary also reached a new height. Reportedly, in the last three seasons, the Inception actor pocketed around $2 million for each episode. The actor’s earning has been extended over time since the establishment of his reputation as a global star. The actor has appeared in several other projects that have done well at the box office and he went on to get paychecks with huge numbers written on them.
Cillian Murphy Thinks He is Overpaid
Murphy is certainly not among the highest-paid actors in the industry. He is nowhere near the highest-paid celebrities yet the Oppenheimer actor feels he is overpaid. The actor believes that acting as a profession has the potential to earn a lot of money but it is not fair for hardworking professionals like doctors and nurses who dedicate their lives to the service of humankind. “I’m really lucky. I feel embarrassed by it sometimes,” Murphy told The Guardian.
“I’m just a f*cking actor. There are doctors and nurses and f*cking people that work. I struggle with that. I mean, actors are overpaid, you know? It’s nice when you get paid, when you’re young, and you’ve gone from having no money, but the Catholic guilt kicks in immediately, and I’m like ‘It’s all going to go wrong. You don’t deserve this’. And I don’t.”
The actor currently sits at a $20 million net worth, as per Celebrity Net Worth. One of the quietest actors further iterates that he is not fond of showbiz attached to the profession. “I do them because you’re contractually obliged to. I just endure them. I’ve always found it difficult,” Murphy told The Guardian adding that he does not enjoy the “personality side of being an actor.” When not working, the actor loves having quality time with his wife Yvonne McGuinness, and his boys.
Source: Hello!
