Cillian Murphy, a name who garnered major prominence when portrayed the role of Tommy Shelby in the BBC series Peaky Blinders continues to charm fans even now. Before his Shelby fame, his work with Christopher Nolan was a major boost in his acting career especially getting associated with his famous The Dark Knight trilogy.
Though the actor’s portfolio continues to expand, this acting journey was not what he meant to choose at first. He was initially aiming to be a lawyer, well not exactly what he wanted but something that his parents wished for him.
Cillian Murphy Was Pursuing Law Before Venturing into Acting!
The recently turned 47-year-old actor, Cillian Murphy was initially studying hard just like other college students to complete his law degree. Back in 1996, he was doing an undergraduate course in law at University College Cork.
“I was 20. I was foolishly pursuing a law degree”
He opened up about how the law degree was more of his parent’s dream than his own. In an interview with Mrporter, he commented,
“Why the f**k I was studying law, I don’t know.”
Though things continued for a while, his interest in acting kicked in after watching a stage production of Stanley Kubrick’s magnum opus “A Clockwork Orange” during his college. After he was unable to pass his first-year exams which he knew he “had no ambitions to do,” he decided to try acting.
Cillian Murphy’s Parents Were Against Him Dropping Law for Acting
Murphy knew that law was not for him and found passion in acting but that decision was not supported by his parents. Describing him as “pretty average, middle-class upbringing,” via Vice, he mentioned that his parents were “anxious” about his decision.
As per Evening Standard, his parents were “shocked” and dropped out to pursue acting.
“I’m sure they worried about stability — no one’s ever been in the arts in our family.”
For the unversed, His mother taught French meanwhile his father, Brendan, worked for the Department of Education. Initially, the struggle was difficult but he shared how his parents eventually accepted his job profile.
In a ComingSoon.net interview, he shared,
“They probably had hopes for me beyond being a musician or being an actor. They’re very cool with what I do.”
The Inception star eventually rose to great heights and proved that his decision to drop out of college was best for him. He is set to play the titular role in the upcoming Oppenheimer which will be released in the United Kingdom and United States on July 21, 2023.
Source: Irish Times, ComingSoon, StandardUK, MrPorter
