Cillian Murphy started his acting journey with small roles in independent Irish films after his experiences in theater. Recalling his early days, he vividly remembers his nerves on set while portraying a minor character serving Brendan Gleeson a pint in the 1998 movie Sweety Barrett, with his hands trembling uncontrollably.
During this initial phase of his career, Cillian Murphy encountered numerous frustrating encounters with casting directors. They often struggled with the pronunciation of his first name, sometimes even interrupting his auditions midway. Despite these challenges, Murphy persevered through the auditions and continued to pursue his passion for acting.
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Cillian Murphy Landed A Role In Danny Boyle’s Film
The true extent of the film industry’s callousness became apparent to Cillian Murphy during the adaptation of Disco Pigs for the screen in 2001. While he was hired to reprise his role, his stage partner Eileen Walsh, with whom he had shared a deep bond, was not offered the same opportunity. This experience shed light on the harsh realities of the industry.
“It was a very sharp shock. I remember there was a moment when you think, ‘Am I not going to do this now?'”
Thankfully, Murphy’s involvement in the film Disco Pigs proved to be beneficial as it caught the attention of director Danny Boyle. Impressed by his performance, Boyle invited Murphy to audition for the lead role in his horror film, 28 Days Later. Through several intense meetings, Boyle thoroughly tested Murphy before ultimately selecting him to portray Jim, a bike courier who becomes the unlikely survivor and avenging angel in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.
“Yeah, that film was a particular gore-fest. I remember a giant jar they had on set that just said ‘Edible Bile’ on it. I remember the taste,” Murphy said. Boyle’s film opened doors for Murphy in Hollywood, leading to significant roles in the industry.
How Did Cillian Murphy End Up In Christopher Nolan’s Films?
In that eventful year, Murphy returned to Cork to film The Wind That Shakes The Barley, a Ken Loach drama centered around the Irish War of independence. During the filming, McGuinness was expecting their first son, leading them to temporarily move back and stay with Murphy’s parents for the summer.
During that eventful summer, Cillian Murphy’s presence graced the big screen as part of Christopher Nolan’s highly successful blockbuster Batman Begins. When Nolan began conceptualizing his superhero reboot in the early 2000s, he had contemplated the idea of Murphy potentially being a fitting choice for the role of Batman.
The seemingly absurd notion of Cillian Murphy donning the Batman costume, a suggestion that he himself found ludicrous, progressed to the point of him being urged to try it on. Christopher Nolan concurred, telling Murphy that he wasn’t quite the right fit for the iconic role, a sentiment with which Murphy readily agreed. He later got the role of Scarecrow in the film.
Batman Begins can be streamed on HBO Max.
Source: The Guardian
