Over the course of his acting career, Cillian Murphy has sunk his teeth into some particularly dense and complex characters. Within his first few years on-screen, he had taken on roles ranging from an iconic Batman villain to a trans woman navigating gender and glam rock, immersing himself in each character to deliver some stunning performances. His approach to acting hasn’t changed since.
CONTINUE READING…Oppenheimer marked the most recent demonstration of Murphy’s capabilities when it comes to character. In his sixth collaboration with director Christopher Nolan, the Irish actor entirely embodied the real-life creator of the atomic bomb, infusing every look and movement with anxiety and guilt. He rightfully took home a ‘Best Actor’ Academy Award for his efforts, becoming the very first Irish actor to do so.
But before he became the eponymous Oppenheimer, many of us knew Murphy as a different character: the assertive, flat cap-wearing Brummie at the helm of the Peaky Blinders. For almost a decade, between the show’s pilot episode in 2013 and its conclusion in 2022, Murphy embodied Tommy Shelby, leading his castmates through lives of crime.
In a cast that included stellar performances from the likes of Tom Hardy and Anya Taylor-Joy, Murphy refused to be surpassed, giving his all to Shelby in every single scene. He picked up award nominations and critical acclaim along the way, but the proof of just how well he embodied the role came in its accompanying iconic status, as Shelby became one of the most well-known characters on television, inspiring Halloween costumes and haircuts in equal measure.
The quest to create Shelby came at a price for Murphy, who once deemed him “exhausting to play” during a conversation with The Guardian. “I think it’s because he’s so relentless,” he explained, “and he never seems to sleep. There’s never a point where he says, ‘Fuck it,’ and gives up.”
Getting your eight hours in and giving up were foreign concepts to Shelby, which took its toll on the actor who played him. Still, Murphy was grateful for the role, seeing it not as a burden but as a blessing. “Tommy is a gift of a character,” he concluded, “but he does wear me down. I come away drained.”
Shelby certainly is a gift of a character – one many actors would go their whole careers seeking out. He’s a foreboding figure, confident and considered, dominating every scene, but he also has a well-developed back story. Shelby served in the war and struggles with mental illness as a result, giving Murphy plenty of depth and complexities to afford his performance over the course of six generous seasons.
While this kind of character is a sought-after opportunity for an actor, it can be a lot to take on. To embody Shelby in all of his complexities and intensity for months of shooting was a difficult task, one that few actors could have executed quite as well as Murphy did. Pushing through those long days in the gang leader’s shoes, he created one of the most iconic characters in modern television.
Two years ago, he left the draining shoots as Shelby behind when Peaky Blinders concluded its sixth and final season. Still, it seems that Murphy is still seeking out those heavy characters, looking for his next graft-inducing gift of a role.
show less
