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Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy

Actor and producer · Born May 25, 1976 (50) · Douglas, Cork, Ireland

Oscar winner · Golden Globe winner · BAFTA Award winner · 2 other major award bodies

Cillian Murphy (born May 25, 1976) is an Irish actor. He made his professional debut in Enda Walsh's 1996 play Disco Pigs, a role he later reprised in the 2001 screen adaptation. His early notable film credits include the horror film 28 Days Later (2002), the dark comedy Intermission (2003), the thriller Red Eye (2005), the Irish war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), and the science fiction thriller Sunshine (2007). He played a transgender Irish woman in the comedy-drama Breakfast on Pluto (2005), which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. Murphy began collaborating with filmmaker Christopher Nolan in 2005, playing Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow in The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012) as well as appearing in Inception (2010) and Dunkirk (2017) and portraying the lead role of J. Robert Oppenheimer in the biographical epic Oppenheimer (2023). By the year 2023, Murphy has already worked with Nolan for around 20 years and six films. He also gained prominence for his role as Tommy Shelby in the BBC period drama series Peaky Blinders (2013–2022) and for starring in the horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II (2020). In 2011, Murphy won the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Actor and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for the one-man play Misterman. In 2020, The Irish Times named him one of the greatest Irish film actors.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 25, 1976 (50)
From
Douglas, Cork, Ireland
Works as
Actor and producer
Titles
45 on MovieCove · 72 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 25% in 30 days

What are Cillian Murphy's films like?

Across their 42 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
23%
Self
23%
Bonds
20%
Morality
18%
Ideas
7%
Power
6%
Society
4%
Family bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival9 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose8 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 40 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 8 · Dark 28

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 15 · Stylized 19 · Heightened 6

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 10 · Intense 29

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 24 · Whiplash 11

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 30 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 11

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 26 · Full focus 12

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 4 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 26

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 19 · Open-ended 13 · Ambiguous 8

Roles they play

29 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 17 of 29 analyzed roles.

Hero
17 of 29
Shadow
6 of 29
Ally
4 of 29
Threshold guardian
1 of 29
Mentor
1 of 29
Show the 29 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
35
Melancholic
24
Dread
17
Contemplative
8
Thrilling
7
Other
29

How their films linger

Thought-provoking18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 12 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet22
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous9
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Cillian Murphy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 37 of their 45 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Cillian Murphy's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

72 credits, 45 with a MovieCove page; 18 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • A Quiet Place Part III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    as Emmett

  • Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man(2026)

    Producer · as Tommy Shelby

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple(2026)

    Executive Producer · as Jim (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Steve(2025)

    Producer · as Steve

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • 28 Years Later(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Small Things Like These(2024)

    Producer · as Bill Furlong

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Kensuke's Kingdom(2023)

    as Dad (voice)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Peaky Blinders: Rambert’s The Redemption of Thomas Shelby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Thomas Shelby (voice)

  • Oppenheimer(2023)

    as J. Robert Oppenheimer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • All of This Unreal Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Man

  • A Quiet Place Part II(2020)

    as Emmett

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Fight for First: Excel Esports (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 5 episodes · as Narrator

  • A World of Calm(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • I'm the Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Narrator

  • Anna(2019)

    as Lenny Miller

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Overcoat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Akaky (voice)

  • Konbini Vidéo Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Silent Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as The Doll

  • The Delinquent Season(2018)

    as Jim

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Party(2017)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Dunkirk(2017)

    as Shivering Soldier

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Free Fire(2016)

    as Chris

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Anthropoid(2016)

    as Josef Gabčík

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • In the Heart of the Sea(2015)

    as Matthew Joy

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • From the Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Man

  • Transcendence(2014)

    as Agent Donald Buchanan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Aloft(2014)

    as Ivan

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Harriet and the matches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Cat (voice)

  • Peaky Blinders(2013)

    Show 36 episodes · Executive Producer · as Thomas Shelby

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Broken(2012)

    as Mike Kiernan

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Knight Rises(2012)

    as Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Red Lights(2012)

    as Tom Buckley

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • In Time(2011)

    as Raymond Leon

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Retreat(2011)

    as Martin

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Misterman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Thomas Magill

  • Tron: Legacy(2010)

    as Edward Dillinger (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Inception(2010)

    as Robert Fischer, Jr.

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Peacock(2010)

    as John Skillpa / Emma Skillpa

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Perrier's Bounty(2009)

    as Michael McCrea

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as The Son

  • The Dark Knight(2008)

    as Scarecrow

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Edge of Love(2008)

    as William Killick

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Waveriders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Narrator

  • Watching the Detectives(2007)

    as Neil

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Sunshine(2007)

    as Capa

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Silent City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Unnamed Character

  • The Wind That Shakes the Barley(2006)

    as Damien

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Breakfast on Pluto(2005)

    as Patrick 'Kitten' Braden

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Red Eye(2005)

    as Jackson Rippner

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Batman Begins(2005)

    as Dr. Jonathan Crane

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Cold Mountain(2003)

    as Bardolph

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Girl with a Pearl Earring(2003)

    as Pieter

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Intermission(2003)

    as John

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • 28 Days Later(2002)

    as Jim

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • How Harry Became a Tree(2001)

    as Gus

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Way We Live Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 4 episodes · as Paul Montague

  • Disco Pigs(2001)

    as Pig / Darren

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • On the Edge(2001)

    as Jonathan Breech

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Watchmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Co-Producer · Writer · as Phil

  • A Man of Few Words (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Best Man

  • Filleann an Feall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Ger

  • Sunburn(1999)

    as Davin McDerby

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Eviction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Brendan McBride

  • The Trench(1999)

    as Rag Rookwood

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • At Death's Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Young Reaper

  • Sweety Barrett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Pat the Barman

  • Quando (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Pat

  • 28 Years Later: Part III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Blood Runs Coal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer · as Chip Yablonski

  • Peaky Blinders: A Peek Behind the Curtain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Thomas Shelby / Tommy / Himself

  • Sacrifice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Untitled Peaky Blinders Sequel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 72 titles, 66 of them dated from 1997 to 2026; peak year 2006.

Biggest box office

The Dark Knight (2008)

$1B worldwide

Highest rated

The Dark Knight (2008)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Peaky Blinders (2013)

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19972026

Peak 2006 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 29 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting69 of 72: 62 only acting, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdWriting1 of 72: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing10 of 72: 3 only producing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score71st

72 titles, 7 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1990s6 · acting2000s22 · 22 acting · 1 crew2010s26 · 26 acting · 1 crew2020s12 · 11 acting · 5 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 42% of 38 roles
9904091419

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award and 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards from 10 major nominations, 2006–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Outstanding British Film of the Year
  2. 2024
    • Oscar, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Leading Actor
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actor
  3. 2023
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Leading Actor
  4. 2007
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
  5. 2006
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Cillian Murphy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 43; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Reach · how many have seen their films

94thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Midcredits score across 45 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 45 titles divides audiences: 29 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Crowd Pleaser29
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed2

Most loved · actor

The Dark Knight (2008)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 40 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 58. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Cillian Murphy's work okay for kids?

Across up to 36 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore26 titles39–93 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity36 titles8–71 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity31 titles29–90 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs27 titles18–65 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense28 titles43–90 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Cillian Murphy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cillian Murphy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alan Moloney shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles