A Look Inside the Life of One the Quietest Stars, Cillian Murphy, Who Actually Hates Being Famous

Cillian Murphy is a talented Irish actor who has captivated audiences with his unforgettable portrayal of the enigmatic Thomas Shelby in the hit TV series Peaky Blinders and is about to debut one of his biggest roles to date, Oppenheimer. However, despite his immense success and having the biggest names in acting, Cillian Murphy is probably the quietest actor behind the scenes.

The actor is married for almost 19 years.

Cillian Murphy is married to a talented visual artist Yvonne McGuinness who has achieved notable success, including the creation of several short films. The couple has been married since 2004 and now raise two sons, Malachy (16) and Aran (14).

Cillian’s family is known for maintaining high privacy regarding their personal lives. They rarely appear together in public, and neither has an active presence on social media platforms.

Acknowledging the importance of his artist wife, Cillian has openly credited her for much of his accomplishments. While he is away filming Peaky Blinders, which typically spans around six months, Yvonne diligently manages their family life in Ireland.

He prefers to live far away from Hollywood.

Despite his immense fame and success in the acting world, Cillian Murphy’s heart lies in his home in Ireland rather than the glamour of Hollywood or London.

In one of his interviews, Murphy expressed that he didn’t feel the need to reside in Los Angeles, explaining, “I’d be tremendously far away from my family — I’d never see them.”

For the actor moving to Ireland was the “best decision” he has ever made. Dublin became their new home, allowing their two teenage sons to embrace their Irish heritage. “We had 14 years in London. But as you hit your late 30s and have kids, living in a major metropolis is less exciting,” he said. “And then also, you know, we’re both Irish. We wanted the kids to be Irish. I think it’s our best decision”.

Murphy hates being famous.

Despite his impressive achievements in the film industry, Cillian Murphy never enjoyed the Hollywood privileges: “For me, it’s just about the work. If you behave like a celebrity, you’ll be treated like one. I admire people like Matt Damon — he just continues to do brilliant work, and that’s it. That’s the model I’d like to follow”.

Cillian Murphy has openly expressed his discomfort with the attention that comes with being an actor and has admitted to feeling embarrassed by it at times. “I’m really lucky. I feel embarrassed by it sometimes. I’m just an actor.”

“There are doctors and nurses and 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.”

He doesn’t want to be recognized in public.

Murphy, who is releasing his most significant project to date, Oppenheimer, is renowned for his disinterest in engaging with fame, believing that he often disappoints his fans when they meet him in person.

“I don’t go out. I’m just at home mostly, or with my friends, unless I have a film to promote. I don’t like being photographed by people. I find that offensive. I think it’s the Tommy Shelby thing.

People expect this mysterious swaggering, It’s just a character. I do feel people are a little bit underwhelmed. That’s fine, it means I’m doing my job.

Peaky fans are amazing. But sometimes, I feel a little sad that I can’t provide that charisma and swagger. He couldn’t be further from me.”

Reflecting on the challenges of being recognized in public, he further added, “It can ruin experiences because it fetishizes everything: you can be walking down the street, and someone takes a picture like this is an event.”

Despite being considered one of the world’s most handsome men, Murphy also disclosed that he selects television and movie roles that will not interfere with his personal life and family commitments.