I’m talking about Cillian Murphy of course. The true man behind Peaky Blinders Mastermind. Now, I’ve already touched on the talent and striking presence of Cillian Murphy in my previous post. A post that best described my fascination with the acclaimed TV show Peaky Blinders indeed. By for now, I want to go over Murphy’s body of work outside of the Peaky Blinders. His frequent collaborations, his best performances, his most acclaimed movies and of course: his future projects.
Peaky Blinders Mastermind and being Christopher Nolan’s go-to guy
All right now. Who’s the first actor that comes to mind when you think of Christopher Nolan’s movies? Granted. It’s Michael Caine. But who’s the second you might ask? Well, it’s the immensely talented Cillian Murphy. He’s been part of 4 of Nolan’s best movies already (well technically 5 if you count the cameo appearance in the Dark Knight), and I love that to be honest.
However, did you know that Cillian originally auditioned for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Nolan’s Batman Begins? Sadly he didn’t get the part, but he did get to wear the Bat-suit for a while (well for his audition at least). Despite not getting the iconic role, Nolan was apparently so impressed with his talent that cast him as Batman’s enemy Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow. At the time the Jonathan Crane was is a developing character and may I just say that he was incredible.
Cillian Murphy: Incredible versatile talent
Not to mention that his American accent (when he was auditioning for Batman Begins) was apparently so convincing that the casting directors had no clue he was really from Ireland. And if you’re looking for an excuse to watch him tackle a Brummie accent, then Peaky Blinders is the perfect place to start.
Personally, I do enjoy watching Murphy in villainous albeit sociopathic roles, as much as I enjoy watching him play the hero of the story. Honestly, I’m such a fan of Cillian that I enjoy watching him in pretty much everything. Which is why I became such a hard-core fan of Peaky Blinders. And if you haven’t binged on the TV series already, please by all means do it. You’ll thank me later. Cillian is brilliant in the lead role, but the rest of the cast is not too shabby either. The costumes, the writing and the soundtrack really complete the TV show as well. But we do have Peaky Blinders Mastermind the video game for pre-purchasing as well. If you’re a fan of the cult TV series, you’ll love the game too.
Peaky Blinders Mastermind and the origins of Cillian Murphy
Cillian had his start in the business in the late ’90s, but his career took off in the early 2000s. However, my first encounter with the talent of Cillian Murphy was in the 2001 movie On The Edge. He plays a depressed young man who will drive his car of a cliff and actually survive the ordeal with nothing more than a broken finger. However, he will be committed to a mental institution afterward. The time spent in the institution changes him for the better, and it’s truly an underrated gem of a movie. Watch if if you have the chance.
But, his career really took off the following year. 2002. It was in that year that he made 28 Days Later. It was Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic horror masterpiece that really put him on the map. Additionally, the movie opened plenty of doors and pretty soon Hollywood came knocking soon after. Supporting roles in acclaimed period piece dramas followed (Cold Mountain and Girl with a Pearl Earring) and then Christopher Nolan discovered his talent as well. Furthermore, did you know that Scarecrow is the only villain that appears in all three movies from the Dark Knight trilogy? Yup. His cameo appearance in the Dark Knight still counts too. Although he does not appears in Nolan’s upcoming movie Tenet, don’t despair. I’m sure they’ll team up for plenty of more great movies.
Peaky Blinders Mastermind and mixing of genres
But to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t just Nolan that started appreciating his talent. Neil Jordan did as well, who cast him in Breakfast on Pluto. This is one of the most amazing movies in Murphy’s career and contains probably one of his finest performances. No wonder he was nominated for a Golden Globe. I recommend that you give Breakfast at Pluto a shot.
But besides the other movies, he does with Nolan (Dunkirk, Inception for instance) I also love the teeny tiny indie movies. The films that barely anyone has even heard of. Movies like Peacock (another role in which he tackled gender dysphoria). What can I say? The man looks good in drag and he’s not afraid to show it. Next, the horror Retreat and even the coming of age drama Broken. Not to mention the back to back black comedies Free Fire and The Party. To be honest, black comedy is one of the most underrated sub-genres. And it has the potential to be completely ruined if the fine line between humor and tragedy is not handled properly. Which is why I think you shouldn’t miss both of them. They’re set in different decades, but they both have an eclectic ensemble cast. Needless to say, but they’re both incredible.
A look into the future
What’s next for Cillian Murphy? Well, for starters, the release of the Quiet Place sequel has been pushed for the next year. It should have happened this spring, but sadly the COVID-19 Pandemic halted that movie release. As it did plenty of others as well, but hey. This too shall pass. You can also expect at least 2 more seasons of Peaky Blinders (and according to the creator even a spin-off movie). And there’s the animated movie Kensuke’s Kingdom in which Cillian lends his voice. Which one you’ll be anticipating the most? Tell us in the comment section. We’d love to know.
