Inside Cillian Murphy’s Transformative Performances and Latest Projects
1. Musical Immersion of Cillian Murphy From Oppenheimer to No Sound in Steve
When Cillian Murphy was preparing to portray J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, he immersed himself in the classical compositions Oppenheimer loved—especially Beethoven and Stravinsky. “It’s not intellectual; it’s emotional,” Murphy explains. “Music is the only thing that can connect on that level.”(The Observer)
Yet, when Murphy began filming Steve—an emotionally raw adaptation of Max Porter’s novel Shy—that musical ritual vanished. He recalls, “I didn’t listen to any music at all during it. I didn’t have any room. It was just noise.”(The Observer, The Times of India)
2. Steve: A One-Day Journey into Institutional Collapse
Steve centers on a single, pivotal day in the life of a headteacher at a 1990s reform school for troubled boys. As the institution teeters on the brink of closure, he fights to protect his students while battling his own unraveling mental health.(The Guardian, The Daily Beast, India Today, The Times of India, The Week, Netflix, The Hindu)
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and opens in cinemas on September 19, with a Netflix release scheduled for October 3.(The Guardian)
Murphy gives a “raw, uninhibited performance” as Steve, embodying a teacher navigating institutional indifference and his own addiction and desperation.(The Guardian, The Daily Beast) The immersive filming style mirrors his character’s mental and emotional deterioration—capturing both chaos and humane resilience.(The Daily Beast)
During the press tour, Murphy mentioned he will be “taking the year off” and not acting on anything new for now, awaiting his next collaboration with director Tim Mielants.(limerickleader.ie)
3. Cillian Murphy’s Attraction to Troubled Souls and Realism
Murphy’s career is marked by portrayals of troubled, introspective men—characters whose internal conflicts resonate with universal struggles. From Disco Pigs (in which his character becomes dangerously obsessive) to The Wind That Shakes the Barley (where allegiance brings personal cost), inner turmoil defines his strongest roles.(The Observer)
He sees today’s audiences in that struggle. As he puts it:
“Everyone gets up in the morning like: how do I do this now? … All these big questions… I don’t think you find it in lighter material.”(The Observer)
It’s a raw honesty that draws him to characters rather than surface glamor. And with Steve, that honesty is intertwined with institutional decay, emotional burden, and the redemptive power of empathy.
4. Peaky Blinders: The Saga Continues
The Immortal Man – A WWII-Era Continuation
Murphy will reprise his iconic role as Thomas Shelby in The Immortal Man, a feature film set during World War II. Creator Steven Knight confirmed Murphy’s return and revealed the film wrapped production in December 2024.(EW.com, People.com, The Times of India, Hotpress, NerdVeda, CBR, The News, Dexerto)
The ensemble cast includes Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Stephen Graham, and more.(EW.com, NME, Dexerto, NerdVeda)
Knight describes the film as a “mind-blowingly good” conclusion to the first chapter of the Peaky Blinders saga.(EW.com)
Estimated release: late 2025 or early 2026, likely beginning with a theatrical window before Netflix streaming.(NerdVeda, GamesRadar+)
Beyond the Film: The World of Peaky Blinders Expands
Knight hints that the story doesn’t end with The Immortal Man. Whether through sequels, spin-offs, or a revived series, the Peaky Blinders universe is open for expansion.(New York Post, Hotpress, CBR) Reddit fans are excited too:
“It won’t be the end… I’m not saying none of it.”(Reddit)
5. What Connects These Roles: Vulnerability, Empathy, and Pain
Across Oppenheimer, Steve, and Tommy Shelby’s continued arc, Murphy gravitates toward characters with emotional weight, ethical complexity, and internal fracture. He trusts his collaborators—Porter, Nolan, Knight—to guide him through the stark realism these roles demand.
In Steve, he navigated real vulnerability while balancing his role as both lead actor and producer. In Oppenheimer, his embodiment influenced not just his performance but Nolan’s composer too.(Hotpress)
6. Steve Trailer Debut and Fan Anticipation
Netflix unveiled the Steve trailer in August 2025, offering a glimpse into its disturbing, visceral world. Murphy’s character stands on the cusp of collapse amid institutional failure—but still attempts to care.(India Today)
Media has noted how the film, though set in the ’90s, reflects issues still relevant today: isolation, youth exclusion, mental health crises. Through both style and narrative, Steve addresses those unseen fractures in society.(The Daily Beast, The Guardian)