Pick any of Cillian Murphy’s TV shows or movies he has been a part of, and you would know why he is so popular among audiences. It would have been criminal had the actor not been an actor. From his hit TV show Peaky Blinders to the critically acclaimed and award-winning Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer, Murphy has shown the range of his class.
The actor finally got a lead role in Nolan’s movies after having collaborated with the famed director for five movies. He has been vocal about how he got the script and how much mutual love and respect they share. But there is one movie he was more excited to do earlier, and it’s not any Nolan film.
Cillian Murphy Talks About One Particular Danny Boyle Movie He Was More Enthusiastic About
Today, Cillian Murphy is a star and is indeed one of the finest actors in the entertainment industry. The Hollywood heartthrob has given his fans some of the most exciting cinematic experiences of all time. And he will continue to do so. His recent work, Oppenheimer, with his long-time collaborator Christopher Nolan, shattered box office collection and gathered critical accolades as well. But, before that, there was the 2002 film 28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle, for which he had to give an audition yet loved the process.
Murphy shed light on that phase of his career while speaking on the Happy Sad Confused show with Josh Horowitz about the movie. When the interviewer asked him if he remembered the day he got the role, the actor said:
“I do. I was in an airport queuing up for a Ryanair flight, and I remember jumping up and down. So hard to beat those moments except maybe when Chris Nolan says you’re going to be the lead in Oppenheimer.”
28 Days Later starred Cillian Murphy in the lead as Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma only to discover that a highly contagious deadly virus has accidentally spread in London, which apparently turns everyone it infects into braindead killers.
The movie grossed a whopping $82.95 million over its budget of a minimal $8 million, as reported by The Numbers. This was followed by 28 Weeks Later in 2007, which didn’t involve Murphy in any starring role, but as a producer, and starred Jeremy Renner in the lead as Sergeant Doyle in a similar backdrop.
28 Days Later is the Only Movie Cillian Murphy Has Rewatched
Cillian Murphy does not watch his own movies, let alone rewatch any. But this Danny Boyle movie, he rewatched. During an interview with Variety, the actor spoke about this horror/sci-fi masterpiece.
“I never watch my own films, except that one [28 Days Later]. It’s always on around Halloween, and during the pandemic, people were constantly sending me clips. And I’ve shown it to my kids. And it’s really stood up, even though it’s something like 23 years old now.”
Meanwhile, it was reported by The Hollywood Reporter on January 31 that Murphy is returning as an executive producer to 28 Years Later. He could also potentially reprise his role from the first movie. However, this has not been confirmed yet.
“It’s for them to speak about, I suppose, but I think it’s been brewing for a while,” Murphy said. “The first movie was so important for me, as an actor. I love working with those guys. Alex has an idea.”
He added, “And Danny directing is just huge. Watch this space.”
Continuing on that Variety interview, Murphy said:
“I can’t give much more at this point. But I’ve always said I would love to be involved because that movie changed everything for me, and I have great affection for it and for those guys, Alex [Garland] and Danny [Boyle].”
For now, Murphy is busy collecting awards for his masterful performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer and he is much ahead in the race to take home the Academy Award as Best Actor for the first time in his career.
You can stream 28 Days Later on Prime Video.
