2023 was a dream year for Cillian Murphy as the actor bagged every award of the season, including the coveted Oscar for his unforgettable performance in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. While the film is definitely a landmark in his career, the actor also gained a lot of fame for his role as the dangerous gang leader in the popular British drama Peaky Blinders.
The show, which ran for 6 successful seasons, saw the introduction of one of Hollywood’s rapidly rising superstars, Anya Taylor-Joy, in season 5, who shared a great onscreen chemistry with the Oscar winner. Joy, in an interview, revealed an unknown fact about Murphy that was quite contrary to his character, Thomas Shelby.
This Trait Of Cillian Murphy Had No Connection to His Famous Character
Apart from being a mainstay in Christopher Nolan’s cinematic legacy, Cillian Murphy is widely recognized for his powerful performance as Irish gangster Thomas Shelby in BBC’s Peaky Blinders. The show, which ran for 6 seasons, became a huge blockbuster with audiences and also earned a lot of critical acclaim.
In season 5, the series introduced Anya Taylor-Joy as Gina Gray, who becomes a nemesis to Murphy’s Shelby. The two stars who worked excellently together on screen also shared some pleasant moments of camaraderie off screen through which Joy was able to observe some interesting characteristics of her co-star.
In an interview with Instyle, the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga actor was asked to elaborate on some lesson known facts about Murphy that audiences would be keen to know. Revealing a few traits that she had picked up after observing the Oppenheimer actor, she said,
Cils has exceptional taste in music. I think people know that, but, exceptional taste in music. He is very, very kind. And always has his snack box next to him. And you do not touch his snack box. That is for Cils alone.
The snack box is especially significant when it comes to Murphy’s character in Peaky Blinders, Thomas Shelby. Hardcore fans of the show will look back and realize that the gangster has never been seen eating during any episode of any season, a fact that was adressed by the Dunkirk actor himself in an interview with World Screen when the show was 4 seasons old.
It seems like he never sleeps or eats. In fact, over the whole four seasons so far, we never see Tom Shelby eat; a morsel never enters his mouth!
This trait of the character is diametrically opposite to Murphy’s love for food in real life, going by Joy’s observation of her co-actor. The Queen’s Gambit star confessed, though, that she was unaware of what food the Inception star had in his snack box.
Why Cillian Murphy Had Trouble Interacting With Peaky Blinders Co-Stars Off Camera
BBC’s intense gang drama Peaky Blinders became one of the biggest and most popular television shows all across the world. Cillian Murphy, who played the dangerous criminal Tommy Shelby, impressed viewers worldwide for his performance and his collaboration with a solid ensemble cast.
While the actors seemed to have seamless chemistry on-screen, the Oppenheimer star revealed that the situation was not the same once the cameras were turned off. Speaking of the reasons behind not being able to hang out with his colleagues or crew members, Murphy said to Variety,
Because it is such an intense shoot due to the nature of the material, and because we are working about 16 hours a day for about five months, we don’t tend to hang out socially when we aren’t shooting. I think that’s only because we see so much of each other when we work, but it has been a very collaborative journey and I’ve learned a huge amount.
The Irish actor also spoke about the restrictions that the actors faced while shooting during lockdown with masks and other precautions. This made it even more difficult to form a bond with the cast and crew on set. None of these dilemmas translated to the screen, though, as the ensemble led by the film’s lead star worked together like a dream.
Season 1 to 5 of Peaky Blinders can be purchased on Apple TV.
Season 6 of Peaky Blinders can be streamed on Netflix.
