Cillian Murphy is being tipped for Oscars glory for his latest role in Christopher Nolan’s biographical nail biter Oppenheimer - which might be uneasy news for the fame-shy star.
The 47-year-old has previously expressed near embarrassment over the fact he can command millions of pounds for roles after building one of the most successful film and TV careers in Hollywood.
Cillian, who hails from Cork in Ireland, has appeared in iconic films including 28 Days Later, Batman Begins and Dunkirk and won millions of fans for his role as Thomas Shelby in the gangster time period drama Peaky Blinders.
Now he is setting Hollywood abuzz with his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer - one of the key scientists in the creation of the atomic bomb.
Cillian Murphy says he is embarrassed by his own impressive wealth (Corbis via Getty Images)
The actor is married to artist Yvonne McGuinness and they have two sons (GC Images)And while the star has Hollywood at his feet, he is known to be incredibly humble - despite having a reported £15 million fortune.
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Cillian has discussed how he has struggled with his fortune, telling the Guardian: "I'm really lucky. I feel embarrassed by it sometimes. I'm just a [expletive] actor.
"There are doctors and nurses and [expletive] 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."
Cillian is tipped for Oscars glory thanks to his latest role in blockbuster biographic drama Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)The star has been married to artist Yvonne McGuinness since 2004 and together they have two sons; 17-year-old Malachy and 16-year-old Aran.
Cillian keeps his personal life out of the limelight - and even shuns technology, explaining he has no phone or internet connection.
Oppenheimer producer Emma Thomas, who is director Christopher Nolan’s wife, explained “He’s the most analogue individual you could possibly encounter” - revealing she called him at his home one afternoon to tell him he had landed the title role in the film.
Despite being a top billion movie star, he also says he hates going on talkshows.
He told the Guardian: “I do them because you’re contractually obliged to. I just endure them. I’ve always found it difficult. I’ve said this so many, many times….I want to just caveat this by saying, I’m so privileged.
“I’m so happy to be doing what I love. I’m really lucky. But I don’t enjoy the personality side of being an actor. I don’t understand why I should be entertaining and scintillating on a talkshow.”
While Cillian may be struggling to come to terms with the wealth he has made from Oppenheimer - with reports claiming he made between $5-10 million (£3.8-7.6 million) for the role, he may have a different reason for hanging his head in shame.
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Cillian's casting as historic figure J. Robert Oppenheimer has been criticised (Bettmann Archive)He has been hit with a backlash online as some film fans have criticised him for taking on the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer when he himself is not Jewish.
One unimpressed film fan hit out via Twitter, writing: “Everyone is going to lose their s**t about this (and I am sure that Cillian Murphy will be brilliant), but J. Robert Oppenheimer should have been played by a Jewish actor.”
And another wrote: "Since #Oppenheimer is about to come out here’s your reminder that the movie cast zero actors of color in a movie about the multiracial Manhattan Project & cast Cillian Murphy as the Jewish Oppenheimer. Since the bomb was built to fight the Nazis his Jewishness is kinda relevant."
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