Peaky Blinders actor Cillian Murphy has said he finds being photographed by fans “offensive”. The movie star, 46, who is also known for his roles in The Dark Knight and Inception, says he is not interested in fame.
Cillian is known for protecting his privacy, and moved from London to Dublin eight years ago with his wife, artist Yvonne McGuinness, and their teenage sons, the Mirror reports. Speaking in a new interview, the actor, who plays the lead role in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming blockbuster Oppenheimer, has shared how he finds fame uncomfortable - although he acknowledges that it’s a part of the industry.
In the interview with Rolling Stone UK, he said: "I don’t go out. I’m just at home mostly, or with my friends, unless I have a film to promote.
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"I don’t like being photographed by people. I find that offensive. If I was a woman, and it was a man photographing me…"
The star also told Rolling Stone magazine: "Fame is like commuting. You have to commute to get to your destination."
Cillian has previously spoken of his dislike of having his picture taken. "I'm always happy to chat," Cillian told the Observer, adding: "What I don't like is people surreptitiously taking photographs, which someone said is like the amateur Stasi," in reference to The Ministry for State Security in East Germany between the 1950s and 1990s.
He added: "It's so f*****g weird. I've been sat on the tube and people have started filming me."Cillian has long struggled with his fame, admitting that he can't help but feel embarrassed by it sometimes.
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, the Cork native explained: "I’m really lucky. I feel embarrassed by it sometimes. I’m just a f**king actor.
"There are doctors and nurses and f**king 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."
Ever since Peaky Blinders ended last year, there has been talk of a movie based on the hit show, and Cillian told Rolling Stone he would love to do it, but it has to feel right. In July, show creator Steve Knight said he had almost finished writing the script for the film and described it as "Peaky's coming home".
The BAFTA-nominated show follows Birmingham crime gang The Peaky Blinders during the aftermath of the First World War. The feature-length spin-off will feature both familiar and new faces, with filming hopefully beginning in the next 18 months.
The series saw Cillian play the infamous Tommy Shelby – the head of the Peaky Blinders – while other Shelby family members included Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby and Joe Cole as John Shelby.
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