Cillian Murphy is in the running for a 2024 Oscar and his loving family will be right behind him offering up all their support.
Despite his fame, Cillian has managed to keep his marriage and children out of the spotlight. However, occasionally he opens up about life at home with them, and some aspects might surprise you.
Cillian has been married to his wife, Yvonne McGuinness, since 2004 after they met at one of his rock band's shows in 1996.
© Alberto E. RodriguezWho are Cillian's children?
The couple have two children, Malachy, 18, and Aran, 16, who they're raising in Ireland. In 2016 Cillian told The Guardian: "We wanted them to be Irish, I suppose...It’s amazing how quickly their accents have adapted. Even within a year of moving back, they are fading into this rakish west Brit kind of thing. Which I think, hopefully, will get them lots of girls when they’re 15.”
Aran is following in his dad's footsteps in the acting world. He will soon make his feature-film debut, in Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel Klara and the Sun. The movie will also star Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.
Cillian spoke to HELLO! at the Oscar Wilde Awards on March 7 and said of his son: "I'm very, very proud of him, he's a great, great actor."
Family dynamic
When it comes to their family dynamic, it's a little out of the ordinary. Cillian's role on Peaky Blinders meant that for almost a decade, he was only home for half of the year at home as he filmed on location - something he's always found difficult.
© Christopher Polk/Golden Globes 2Speaking to GQ, the actor said: "That work-life balance thing is hard. I have an amazing wife and I couldn't do this without her and her understanding. But it is a struggle."
He continued: "I think it is for any dad whose work takes him away, which it generally does, and which consumes him, which my work does."
What Cillian has said about his home country of Ireland
The Oppenheimer leading man has previously spoken about why he has chosen to never move to the big smoke where his work keeps him. Speaking to Deadline magazine he said: "We did live in London for 14 years, it was a big chunk of my life from my mid-20s to my late 30s. I really enjoyed it, it was really exciting, it’s a great city, but the move to Dublin wasn’t motivated by wanting to distance myself from the industry.
© GettyI was purely motivated by wanting to come home to Ireland and raise our kids as Irish and be near our families.”
When he does have downtime with his family, Cillian says he doesn't go out much because he hates the attention. Although he adds: "I'm always happy to chat," to fans, he just doesn't like the surreptitious photo opportunities. Instead, he prefers to stay at home, cook with his wife, and spend time with his teenage children.
© Instagram/UniversalWhy he moved his family
When Peaky Blinders wrapped its sixth and final season in 2022, Cillian was able to return to some sort of normality at his home in Ireland. The family moved from London to Dublin in 2015, and he said it was a great decision and told The Irish Times. "The kids are of a certain age. I think if you live in a world capital – like New York or London or wherever – it’s excellent and exciting and stimulating in your 20s and 30s.
"Then there’s a point where the things that were excellent and stimulating are now a bit sort of tedious and draining. You want something quieter and that’s what we did."
© Getty ImagesCillian, Yvonne and their sons live in a stunning £1.5 million house in the Monkstown area of south Dublin which they purchased in 2015. The period home has six double bedrooms and a drawing room and has kept the original fireplaces.
The original listing reported the property boasts a living area with high ceilings and large bay windows, complete with a stunning wrought iron fireplace.
