Cillian Murphy has received global acclaim for his performance in the title role of Christopher Nolan’s epic film Oppenheimer. He has been nominated for an Oscar, which follows the best actor award he picked up at this year’s Golden Globes. On the small screen he played the Birmingham gangster Thomas Shelby for a decade in the BAFTA-winning Peaky Blinders, which made him a household name.
Cillian was born in Cork in 1976 and initially music was his creative outlet. His band Sons of Mr Green Genes, which he formed with his younger brother, was offered a five album record deal, but the boys’ parents thought his brother was too young and vetoed a career in music.
Cillian changed tack and in 1996 was cast as Pig in Enda Walsh’s play Disco Pigs, reprising the role in a film version in 2001. His breakthrough film role came playing Jim the bicycle courier in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later in 2002 which he followed up with a starring role in Ken Loach’s the Wind that Shakes the Barley. In 2005 he played Dr Jonathan Crane - Scarecrow - in Christopher Nolan’s film Batman Begins, which was the start of their continuing creative collaboration.
Cillian lives in Ireland with his wife, the artist Yvonne McGuinness, and their two sons.
DISC ONE: The Boy in the Bubble - Paul Simon DISC TWO: The Wandering Minstrel - Séamus Ennis DISC THREE: Walter’s Trip - The Frank and Walters DISC FOUR: Bullet the Blue Sky - U2 DISC FIVE: Somebody to Love - Queen DISC SIX: Everything in its Right Place - Radiohead DISC SEVEN: We Can Work it Out - The Beatles DISC EIGHT: If I Was A Painter - Lisa O’Neill
BOOK CHOICE: Samuel Beckett: The Complete Dramatic Works LUXURY ITEM: An acoustic guitar and strings CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: We Can Work it Out - The Beatles
Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley
Simon Reeve, broadcaster and writer
Richard Osman, writer and broadcaster
Dame Prue Leith, writer and broadcaster
Jack Thorne, screenwriter
Helen Macdonald, writer and naturalist
Neil Gaiman, writer
Carl Hester, dressage rider
Dame Jo da Silva, engineer
Joanne Harris, writer
Peter Schmeichel, footballer
Michael Sandel, philosopher
Deborah Meaden, businesswoman
Dame Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano
Tom Ilube, entrepreneur
Tracey Ullman, actor and comedian
Baroness Hale of Richmond, former judge
Michael Holding, cricketer
Nazir Afzal, lawyer
Robert Macfarlane, writer
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, athlete
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