LOVES AND HATES ACTOR CILLIAN MURPHY

Peaky Blinders ACTOR CILLIAN MURPHY, 41, STARS IN NEW SECOND WORLD WAR FILM, Dunkirk. HE LIVES IN DUBLIN WITH HIS ARTIST WIFE AND THEIR TWO SONS

ON Dunkirk… I THINK IT WILL BE A PRETTY SENSATIONAL FILM. EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED AT DUNKIRK, SO IT CAN’T DEVIATE TOO MUCH FROM THE FACTS. IT IS NOT LIKE Inception OR Interstellar [ Dunkirk DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S EARLIER FILMS], THERE’S NO MAJOR REVEAL. BUT WITH THE WAY CHRIS IS SHOOTING, ALL ON IMAX 65MM CAMERAS AND IN THE REAL LOCATIONS, IT SHOULD BE POWERFUL.

ON HIS ROLE IN Peaky Blinders… I’M A SKINNY IRISHMAN SO GOING FROM ZERO TO TOMMY SHELBY MEANS GOING TO THE GYM AND DOING ALL THOSE THINGS I HATE. MENTALLY, IT’S VERY HARD TO SUSTAIN TOO. YOU’RE ESSENTIALLY FILMING THREE FEATURE FILMS IN FOUR MONTHS. IT’S A GENIUS ROLE AND I’M SO LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND IT, BUT IT DOES TAKE IT OUT OF ME!

ON HIS IRISH ROOTS… IF YOU’D TOLD ME WHEN I LEFT IRELAND AT THE AGE OF 20 THAT ONE DAY I’D MOVE BACK, I’D HAVE SAID, “NO WAY, I’M NEVER GOING BACK.” BUT 19 YEARS LATER, IT FELT LIKE THE MOST NATURAL THING TO DO. WE WANTED THE BOYS TO BE IRISH, I SUPPOSE. IT’S AMAZING HOW QUICKLY THEIR ACCENTS HAVE ADAPTED. WHICH I THINK, HOPEFULLY, WILL GET THEM LOTS OF GIRLS WHEN THEY’RE 15.

ON THE “CELEBRITY” LIFESTYLE… I’M NOT VERY GOOD AT IT. I REALISED EARLY ON THAT I ASPIRE TO BE GOOD AT MY CRAFT, SO THAT’S WHAT I FOCUS ON. THE LESS PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU, THE MORE LIKELY YOU’LL BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THEM YOU’RE SOMEONE ELSE ON SCREEN. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS, DOESN’T IT?

DUNKIRK is released in cinemas on 21 July.