Top 10 Cillian Murphy Movie Performances

This prolific actor is finally getting the praise he deserves! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for Cillian Murphy’s best big-screen performances. Our countdown of the best Cillian Murphy movie performances includes “A Quiet Place Part II”, “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Oppenheimer”, and more! Did we forget another standout Murphy performance? Let us know in the comments below.
Watch more great acting videos here:
Top 20 Improvised Movie Moments: • Top 20 Improvised Movi...
Top 20 Greatest Acting Debuts in Movies: • Top 20 Greatest Acting...
Top 10 Best Voice Acting Performances in 2000s Movies: • Top 10 Best Voice Acti...
Become a channel member to get access to special perks:
/ @watchmojo
Don't forget to play our Live Trivia games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!: www.watchmojo.com/play
Have your idea become a video!
wmojo.com/suggest
Subscribe for more great content!
wmojo.com/watchmojo-subscribe
Visit our shop for awesome merch!
shop.watchmojo.com/
Your trusted authority for Top 10 lists, reviews, tips and tricks, biographies, origins, and entertainment news
#CillianMurphy
#Acting
#Movies
#Actor
#Celebrity
#Oppenheimer
#PeakyBlinders
#TV
#Celeb

[@WatchMojo]

Did we forget another standout Murphy performance? Let us know in the comments below. For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/in-xXneOfJaeeKc Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content

[@Perplexy1]

How was this comment made 4hours ago and the video came out 6 minutes ago

[@Reaperguy67]

​@@Perplexy1 KZbin has a thing called KZbin studio. The owner of the channel can pin a comment after the video is uploaded and set to private or set to scheduled just to let you know.

[@Perplexy1]

@@Reaperguy67 ok thank you

[@Reaperguy67]

@@Perplexy1 you are welcome. Have a good day

[@mrtelevisionandmovies]

Cillian Murphy is an excellent actor. His performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer deserves him an Oscar.

[@roxy5588]

100% absolutely yes! He was magical in that film! ❤️

[@fernandopaiz3696]

If we were including TV show performances I'd personally put his "Thomas Shelby" role at number 1. Peaky Blinders was just a masterpiece

[@victoriag1889]

Is his most iconic performance but Peaky blinders is TV show

[@galanganarkhi602]

No shelby , no oppenheimer

[@the-boy-who-lived]

Even though Thomas Shelby is the most iconic character he had played, he did the best on Oppenheimer.

[@chelseacanales8763]

Please let Cillian Murray win an Oscar for Oppenheimer! PLEASE!!!!!!

[@reviton8820]

BAFTA is 100% winning best actor

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

He's a strong contender

[@victoriag1889]

I hope 🤞 i want to see him win the Oscar 😢

[@millicent6826]

I hope he wins

[@Iggystar71]

If he doesn’t then I’m REALLY done with the Oscars.

[@denko3203]

Red Eye is so underrated. He was fantastic in it.

[@ryukomatoi592]

Charismatic evil

[@dalehoward3704]

I LOOOVED that!!!

[@mariamercedesruizpetro]

Por esa película es que lo reconozco y lo recuerdo parecía un loco aterrador cuando vi la película por primera vez no paraba de gritarle a la chica corre corre 😂😂😂 tenía 12 años

[@bredehansen3980]

He's quickly become my favorite actor. Everything he does is just brilliant. Such a talented and charismatic actor.

[@robanks3895]

He certainly is brilliant, The US audience is a bit late to the party. Cillian has been famous in the UK and Ireland for about 10 years

[@sfinn85]

​​​​​@@robanks3895He has been famous in the UK and Ireland longer than a decade as his breakthrough role was in "28 Days Later" in 2002. It led to Christopher Nolan noticing him

[@ellecaledonia348]

That scene in Inception is what I remember most in the movie. Beautifully conceived, shot and acted.

[@MrGeekFreek]

In the Dark Knight Rises whoever decided to add a crack in the lens of Scarecrow's glasses was genius. That crack just made him look more crazy.

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

Forget Ducard, Joker, and Bane! The Scarecrow doesn’t scare the #2 out of me as much as he used to, but he’s still a stand-out villain!

[@unpredictablemove]

His role in The Edge of Love is one of his most underrated performances!

[@LukeKetchum7003]

I have seen the future! And Cillian Murphy is going to win that Oscar for Best Actor!

[@bassammemon3115]

Give. Him. The. Oscar.

[@ivangomez123]

My favorite Cillian Murphy's roles are: "Oppenheimer", "The Wind that shakes the barley", "Peaky Blinders" and "The Dark Knight trilogy".

[@theywouldnthavetocensormei9231]

28 Days Later is way underrated to me, not just the movie but his performance. For most of the movie he seems like a shy, unassuming guy that just survived through "lucky" (not so lucky to be in a coma in most cases) circumstances, but by the end he goes full badass.

[@ryanperez1999]

I always thought Cillian Murphy is an underrated actor. When people think about The Dark Knight, the Joker and Bane usually come up. After Oppenheimer, the industry and audiences finally see Cillian as a force to be reckoned with when he wins his first Academy Award.

[@robanks3895]

And of course his most iconic role as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders, there is no actor that can match that role

[@janeenharrison1953]

He's a very captivating actor! He was great in Red Eye and Watching Detectives (rom com movie).

[@cristiangarciamontalvo3257]

"Oppenheimer" deserves to Cillian the Academy Award, right now!

[@msidea1967]

I was flabbergasted when I saw him in Peacock. That's when I knew that he was amazing.

[@overnight_doughnut_fryer]

💯

[@cateym]

When I saw The Wind that Shakes the Barley in Belfast, the entire cinema stood and clapped at the closing credits. Never witnessed anything like it.

[@nbenefiel]

I can’t watch it again. It tears me up.

[@annettegilbert3715]

Loved the movie ❤

[@mikem10481]

Another film to check out of his is Intermission. It stars Cillian and Colin Farrell and Colm Meaney. It's brilliant.

[@user-tw3re9hg3j]

His first Movie Disco Pigs his performance is amazing, don't think anyone outside of Ireland knows it

[@terserah_netijen_ajah]

​@@user-tw3re9hg3jI have watched Disco Pigs ❤❤❤❤

[@yalikejazz8180]

@@user-tw3re9hg3ji'm from serbia and i've seen it, he excelled :)

[@jessemillan1385]

My favorite roles of Cillian Murphy was his portrayals as Scarecrow and Red Eye. He performed spectacularly as Robert Oppenheimer. The only role we need him to play is Doctor Doom in the MCU.

[@LucySmile01]

He's amazing!!! He deserves an Oscar!!!

[@virginiabumgarner8807]

Can't forget his outstanding amazing role of Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders..His performance leaves u wanting more.

[@sfinn85]

It's a TV show not a movie

[@Neylindo10]

He only did supporting roles, until he participated in Peaky Blinders, and after that I thought he would only be known as the eternal meme of 2020 and now he's there shutting me up, receiving the Oscar now for Oppenhaimer. 17:49 pm

[@sfinn85]

He had the lead role in the movies "28 Days Later" and "Breakfast on Pluto"

[@annettegilbert3715]

​@sfinn8And many more Sunshine, Anthropoid, etc 28 Days Later. On the Edge, Disco Pigs, Red Eye, Red Lights, The Edge of Love ..lots

[@trikywu]

Cillian has a whole body of work that many have enjoyed for many years. (Peaky Blinders included). It's thrilling to see how Oppie put him on the grand stage for everyone to see this lovely man's incredible talent. Go get that Oscar, Cill!!

[@NT_1]

SUNSHINE is an underrated film. So visceral utterly Existential

[@dianakhasanova]

Cillian is one of my top favourite actor. He is a true actor, a master talent and a force to be reckoned with. I absolutely fell in love with him in "Red Eye" and then "Peaky Blinders". Just now i finished "Oppenheimer" and "Watching the Detectives"...he never cease to amaze me with his range of different characters!

[@kiciaharleyofalabama6105]

First thing I remember seeing him in was 28 days later, he said he'd be interested in doing another one (28 years later). Even though it's not big screen my favorite part he's played is Peaky Blinders

[@dela71191]

Manifesting Oscar Winner Cillian Murphy

[@marylynch948]

The Wind That Shakes the Barley. 🇮🇪☘️

[@MovieGuy]

I want to mention his role in Anthropoid. An underrated WW2 film about the assassination of Heydrich, in which Murphy plays one of the assassins.

[@marcuszeus5552]

So happy for the success of Cillian Murphy, i love him as Thomas Shelby 😍

[@olleselin]

First of all, love you Rebecca like always! Second, i bet this Robert Oppenheimer is what's gonna get him that Oscar!

[@charlottehardy822]

Hopefully 🤞

[@WatchMojo]

[@akshathadayakar3621]

Cillian Murphy in dark knight scared the shit out of me 😢

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

WatchMojo campaigning for Cillian Murphy...I love it!

[@olliesmith2890]

I am desperate for the next 28 Days Later movie, and putting Cillian back into the franchise, would be the cherry on the cake. One of the greatest actors of his generation, i adore the guy.

[@adagiobreeze8493]

He played a crazy good dual role in Peacock (2010) alongside Susan Sarandon and Elliot Page, where he played a man with a split personality playing both husband and wife creepily and effortlessly

[@millicent6826]

I'm so glad I'm seeing others acknowledge Peacock on here. One of the best!

[@loreespeechly8413]

Incredible.. I just recently watched

[@barry4649]

I love that the Wind That Shakes The Barley is that high. Unbelievably good film that tends to get forgotten now. It won the Cannes Palmes d’Or

[@christineroerty2534]

Brilliant movie and performance by Cillian Murphy.

[@marcoguaiana6264]

I really liked Nolan's Cillian Murphy scarecrow! In the role of Scarecrow I met for the first time we meet Cillian! In Ophennaimer Cillian Murphy was fantastic, he deserves to win an Oscar for his great performance!

[@diegoperleche5177]

About how such an underrated and talented actor, with many underrated movies, and after that, he went from being currently one of the best actors, and that is thanks to movies like 28 days later, the Batman trilogy, Peaky Blinders and recently Oppenheimer has gained him a lot of fame and now it is very possible that he will win Best Actor thanks to Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

[@joeyisabell2382]

I really enjoyed watching him in the film Anthropoid.

[@annettegilbert3715]

Great movie .. tragic but Cillian is fantastic in it !

[@JorenMyers]

28 Days Later is the movie that convinced me horror movies can be a good experience. Horror’s been my favorite genre ever since.

[@Debbie19W]

“Anthropoid”, a true story of Czech heroism, and “Perrier’s Bounty” where I first discovered him last September and felt sorry for him getting constantly beaten up.

[@jennarollan211]

His performance in Peacock is extremely underrated. He pulls off both characters effortlessly and you can really tell their mannerisms apart.

[@millicent6826]

Peacock yes! One of the best. To this day I am blown away by it. Every time I watch it, I'm like what just happened because it's just that good!

[@Dolorous_Edd]

Ellen Page and Susan Surandon? I'll check it out

[@overnight_doughnut_fryer]

💯

[@Phoenix-gd4xw]

This guy is a powerhouse performer ❤

[@PrasathMGM]

Born to Act

[@shreyash130]

Movie performances it should be performances and peaky blinders should be top 3 but still get list good to see Cillian Murphy gets the recognition he deserves he is soo underrated 😊

[@shakiyagotdreams2299]

I did t even know that was him in the movie a quiet place . Damn he can change faces too! Now that’s talent

[@michaelmonthey5974]

J. Robert Oppenheimer is his best performance to date. I hope he wins an Oscar for it.

[@victoriag1889]

I hope too

[@NT_1]

SUNSHINE

[@juanche978]

I think Thomas Shelby is even superior

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@juanche978 Probably should have gotten an Emmy for that one.

[@Halo9056]

Cillian Murphy is brilliant in everything he takes on.

[@CaesarJayL]

One of my favorite actors, He's been around for longer than it seems delivering performance on top of performance and improving every film. I tend to ignore Tron:Legacy but not because of Cillian.

[@brkaz5864]

Cillian in anything, any role. He shines. Should have won a BAFTA for Thomas Shelby, he deserves that and an OSCAR too.

[@neonstrat4088]

Murph my love

[@alexgrant191]

It’s easy to see why he has become such a Nolan favourite - even came down to the last few for Batman before (rightly) being beat out by the incomparable Christian Bale & thus a brilliant turn as Scarecrow instead was born. Oppenheimer meanwhile is easily one of the best films I have seen in years & I hope it finally sees Cillian, Nolan & Robert Downey Jr bring home Oscar gold!

[@beforesnowfalls]

His performance in Anthoropoide was also compelling!

[@tveirken1]

Greatest actor of our time folks!

[@adarshmishra9685]

He can really save the MCU as Doctor Doom replacing Kang as main villain for Multiverse Saga

[@jessemillan1385]

Hell yeah!!!

[@ivangomez123]

I know right!! However, he put one simple condition to play Doom, "a good script".

[@user-qt6sf6yl1f]

But nothing can save Marvel from Disney so better he keep playing quality roles definitely no

[@theywouldnthavetocensormei9231]

Nah, Kang was played by a black guy, so replacing him with a white guy would be a racisms. You're only allowed to replace white actors with non white actors, you can't do it the other way.

[@mike91mdk45]

I think better writing is the only thing that can save it. No more of the political diarrhea. Just good story. With disney that's difficult.

[@oppenhomies4life]

I think what Nolan did from giving Cillian Scarecrow, to Fischer, Solider in Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, I think almost every time Cillian plays a new Nolan film character is always a step up of how dramatic can he be in every new Nolan character he’s plays

[@annettegilbert3715]

Any movie he's appears in really!

[@newnormal92]

Ooo I love this guy!! Didn't know he was Irish but right on, he"s amazing

[@samuelzins5089]

Loved him in inception, every nolan movie really, but especially inception and oppenheimer

[@annettegilbert3715]

So glad so many of us agree about Anthropoid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@alecia175]

I've seen 28 days later more times than I can count but i never put together that Jim was Cillian Murphy until just now. I don't know why, Ive seen him in other things but it didn't click until this moment. It's the eyes that are burned into my memories, his eyes in that movie.

[@overnight_doughnut_fryer]

Peacock. Gillian was sensational in Peacock.

[@pamelarogers1141]

Red Lights, Anthropoid, The Party.👍👍👍

[@julieleftwich5787]

I really liked him in Anthropoid.

[@kaphasibad8369]

I'm waiting patiently for the Peaky Blinders"movie ....

[@wjbt3]

Peaky Blinders created Godzilla 🤯

[@mrandrossguy9871]

First time I saw him Was ‘Red Eye’ ! And that alone was Already Legendary

[@bane2risejoker]

There are a few performances missing from the list that should have at least been in honorable mentions. Also his performance in Anthropoid should have been in the top 10 list and his perf in Breakfast on Pluto should have been higher. But I'm glad at least his role in The Wind That Shakes the Barley is higher up the list.

[@yudhabagaskara98]

Honorable mentions: Peacock In Time Anna

[@caja16]

Girl with a pearl earring 2003 🙂

[@indiegirl195]

I am glad On The Edge was mentioned, it's one of my favorites and he is so fricken cute in it . I think Watching the Detectives needs mention, he has great comedic timing. He should do morr comedies..

[@AlmostAl]

No brown sauce in your tea, bad list

[@asdf7711]

Unforgettable!

[@chickmagnetpunkcmpunkbesti8896]

What about the time keeper in In Time?? #Underrated asf

[@nathanielgasper]

Nearly had a stroke not seeing Thomas Shelby then I realised it’s MOVIE performances.

[@diekanalreinigerin8420]

Peacock (2010) is also a good Cillian movie ♥

[@millicent6826]

I hope he wins! So glad he's getting the acknowledgement he deserves. One movie I think his performance was amazing as well was Peacock.

[@annettegilbert3715]

Watch him in Anthropoid....hard and heroic... masterful acting ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@alysonmackesy8813]

Red lights is my fav cilian murphy movie

[@sabrinaevans8746]

I wonder if he realizes how beautiful he is?

[@manishthakurofficial3200]

Oscars have finally have him n me

[@pamelarogers1141]

Peacock. 👍

[@user-yo2yo5ih1j]

Red Lights was a interesting movie too & he did a great job in it!

[@odonvargas9527]

I was like they better have Breakfast on Pluto, and there it was the first one to be mentioned. Thank you miss Mojo, :)

[@gallopinghorse2001]

Very glad that Intermission got a mention

[@mujtabashah7341]

All these comments about peaky blinders and everyone forgot his role in Project Anthropoid

[@michaelmonthey5974]

How many TV performances has Cillian Murphy done? I ask because his role on “Pinky Blinders” shouldn’t be overlooked.

[@meronmekonnen1221]

How much I love Red Eye,

[@Ninaofthe90s]

Oh come on you could've included Peaky Blinders! It's not like you can make a separate list for his tv roles...

[@jacklynbarrs6419]

And then you add his tv acting skills....Tommy Shelby and you see one of the most brilliant actors that will never accept his brilliance.

[@slystone4892]

28 Days Later is the best one.

[@PedroTheFork]

Such a good actor I will say I think his best performance is in peaky blinders but obviously that’s not a movie so can’t make this list. He definitely deserves a Oscar

[@booksandmanga5978]

Watching the detectives!!

[@jpronan8757]

I prefer Cillian Murphy in Irish films although 28 Days Later and Sunshine are some of his best outside of Ireland. Oppenheimer is great I just think it's getting way too much credit because let's face it, it didn't really have much competition.

[@chrismacdonald2251]

There’s a movie that is overlooked, called Perrier’s Bounty with Brendon Gleeson and Jim Broadbent. Funny and charming.

[@MarkyCMark]

His performance in "Intermission" should've been in this list

[@TRIPYXmusic]

My honourable mention Hass to be Timekeeper Raymond Leon - in time

[@CaesarJayL]

Sunshine could've been a Sci fi classic but they definitely fumbled the ending somehow.

[@NT_1]

Still an absolute masterpiece of a movie. The soundtracks clearly have no match. Beautiful.

[@annettegilbert3715]

Exactly 💯

[@danielmunoz9374]

OSCAR FOR HIM PLS

[@teppeiando]

Ive never heard of Breakfast On Pluto but why is it at #10? Looks far more interesting and challenging than say his limited role as Scarecrow.

[@asdf7711]

He is hilarious and compelling in it.

[@teppeiando]

@@asdf7711 I'll look for it

[@sfinn85]

That should have been his first Oscar nomination and win IMO. Definitely my favourite role of his ❤

[@nightangel972000]

Is anyone really surprised by the choice for number one?

[@deveshraut1130]

if you want a slice of life film of his, check out The Delinquent Season. It's great!