'I was a little s***head at school' says Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy

Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy may have found himself at the top of his profession, with a trio of Oscar, Baftaand Golden Globe among his accolades.

But for the actor it’s the fact he’s playing a headteacher in his new Movie, Steve, in charge of a reform school for boys with behavioural difficulties, which he finds most surprising.

The actor, star of blockbuster movie Oppenheimer, confesses he was “the little s***head in school” - despite the fact he comes from a family of teachers.

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But he credits one English teacher who believed in him despite everything with setting him on the course to success and stardom.

Speaking as his latest film premieres in London, ahead of its releaseon Netflix on October 3, Cillian says: “I was always messing and causing trouble.

“But I also had this really excellent teacher in school, my English teacher, who gave me brilliant insight into literature and theatre, and very much encouraged me towards music and acting.

“So I kind of feel like I had every angle covered just through my life growing up.”

The movie, which was produced by Cillian’s own company and filmed in Bath, Somerset, unfolds over 24 hours, capturing the challenges headmaster Steve faces in maintaining order while grappling with his own mental health issues.

The Irish actor says he sees the film as a love letter to his parents, Brendan and Jane, through whom he gained a deep appreciation of teachers’ dedication and hard work.

He says: “My mum and dad are both retired teachers. My grandfather was a headmaster of a primary school, and many of my aunts and uncles are teachers.

“When I was in school I would come home and my parents would give me extra lessons, well, there was really no choice.

“Looking back at it now, they were both teaching in front of, like, 35 teenagers, and they would come home and deal with their own teenagers, then get up and do it all over again.

“It’s a very intense and demanding job, and I would come home and live in the aftermath of what it meant to be a teacher. How tired they would be, but they kept their passion for it.”

Cillian, 49, first came to prominence in Danny Boyle’s thriller 28 Days Later, followed by a series of critically-acclaimed performances which cemented his reputation as one of Ireland’s finest exports.

Television propelled him into international stardom, with his portrayal of gangster Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders.

In 2023 he played J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s worldwide hit, winning a raft of best actor awards.

Remembering his first auditions as a young actor, he says: “It was terrible. I was terrible. I didn't have very much confidence. I knew I could do it, but I just didn’t, I found it so hard to get into the zone. I probably have PTSD about all of them.”

Despite his fame, Cillian insists he lives a normal life between movies at the home he shares with wife Yvonne McGuinness and their two sons, Malachy,19, and Aran, 18, in Monkstown, County Dublin.

He says: “I spend long chunks of time not working and I don't see anybody besides my family. I mean, I wash the dishes, but you know.”

He says he enjoys going to film premieres because it finally gets him out of the house.

He says: “You do get to meet people. You actually get a chance to cross paths with people, which particularly for actors when you’re not working, is rare. Just to be having conversations is wonderful.”

But Cillian admits he still gets nervous before stepping onto the red carpet. "I get very nervous at them, I’ve always been like that. That’s why I prefer to see them in a dark theatre. But a film isn't finished until an audience sees it."

The actor’s next project is a hotly-anticipated Peaky Blinders film, officially titled The Immortal Man, which creator Steven Knight says will be released in a year.

Cillian says he’s just as excited. He says: “We’re very keen to make it a cinematic experience, that’s really what we wanted to do. And Tom Harper, the director, did an amazing job.

“I think it looks fantastic. And I think I had my sort of fan goggles or hat or whatever on the whole time because I really feel like, you know, the fan base for Peaky is incredibly loyal. And people are so devoted to it. I really want it to be satisfactory for the fans.”