Автор: Charity Crewe
Cillian Murphy, Hollywood hottie and New York next-big-thing, has already done the unthinkable and broken America. But acting is all just part of what it is to be Irish, or so he tells Charity Crewe who caught up with him at home in West London.
Cillian Murphy, the Cork-born twenty-seven-year-old who first came to everyone's attention in Disco Pigs and then—on the international stage—in the smash horror 28 Days Later..., is modest as ever about rising stardom. In the last few months he's been on-screen in both Cold Mountain and Intermission and most recently he stars in Peter Webber's film based on Tracy Chevalier's book, Girl With a Pearl Earring.
You live in London's Queen's Park. Did you find it easy to settle in London?
Well, I had been coming to London for a long time with work before I moved over, so I knew it quite well. I lived in Cork for so much of my life that I know I'm not missing anything. It's good to be away for a while.
What projects do you have for 2004?
I am playing Christy in Garry Hynes' production of Playboy of the Western World, which opened this month in Galway and is now going to Dublin.
Is there any director you want to work with?
The Coen brothers.
What is your favourite film?
The Big Lebowski, but I love Miller's Crossing and classic 70s movies such as The King of Comedy and Mean Streets.
What actors would you most like to work with?
I have a list as long as my arm; Philip Seymour Hoffman, Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep ... and lots more.
What film has been most fun to shoot?
They all have their high points, but it was a real laugh filming Intermission. I was working with people I know well, like Dave Wilmot, who played my best friend in the film. People said our relationship seemed very natural and I think that had a lot to do with the fact that we're good friends in real life.
What research did you do for the part of Pieter, the butcher's son in Girl With a Pearl Earring?
I went to an abattoir where they taught me to chop and carry carcasses. It was a bit of a shock considering the fact that I am a vegetarian.
Did you hang out with Colin Firth (who plays Vermeer)?
Yes, he is a lovely man; supportive and very funny.
What did you do when you weren't filming?
I sat in my hotel room reading and walking around Luxembourg, which is where most of the movie was filmed. It's not the most happening place, but it was fine because I was only there for about four weeks.
Does your girlfriend ever get jealous when you work with a beautiful lead actress such as Scarlett Johansson?
No, not really at all.
Why do you think Ireland produces so many actors?
Because we are natural story tellers, we have a tradition of story telling in Ireland; it's in our DNA.
Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year?
I do make them sometimes, but generally never see them through. But maybe I will do the Marathon this year, either in London or New York. I've been planning to do it for a long time.
Do you now get spotted in the street and does it bother you?
More in America than in England because 28 Days Later... was a big hit there. It's the same with anything, if people are nice and friendly I don't mind at all.
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