Age and Occupation: 29, actor

Provenance: Cork, Ireland

A Monster Hit: Murphy starred in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later..., a surprise hit last summer.

Oh Danny Boy: "I was thrilled to be working with Danny. Trainspotting and Shallow Grave had been really important movies. But none of us expected [28 Days Later...] to be such a success. It has allowed me to read the really good scripts—the few really good scripts that are out there."

Callin' Colin: If you haven't caught Murphy in Sunburn (a recent hit on the festival circuit) or Girl With a Pearl Earring (alongside Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth), be sure to catch him next month in the dark comedy Intermission, with Colin Farrell. "I think [Colin's] participation got the movie made, or certainly was very instrumental. It's great seeing him do that, and he's brilliant in it. The whole thing was just a laugh."

Hey, weren't you the guy in Disco Pigs? The legal profession's loss is Hollywood's gain: "I was getting a law degree, and it wasn't what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a rock star. Music was the big thing, and then I just auditioned for this play in Cork called Disco Pigs, and it became a bit of a success. So I just jacked in the law because it was a pain in the ass really ... and I was failing, so I just continued with the acting."