A graduate of art-house cinema and experimental theatre, Cork actor Cillian Murphy is set for the a-list following his chilling turn as Scarecrow in Batman Begins.

"I auditioned for the Batman role but I never thought I was right for the part so not getting it never bothered me." Unprompted, and with an air of a lad who's been asked the same damn question a bizillion times by people who aren't me, Cillian Murphy is offering up his personal Batman odyssey. It's true that director Christopher Nolan ultimately plumped for Christian Bale to don cinema's most famous cape. It's equally true, however, that Corkonian Murphy didn't mind in the least little. Nor should he have.

Cast instead as Dr. Jonathan Crane and horrifically trippy alter ego, Scarecrow, the 28 year old waltzes away with Batman Begins. "He's a bit weedier than Batman so he suited me better," Murphy drolls. "He's physically weak, so he's built up his mind to take it out on the rest of the world. Let's just say he has a lot of issues."

Though the former UCC law student admits he knew little of the villainous Crane prior to the shoot, he was quickly put right when DC Comics furnished him with a stack of Batman back issues.

Murphy says: "That was really cool getting that parcel. Scarecrow is one of the oldest Batman characters, but we didn't really want to stay with the original Wurzel Gummidge look. Straw coming out of your hands wasn't really going to scare anyone.”

"So we just went with the mask and the breathing apparatus which he needs anyway. That's what's great about this Batman—everything happens for a reason, everything is rooted in a parallel universe, not an alternative one"

Indeed, director Christopher Nolan's take on the graphic novel Batman Year Zero shoots up on realism and psycho-drama rather than kitsch and fantasy.

As such, there's a heavy reliance on proper thespian performances and Murphy found himself in a cast that includes Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman. "It was fantastic just to be there in that crowd," gushes Murphy. "Well, once I got over being terrified, it was fantastic. And I have to admit going to work everyday and seeing Batman's car and cape and everything made you feel like a kid in a toy shop."

Batman Begins, however is merely a warning shot from Murphy. His impressive slate for 2005 includes the new Wes Craven flick Red Eye (due to hit our screens in August) and the hotly anticipated Breakfast on Pluto. Based on the Patrick McCabe novel, this Neil Jordan film sees Murphy go glam as Patrick "Kitten" Brady (sic), a foster kid who ditches Irish "surruralism" for transvestite cabaret singer in swinging sixties London.

He says: "I just loved that character. He's totally un-self-conscious. I hung around with some of the transvestite scene for preparation and I had the best time. They’re just the wittiest people. And if you're walking around in a dress all day, you really have to ready with the barbs to defend yourself. And I have gotten more into grooming since the shoot."

Though based in London, Murphy is currently back on home turf for Ken Loach's War Of Independence film, The Wind that Shakes the Barley. "Again, it's a brilliant experience for me. I mean people wrongly think that Ken Loach is all just socialism, but he writes amazing human dramas. If you think about Kes or My Name is Joe—they're just absolute gifts if you're an actor."

Despite the madcap schedule, Murphy sweetly assures me that he's somehow managing to make time for Yvonne, whom he married last year. "Well, I suppose she has to come first. If it's a choice between her and the movies or anything else, there can only be one winner."