Автор: Nick Papps

“It’s pretty easy—the C sounds like a K. Cillian was a saint, as every Irish person is.”

The man explaining how to pronounce his name is Irish actor Cillian Murphy, and the fact he even needs to do such a thing suggests that he's still got a little way to go before he can be classified as a bona fide Hollywood star.

But the diminutive man in the black T-shirt, black jeans, and piercing blue eyes doing the talking may soon be able to kiss goodbye to the pronunciation lessons.

After playing the evil Dr. Jonathan Crane in Batman Begins, and with a leading role opposite "It" girl Rachel McAdams in the new Wes Craven thriller Red Eye, this ruggedly good-looking actor is on the verge of the big time.

In Red Eye, Murphy plays a cold, calculating terrorist who infiltrates the life of a hotel receptionist (McAdams), and with that performance following hot on the heels of his Batman character, it's hard to ignore the fact that Murphy may just be establishing his little niche as the new bad man of Tinsel Town.

Just don't suggest that theory to the actor in question.

"Well, here's the thing," Murphy says, just a little agitated at the notion there could be some type-casting in the wind. "I have made 10 feature films and played a bad guy in two."

"It happens that these ones are seen by a greater audience."

And, starting to warm to the subject, Murphy says he doesn't even think of characters as good or bad when he's considering a part.

"I don't generally superimpose a moral judgment on the characters before I play them because that would be limiting," Murphy says.

"I read the script and ask, 'Can I do that? I don’t know if I can do that. Is it a good director?' And I've made movies in between and after these films (Batman and Red Eye) which are entirely different and they are not what you would consider evil. I knew this was going to happen when I got the release schedule. I thought, 'Uh huh, f***ing (sic) baddie.' But it's coincidental rather than decision-making."

Murphy's bio reveals he's 29, was born in Ireland's County Cork and studied law for a while before finding his calling in acting through a series of university plays.

In 2003 he was cast in a low-budget British post-apocalyptic horror film called 28 Days Later... which became a surprise hit in the U.S., bringing Murphy to the attention of Hollywood and leading to small parts in Girl With the Pearl Earring and Cold Mountain.

"I think that's the other beauty of being an actor," he says.

"Every role should be as far removed from previous roles as possible. And that's my ambition. The actors I admire most are the ones that you go, 'F*** (sic), is that the guy from? Shit it is. Shit, I didn't recognise him.' They are the guys I admire."

Murphy says his favourite actors are Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Jeff Bridges, Al Pacino (when younger), and Meryl Streep.

He also says he loves another Irishman, Colin Farrell, the hard-living star of Phone Booth, SWAT, and Alexander. With the dearth of Irish actors in Hollywood, it's not surprising that Murphy is often compared to Farrell, but the self-effacing Murphy says there really is no comparison.

"I'm very different to Colin Farrell," he insists. "I admire him tremendously. We are both Irish and both the same age but people aren't going to just give you roles just because you're Irish and Colin Farrell was in a movie."

"I like him tremendously. I like the way he is not phony about anything. Everything you read from him is true and real."

"He always had that thing when he walked into a room and he would shift energy. That's what I think a movie star is."