Cillian Murphy, who plays a transvestite in Breakfast On Pluto, reveals why his wife wears the pants in their relationship.

You play a transvestite in Breakfast On Pluto. Many actors would be scared to play that type of role...

I think it's interesting. I want something to challenge myself and I don't want to do the same thing over and over—that would be boring. Why do that?

When a script says that you have to kiss another man, what goes through your mind?

It's self-expression. I'm confident in my sexuality and in my body, so why not?

So you don't think twice about having to be naked?

Well, it's the character who does it. It doesn't bother me at all.

But it's still you on the screen...

I know, but that's what actors do. And if it serves the story overall, people aren't going to go, "Oh my God, he's naked!" They're going to say, "It was a great movie." I don't think they're going to remember that I kissed a guy if it's a good story.

How do you feel about being compared to fellow Irish actor Colin Farrell?

I don't look like Colin Farrell, I don't behave like Colin Farrell and I do different movies than Colin Farrell. I like him, he's a good actor and I've worked with him.

You used to be in a band. Do you find many actors are frustrated rock stars?

It seems to be a lot of them, yeah. It's the performer in you. What I used to love about playing music is that you got to play your own stuff, your own material, so that's an extra dimension to self-expression.

You didn't set out to become an actor. Would you say your career happened by accident?

Well, I think the initial decision to be an actor was probably an accident, but now I definitely want to do this for the rest of my life. I acquired a passion for it very quickly and I realised it's what I'm best at doing. It would be terrible if I never found that—if I never found an outlet for this expression.

So you're a better actor than you are an undiscovered guitarist?

[Laughs.] Yes. I'm definitely not a better guitar player.

Do you still create music around the house?

Yeah. You can do everything on your laptop. You can make your opus on your laptop.

Does it drive your wife [Yvonne McGuinness] nuts listening to you practice?

[Laughs.] No, she likes it.

How are you dealing with the celebrity aspect of your job? Do you have a sense of humour about it?

Obviously. I mean, you've got to have a sense of humour and a sense of wonder—like, "This is absurd!" Travelling around in limos and being put up in fancy hotels, there's no correlation to my life or my existence. I'm interested in it and I'll experience it, why not? I'll try anything, but the way I deal with it is by not living [in LA].

Does your wife enjoy the perks of the business?

She's not interested in that. She has no interest in it whatsoever. Limousines are absurd—they're just a long car that use a lot of petrol.

But it must be different for her now that you're becoming more well-known?

She's very much her own woman. She's not in any way interested in meeting famous people or getting free dresses or anything like that. She's a lady who knows her own mind and she's been with me for 10 years, so this has all happened very incrementally. It's not like all of a sudden I'm experiencing this—this has been going for three or four years at this level. We're able to deal with it. I couldn't deal with it without her. I wouldn't be here without her. I wouldn't be doing anything without her.

It must be quite a difference to come to Hollywood compared with where you grew up in Ireland?

Absolutely. It's a one-industry town, but I think you can smell it from a mile away when people are telling you what they think you want to hear. I don't care. I don't care if you hate this movie, I don't care if you think I'm s**t. I'm confident in what I do and I know I'm a good actor.

How long can you stay like that, though? Maybe the next time we meet you'll be saying, "This is the greatest movie I've ever done! Everyone got on so well on the set—we're like a family!"

[Laughs.] The reason I don't care about what people think of my movies is that you can't change it. I did the film for a reason and I think you should see the movie, but whether you like it or not is something else. I advise people to see it and I promote it, but I don't have control over whether you'll like it.

Are you a victim of the tall-poppy syndrome in Ireland?

There's a certain element of that, yeah. But, no, people are generally pretty sweet to me. I go back all the time.

Are you a homebody or do you like going out at night?

I like being at home with my music and my books. I've done all the partying, I've done enough partying for four or five people as a young fella. But now I like the quiet life.

What's the best thing and the worst thing about your life right now?

My life is pretty good right now, I'm pretty happy. I suppose being away from home or being separated from my wife is difficult, but I'm going to take a break next year and just stop for a while.

Do you wonder about your success and think, "Why me"?

Yeah. As an extension of that you just think, "I'm very lucky, and to question it is fruitless." You're not going to arrive at any answer, really. You just have to think you're lucky to be here, but you should never become complacent. Everyone says that but it's true.

Are you fatalistic? Do you think things happen for a reason?

I do, but I also think that you create your own destiny. I really do. When I work, I work very hard and I don't take these opportunities lightly. I make the best of these opportunities—I don't just think, "Hey this is really cool." I really apply myself to it and there's a lot of money riding on these things. So you can't be just blasé about it. I'm blasé about the other stuff.

The free stuff?

Yeah, and all the nonsense that goes around.

You don't seem like a nonsense kind of guy...

[Laughs.] I don't like nonsense, you're right.