8 most compelling Cillian Murphy roles

One of the most talented and watchable actors of his generation is certainly Irish legend Cillian Murphy. Born in Douglas, Murphy is now perhaps the best known of the BBC TV series Peaky Blinders. The series has just started in the UK and Murphy once again shows off his prominent role as gang leader Tommy Shelby. His amazing insight into the character's menace, charisma, and thoughtful intellect has led many people to learn more about Murphy as an actor.

He was especially active in film, where his unique looks, calm authority, and clear presence made him a firm favorite. If you need to know more about this iconic Irish actor, here are ten of the most compelling films he has starred in on a date.

8 PHOTOS

1. On the edge.

In this early 2001 movie role, Murphy plays a character named Jonathan Breach. In essence, this directorial story by John Carney is about sadness, depression, and how to find the meaning of life from it.

2. Broken.

From one of his earliest film roles, we are now moving on to a much more recent 2012 role. This movie is based on a book that itself was inspired by the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Murphy takes on the lead role of teacher Mike Kiernan, who works at a school in a remote area.

3. Discus pigs.

This film is actually based on the play of the same name and is a 2001 Irish film classic. In it, Murphy plays the lead role of Pig.

4. Start.yo

Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors in Hollywood right now and a big fan of Cillian Murphy. He frequently casts an Irish actor in his films and Inception 2010 was no exception. In it, Murphy plays Robert Fisher, who is a businessman who has been psychically attacked by a competitor. Murphy perfectly captures the insecurities of his characters and is immediately confident but vulnerable.

5. The wind that shakes the heather.

This film by acclaimed British director Ken Loach shows that Murphy is a brave actor and talented actor. The plot tells about the struggle of the Irish for independence and, as such, touches on highly explosive material. Murphy plays Damian O'Donovan, who lives in 1920s Ireland repressed by England.

6. Night flight.

It was arguably the first major Hollywood film of Murphy's career, released in 2005. He plays the fearsome terrorist Jackson Rippner.

6. Night flight.

Another Christopher Nolan classic is the release of the Batman franchise in 2005. Interestingly, Murphy was originally considered for the role of Batman but instead was assigned as the supervillain by Dr. Jonathan Crane.

8. 28 days later.

To end our list, we end with what some would say is a start. Although Murphy has played several roles in low-budget films before, 28 Days Later has been his big break since 2002. It's essentially a zombie movie, but it was contemporary at the time it was released. Murphy plays Jim, who wakes up in a hospital in a world that is practically empty.