Many of Ireland’s finest have tested the waters in different fields before finding their calling in acting. And when it comes to the Oscar frontrunner Cillian Murphy, even he took a whole other route before stumbling upon an offbeat and ambitious production in Cork City that changed everything for him. However, not many would know that even before his interest swung towards this field, Cillian Murphy had his first go at performing back in his school days.

The Oppenheimer lead went through quite a transformation in his early life that showed him what he really loved. Though not in a direct way, his school and university paved the way for the career he has today.

Cillian Murphy got his first taste of performance while schooling

Down the road, Murphy started his journey studying law at University College Cork, just like any other college student. But then, something changed. His passion for acting sparked after catching a stage production of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece A Clockwork Orange during his time at college. When he could not pass his first-year exams, realizing he did not even care about passing in the first place, he finally took the leap into acting. However, his parents were not exactly on board with his decision.

During an interview, Cillian Murphy shared about his law degree and how it was more about his parents’ aspirations than his own.

Cillian Murphy’s parents’ reaction to him dropping out of college 

Cillian Murphy’s mom was a French teacher, while his dad worked for the Department of Education. Murphy realized that law was not his thing and discovered his passion for acting. However, his parents were not exactly cheering him on for his career switch. In an interview with Mrporter, the Peaky Blinders actors stated. “why the f**k I was studying law, I don’t know“.

The deal was, according to Murphy, his parents fretted about stability since no one in his family had ventured into the arts before. According to the Evening Standard, his parents were “shocked” when he made the decision to drop out and chase acting. It was not easy at first, but he later shared how his parents gradually warmed up to his career path. And with his first Oscar win, as everyone is expecting, he will surely make his parents and his alma mater proud.

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