Cillian Murphy on the universal struggle that attracted him to Steve: “99 per cent of us are trying and failing”

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At first glance, Cillian Murphy’s latest movie, Steve – currently available on Netflix – is quite unlike his previous film, Small Things Like These.

Despite having the same director, Belgian filmmaker Tim Mielants, the two films are quite different in feel and style: his earlier work is a calm, understated drama, while the newer one is an adventurous and disorderly experience.

Even though the two stories differ significantly in how they are told, they also share a number of similarities. Despite these differences, common themes connect them.

In both movies, Murphy portrays a character motivated by a strong empathy and a commitment to doing what’s right, even when things are incredibly difficult. This is seen whether he’s playing a coal merchant assisting a young woman impacted by the Magdalene laundries in 1980s Ireland, or an exhausted school principal supporting a young man at a school for boys with challenging behaviour in 1990s England.

This highlights a central idea that Murphy consistently explores in his work as both an actor and producer, which he refers to as a “universal personal struggle”.

He went on, saying, “I think it really resonates with people, you know? And you can adjust the intensity – you can create a really intense atmosphere, or keep it very grounded and realistic.”

Murphy also commented that it was a genuine honor to Mielants that he could move seamlessly from a very observational and very still film like Small Things Like These, to this incredibly energetic, highly detailed, and completely contrasting environment.

He added, “I suppose there are common themes running through them.” He hadn’t considered it while making the film, but he understood the point. “These are really ancient stories, though – tales about people attempting to do what’s right, only to be defeated by the system.”

Mielants shared that he wanted to investigate the idea that being vulnerable is actually our greatest strength as people, a theme he aims to convey in both of his films with Murphy.

He admitted, “I seem to be very skilled at portraying men struggling with depression! That’s just who I am. But we have a connection – I can be genuine with Murphy, and he can be himself with me. I believe we can freely share our vulnerabilities and be comfortable making mistakes.”

Murphy’s colleagues also shared how positive their experiences were while working with him. Simbi Ajikawo, who many know as the rapper Little Simz, noted how dedicated the Peaky Blinders star was to his performance.

She explained that he was completely focused on his work. “Even though he’s a very kind and easygoing person,” she said, “most of the time I felt like, ‘I shouldn’t bother him; he’s really in the zone, and I didn’t want to break his concentration.’ But he was always willing – at least for me – to rehearse lines or run through a scene. He was just incredibly collaborative and freely shared the space while filming.”

“We’re all aware that his success and his brilliance and his kindness got this film made,” added Tracy Ullman, who plays the deputy to Murphy’s headteacher in the film. “It was a privilege to work with him. And to come off such a huge Oscar winning success and make something like this and be so egalitarian with us all and helpful.

She went on to say, “It was a very demanding role for him. So, I would often just give him space, and we’d talk about something completely different – like music – just to help him relax and get into the right headspace, you know?”

We’re all involved in this project thanks to him, and we’ve had a fantastic time and learned a lot. We’re all grateful – he’s a really good person to work with. It’s like collaborating with a Bentley – he’s far above and beyond a Hyundai or a Tesla!

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2025-10-03 09:39