Port Magazine

[Zombiekitten]

Interesting discussion going on here! Yeah, you all have very valid points which are worth a discussion.
I still have difficulties to join such conversations… Being not a native speaker I feel a bit insecure about it. But regardless I’ll try to react to the things that have been said here already.

Well, I’m a fan of his work, the characters he has played. Neither am I a fan of his interviews nor of the private person Cillian Murphy. Because: I don’t even know him personally. I met him once, I shook his hand, and he came across as a gentle, decent, reserved man. But that’s not enough to say I know him. I admire him for his way of approaching work, of doing art. I appreciate him for being a decent human being who looks after the environment and is a loving father and husband (I assume… LOL). He protects his family from paparazzi-rubbish and negative sides of fame as good as he can.
But I don’t know him personally. I draw a very thick line between his characters and him as a private person. So I give mature priority to what I see from him in movies, plays and other stuff. Okay, that stuff was very few in the last time. I think we all are aware of that and it is frustrating for a fan, yes.

Now to the interviews… Over the time I was fan of him I did realize that his interviews got quite boring for me to read. In the beginning of my fan-being they were interesting, but hearing the same stuff over and over again is indeed boring. Also his dry way of handle most of the interviews. And, hell, I wished too that Cillian was more outgoing and funny and talkative in interviews. But like Shamrocks I think that his off-putting attitude maybe has something to do with shyness. Being a very shy and reserved person myself I have to say that over the years many people have misinterpreted my shyness as arrogance. Sadly that happens often to introvert persons because they come across as dry and cold sometimes.

But of course I can’t blame everything on his shyness. Yes, I think the most of his coldness in interviews can be explained by shyness and discomfort of having to talk about himself. (I have difficulties with claiming that he’s acting rude or bored with intent, because I’m not able to look into his head, to be in his skin. But, who knows. Cillian is not an angel, even if he looks like one, his character can have also negative parts)
But I am also of the opinion that he has to accept negative and unpleasant sides of his job. That was a good point in that whole discussion. And for me as a fan – and he has to acknowledge the importance of fans – it does come across hurtful sometimes when he speaks so negative about the process of promoting a movie or doing an interview. He can have this opinion, privately. But he does not have to mention it all the time. That’s not necessary. That’s unfair to his fans and it gives the impression that his audience is somehow annoying him.
But maybe it’s just his devise to always speak the very truth… who knows. And the journalists tend to ask him the same stuff always… But maybe they do that because they somehow think the readers of their magazines haven’t heard of that stuff yet and maybe find it interesting. No journalist is like: “Hey our rivalry magazine XY already spoke about that subject, let’s leave it out.” LOL

Is Cillian a frustrating interview partner? Is he unfair towards his interviewer? He often comes across like this, indeed. But, well, I dare to say that a reporter has to have a very thick skin. If not, then this is no job for him/her. So I would say that reporters have to accept the behavior of their interview partner whatsoever. As long as the celeb or artist does not blame or attack them, of course (Anybody knows Klaus Kinski?? )
But on the other hand I can’t remember witnessing Cillian acting spoilt or rude in interviews like some of these narcisstic stars who think normal people are just beyond them. Also Cillian isn't an actor who has "airs and graces". But I have to admit, I’m not so fond of EVERY single interview he has ever given. Because they got boring and uninteresting for me I didn’t really read all of them LOL
Okay, I agree, fact is: he should change the way he’s doing interviews, really. He has to approach them more relaxed, with more appreciation for this medium of advertising, he has to show love for all aspects of his work, even if there are some he does not like. He has to deliver more interesting stuff about himself. The way he acts in interviews is really a deficit he has to change. He must see that interviews are part of earning his money and therefore he has to act more professional in this department.

That comment about De Niro. That sounded indeed very out of place and inconsiderate, but actually I think it was maybe more insulting towards the readers of the interview than towards De Niro himself. I think so because Cillian seems to forget that for him these questions are maybe repeating, but for the one who reads it the questions maybe new and interesting to read. So I think Cillian should try to think more from the viewpoint of a reader and fan.


Cillian’s ambition:
Yes, I don’t like the fact either that Cillian is not doing big budget movies anymore (or at least has a hiatus from them) because I really love these movies. (And Cillian seems to disregard the fact that Hollywood movies can be intelligent and challenging too. But maybe he just wants to avoid the Hollywood lifestyle. Who can blame him for that? ) But just because I don’t like this decision it doesn’t mean that I’m not defending it. I try to understand him. Everyone deserves that others try to understand ones decisions and lifestyle. He has his own life, he makes his own decisions. He does not dance to the pipes of us, his fans. As much as I would want him to do that, believe me. I really would. Don’t misunderstand me, peeps, it IS frustrating for us to have so little to discuss here about new projects at the moment. But it’s his decision. He’s just an actor I adore. Not a puppet who shall dance when I say so. He’s doing what he wants to do, if good for his career or bad is his responsibility. Does that mean I’m quitting being a fan of him? No. I’m just not THAT enthusiastic about his recent projects, that’s all. But for now, I will keep with him, I will stay loyal to him. Let’s see what the future brings. But at the moment I exercise patience.

Yes, maybe he has passed his chances and gets only offered small projects that turn out as flops. Maybe. But we don’t know what he’s getting offered, which decisions he privately took etc. Maybe wrong ones, maybe he just took on projects because he found it interesting to play these roles… maybe he’s just doing whatever the f*ck he enjoys to do. Who knows. And as long as I don’t know 100% of something, I just can’t and won’t claim anything about it. We can make guesses, sure. We can build our opinions on the things we witness. And we can draw very valuable, intelligent and comprehensible conclusions - which may be even true. But in the end the things we witness are only one side of the whole matter. “Behind the scenes” it maybe looks totally different.


Although I do am always ready to criticize aspects of Cillian and not just blindly admire every move he makes, for I’m a grown up admirer and not a silly fan of 13 years, I will stay patient and understandable and enduring about the things he does. He will do things once in a while that will annoy me or bore me or put my endurance to the test. And I will be able to talk about it and to face it.
Maybe one has to be patient to be a fan of Cillian Murphy.

Sept 24, 2012 16:27:19 GMT -5 Pisces said:

I hope I haven't offended any friends here, but I have defended Cillian many times in the past for this sort of thing and I simply can't do so any more. I love his work, always have, and respect his art to the nth degree. Just can't deal with his interviews.

Of course not. It’s a sign of friendship and maturity when people can discuss different matters with eachother in an adult and well mannered way. And I appreciate that we girls here are able to do that in such an enriching and interesting way.

Thanks to you all for participating this discussion!



SORRY FOR THAT LONG POST!!! ARGHH...

[Pisces]

Wow, great discussion all around! Seems that this thread has turned into something of a confessional. Everyone has made valid points, and I see the value in each. I will add a little more, then I promise to end my rant, lol.

It was mentioned that Cillian doesn't 'act like a celeb' and I believe that's something he also celebrates in himself. However, I would argue that he DOES act like a celeb. Each time he disrespects a journalist by complaining about being interviewed, he's acting like a celeb. When he can't be bothered to show at his own premieres (yes, this has happened), he's acting like a celeb. When he becomes irritated with a journalist for not knowing his nationality, he's acting like a celeb. He may not be doing this in the stereotypical ways we are all accustomed to - such as being splashed all over TMZ for doing something stupid, landing in rehab, etc - but he does still engage in behaviors for which an average person would suffer professional consequences. And as Zombie said, it would be nice if he at least once acknowledged his fans in some other way than expressing that he hopes he never has too many of them. Of course he has some fans that are OTT and he has legitimate reasons for being wary of that, but an enormous majority of his fans are just decent people who enjoy his work, and they happen to support him financially as well. They are the ones who put enough money in his pocket to enable him to sit in posh restaurants and sip wine while bemoaning the drudgery of promotional work. And as Hyacinth said, he seems to forget that the whole purpose of the interviews is to benefit him. The journalist isn't doing this for his health, lol.

Re: shyness; I do relate. I'm a shy, introverted person myself, and have been frequently misunderstood throughout my life as cold, snobbish, you name it. When in fact I was frozen in fear or hesitation. This is the very reason I've given Cillian so much latitude over the years for his public persona; anyone can go back through this forum and find many instances where I defended him and mentioned his shyness. However, shyness does not equate nor excuse rudeness, and I do find that his constant griping is rude. It's disrespectful to the journalist who is face to face with him, and to his eventual readers as well.

Someone mentioned that they prefer his honesty to acting 'fake', I would agree that in most cases honesty is of value. But when engaging in anything work-related - and in Cillian's case, an interview is work time - honesty can be a terrible detriment. Think about your own job and how well it would serve you if you spoke your mind about everything that displeased you. Also, there is a matter of common courtesy. We ALL 'fake it'. Every day. We smile at the clerk in the grocery store, we feign interest in a conversation from a somewhat dull person. Do we always want to? No. But we do it because we don't want to look like jerks, and because it greases the wheels of society and makes things a little nicer all around. I'm not sure why Cillian seems unable to exercise even this basic level of social skill for a short time, especially since he makes his living 'faking it' onscreen.

Zombie, I loved your point about Cillian not being a puppet who shall dance when we say so. ;D That is very true indeed. He doesn't have to please us; he has only to please himself. But as fans, we reserve the right to not enjoy or support every choice he makes. He is free to drop large films in favor of small projects like British television, and we are free to disregard this choice because it doesn't appeal to us or because it would require more effort to see than we're willing to extend. I confess that I have very little interest in Broken, have lost what little interest I had in Red Lights, and have none for Peaky Blinders. He may never again choose a project that excites me. To be honest, Cillian never had the career that I thought he would. He is gifted with something incredibly special and unique, but he has ended up like the superhero who decided not to use his powers. Imagine Superman if he'd always remained Clark Kent.

Anyway, as Zombie said, we only know what we can see. We have only our speculations and assumptions, and they may all be wrong. Or they may be spot on. We will never know.

End rant.

[thehyacinthgirl]

At the end of the day, a celebrity (be it actor, singer, artist, whatever) is only what they permit us to see and we'll either love it or hate it. Or, worse, we'll be indifferent to it. We'll never 'know' them. We'll never matter to them on any grand scale. BUT - the acting world is all about performance and promotion. In order to want to see a film it has to be promoted. In order to want to watch an actor they have to 'sell themselves', lets say.

Cillian's been selling himself short for years and years and years.

He says 'I prefer not to give anything away so people can go into a cinema and watch my role without any preconceived notions of me" which is fair enough. But that's a double edged sword in a sense because the only 'impression' I get of him is a somewhat bland, somewhat rude, somewhat bored actor who has little respect for the 'machine' he's a part of and would rather sit in the pub with a pint than sit and talk for half an hour. When I consider some of the sh*t I had to do for my job (which I too hated) with a smile painted on my face I wondered "Is it THAT hard to just bite your tongue and get on with it, Murphy?"

It's sad really. Dare I say, if he had a better attitude he might not still be 'up and coming' after fifteen years. He'd have arrived and stayed or dwindled away. Who knows? But at least he'd have been here.

[dulcemirita]

Now you can read the Port Magazine interview on line with Cillian in all his glory

www.port-magazine.com/feature/cillian-murphy-murphys-law/#.UGwvIBglZo4&panel1-1

[Cait]

Thank you, Dulcemirita! Still think that photo of him with the cowboy hat is one of my favourites! Nice to have the other photos, too. Have a CB!!!

[wikkleshamrocks]

I just read the article properly the other day & I don't think he's coming across negative at all. He actually sounds like he's more concerned to be repeating himself other than moaning at interview questions. Plus the interviewer got one of his kids' names wrong but that's really not of too much interest in the regard of things. It's about his work. I love hearing about his journeys and evolutions on sets and stage as a character that's the awesome stuff

[razzthekid]

Wow.....ok. I 've read most of the replies here and i honestly think people are being extremely harsh.

I've always known (and so has everyone else on here) that Cillian isn't one for discussion, especially when it revolves around himself. That's one thing i think everyone is interpreting completely the wrong way- saying that he's coming off as snobbish and elitist when really it's completely the opposite. He is a shy quiet person(we can all tell, especially if you've met him) who doesn't seem to like attention being focused on him as a person. He doesn't like being in the spotlight, he'd rather just do his work and put his all into it, which he invariably always does and then be free to go back to being himself.

Personally i have no problems at all with his attitude. Many people are just born to be extroverts, they love to talk- about themselves, the work, whatever- and they can smile through interviews and not get bored no matter how many of the same questions they're thrown. They love attention of any kind! Then there are people who are more introverted like Cillian. Yes he's chosen acting as a profession and he's obviously passionate about the work and the character and always tries to better himself but that doesn't mean he should always be upbeat and smiley and happy to chat for hours about that work. It's just not his personality and people have to accept that. I'd probably be of the exact same ilk. I've always thought acting could be something i'd love but i'm quite reserved and quiet too so i've never had the confidence to give it a go. If i did one day though, i have a feeling i'd be the same as Cillian- love the work but hate having to sit there with all the attention focused on me and feeling like complete strangers are trying to intrude into my life and not being able to figure out why. I'd much rather just stay home and listen to music or read a book and let the other members of the crew/cast do that part.
It doesn't disminish the passion of the work or take away from how much he enjoys making movies.

I dunno, i just feel it's quite unfair how people are suddenly jumping on the man.

He can't change the way he is. Some people are very good at playing characters but when it comes to faking emtions- like pretending to enjoy something you don't, it's just very hard. (Also something i know very well!)


And the lack of ambition comments i find very misplaced and unfounded. Cillian loves his work and he has always said that he prefers to work in theatre and on smaller movies, this doesn't equate to a lack of ambition, it simply means he has ambitions of a different nature than "I want to conquer Hollywood and be an A-list star and have everyone know who i am".
Given that we know him as a private and homely man it's no surprise that this isn't his ambition. He's more intersted in the craft and the characters than the fame or attention that comes with it. He just wants to do his work and be left alone. It's unfortuate perhaps that he is such an introvert in a profession that generally requires an outgoing and bubbly personality, but again that's not his fault. If he found something he loves to do and is passionate about, he should be allowed to do it without feeling pressure to put on a show every time he's interviewed and pretend to be someone he's not.

Anyway those are just my thoughts! I have no quarrel with his interviews and still find him very endearing. I actually find it refreshing that he is so different to most other actors and that he doesn't seem to feel the need to put on this show of "Aren't i so charming and funny and cool?" all the time. He's just a regular guy after all and i love him for that!

[Cait]

Being an introvert myself, I totally see your point, Razz. It's not easy being an introvert in an extroverted world. People always expect you to be bubbly and outgoing, and if you're not, then you're considered both uninteresting and uninterested. While I don't mind going unnoticed by people, I do enjoy being around people and knowing that I'm interesting to someone.

I accept Cillian as he is, and Zombiekitten also made a very good point in saying that he has his own life, and can't be expected to do something just because it suits us better.

Everyone has a right to an opinion, and I respect all of yours. I know that there was no offence intended here, but I think this discussion has run its course.

[wikkleshamrocks]

I think it's a great discussion! It's not meant to be an argument and it isn't. It has showed different perspectives and brought up good questions and interesting thoughts. Maybe Cillian is being picked apart a little but he is used to that being an actor surely. I'm sure he wouldn't give a flying pair of socks about our discussion, he's far too busy enjoying his career and other parts of his life. ;D I must say, this thread has been one of the few that actually has some brain involved, whether good or bad that is a matter of taste and opinion but I do love a good discussion. I'm not dissing other threads in the sense they have great information, links, news, shares artwork and what not posted especially by the regulars here. I am somewhat a little lazy with that but here is the first port of call I come to for latest news because a few of you are sharp on the ball! As you see I had quite a contrast of views regarding this subject and that's how I roll and so I can enjoy everyone's imput here.

[dulcemirita]

I love the fact that some in here, despite admiring his job and his overall persona, be able and objective enough as to throw some critics when it comes to deal with press promotions...But I'm not going to add anything new to this brainy thread, all your points are valid and understandeable.
Here you have the last interview (probably done long time ago, but published right now in line with the DVD Red Lights release) We've heard all this before,yes, but to me there is always something new to learn...so he tries to get some naps in between takes..(filming can get really boring sometimes)

www.femalefirst.co.uk/movies/Cillian+Murphy-262414.html

[Zombiekitten]

Yeah, I'm enjoying decent and brainy discussions too.
As long as nobody insults the other and the discussions are held in an adult manner it's something enjoyable and can also be very enriching. Sharing different viewpoints, making different conclusions, showing different sides of a topic etc...
I think we should embrace the fact that we are able to have such decent, adult and friendly conversations here. It's not always like this in the web. A lot of people tend to hide behind their anonymity and see their web alias as kind of a freepass to act rude.
My device is to talk in a forum, under a nickname, the way I would do that in every day life too.

[Cait]

Very true, Zombie. We're very lucky here in that respect. Everyone is always mature and respectful to other members!

I feel a little two-faced on this subject, to be honest. On one hand, I accept that's just how Cillian is, and on the other, I wish he would let loose and be more enthusiastic.

[Jay]

Cheekbones Perfection! <3