Why Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy had “completely different approach” for new Netflix film

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Cillian Murphy shared that the unique nature of his new Netflix movie, *Steve*, led him to rethink his acting process, especially after his recent success and Academy Award win.

The new film starring the Irish actor, adapted from Max Porter’s 2023 story *Shy*, is playing in select cinemas now and will be available to stream starting October 3rd.

The show features Murphy as Steve, the principal of a school for boys with serious challenges. These students are often considered a last resort, and while Steve tries to maintain a cheerful attitude, the pressure of the job is secretly taking a toll on him.

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Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Enda Walsh, who also collaborated with Murphy on the stage play *Grief Is the Thing with Feathers*, *Steve* marks another partnership between the actor and the playwright.

Murphy recently told *Metro* that he did things differently for his newest role. Usually a very prepared actor, he intentionally did less preparation than he normally would.

I did things very differently this time around,” he said. “Usually, I spend a lot of time alone, doing intense research and reading, and fully immersing myself in the character – working on their voice and how they move.

I become completely immersed in my work, keeping it very personal at first. I don’t discuss it with others until I start collaborating with the director.

He explained that, after hearing Max speak, he decided to be fully present and react to whatever unfolded.

Honestly, the way I saw it, the best way to get ready for this role was to really live in the moment. I just tried to fully experience everything the character was going through *as* it was happening, letting it all sink in. It felt like the most natural approach.

I’ve been hearing great things about *Steve*! It stars Emily Watson and Tracey Ullman, and so far, critics seem to really like it. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 77% approval rating based on 47 reviews, which is awesome!

Rolling Stone praised the film as both darkly humorous and intellectually stimulating, adding that it’s as suspenseful as anticipated. Empire Magazine described it as a powerful and impassioned depiction of a failing education system.

Steve is out now in selected cinemas and will be released on Netflix on 3 October.

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2025-09-20 01:49