Cillian Murphy on Small Things Like These and his life post-Oscar win

Video Description

What’s our individual responsibility when we see atrocities happening in our world? That question is the central premise of the new film “Small Things Like These,” which sheds light on Ireland’s infamous Magdalene laundries. Set in a small Irish town in 1985, the film stars Cillian Murphy as Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and father of five girls who discovers that the local convent in his community is forcing the young women in their care to live under inhumane conditions. Cillian joins Tom Power to talk about the film, why he didn't want to portray his character as a hero, and what life has been like for him after winning an Oscar for “Oppenheimer” earlier this year. 00:00 Introduction and the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland 02:00 The character of Bill Furlong and how he sees his character's journey 04:37 On physical performance 05:43 How director Tim Mielants pushed him 06:41 The responsibility of telling an Irish story 08:04 On speaking with survivors 08:31 The emotions of the story 10:09 What motivated him to tell the story 11:47 The power of the film 12:56 On collaborating with Christopher Nolan 14:33 Trust in collaboration 16:12 Winning an Oscar and being slagged (the highest form of affection) 17:35 What changes after winning an Academy Award 19:15 On making interesting work 20:28 Returning to 'Peaky Blinders' 22:14 Irish art at the forefront Follow and subscribe to our podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/JIWpRCGR Q with Tom Power is a daily conversation with the artists, writers, actors and musicians who define this cultural moment in time. The conversation is informal, wide-ranging, playful, and allows the artist to explore their art and the contexts that have shaped them through their career. Visit https://www.cbc.ca/arts/q for more! Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbcq Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/QwithTomPower Or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QwithTomPower Thumbnail image by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP #cillianmurphy #podcast #radio