Cillian Murphy’s warning for lookalike son revealed

Cillian Murphy has been a household name for decades, so when he offers you his words of wisdom, you listen.

The Peaky Blinders lookalike son, Aran, is following in his famous father’s footsteps, starring in the HBO comedy series Youth, and recently revealed the warning his dad shared as he continues his rise to Hollywood.

The 19-year-old revealed that Cillian encouraged him to trust his instincts, advice he often falls back on.

“His piece of advice is always just trust your instinct,” Aran told Bafta. “So that was kind of the bit that I took with me and tried to use,” he added.

Aran is quickly making a name for himself after his debut in the indie sci-fi film Lola. Alongside his role in Youth, he will next star in the HBO legal drama War, alongside Dominic West and Sienna Miller.

Later this year, he will also feature in Taika Waititi‘s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Klara and the Sun, starring alongside Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams.

Like father, like son

Aran hasn’t only inherited his dad’s passion for film, but also his trademark ice-blue eyes and deep brunette locks.

He appears to have adopted Cillian’s nonchalant attitude too. At a recent event for Youth, fans were in disbelief over their similarities.

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“The body language. The voice. Even the way he moves his lips and does that tongue thing Cillian does. This is wild,” one commented. A second said: “Is nonchalance a genetic trait in that family.”

A third added: “That apple didn’t even fall,” and a fourth penned: “That’s not his son; that’s his clone.”

While Cillian previously kept a low profile about his family, he has expressed his desire to see his sons follow in his acting footsteps. He also shares Malachy with his wife, Yvonne McGuinness.

But despite Aran’s success, Cillian admitted in a 2024 interview that he’s not putting him under “any pressure,” and he’ll support him in whichever career path he chooses.

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“It may not be the thing he does, but he’s really good at it,” he told The Telegraph. “One of my friends saw him in a play and said, ‘Cill, he’s better looking, he’s a better actor, he’s younger, and he’s taller. You’re [expletive].’

“We’ll see,” he continued. “People are smart enough to judge you on your talent. There’s no way any kid will get by on nepotism alone. Everyone in this business gets found out unless they’re good, and he’s a good little actor.

“But we’re not putting him under any pressure. If he decides to become a musician or a poet or a farmer or a chef, that’s up to him.”

Cillian and his wife are raising their two sons in Ireland having previously been based in London. Of their decision to relocate, Cillian told The Guardian in 2016: “We wanted them to be Irish, I suppose… It’s amazing how quickly their accents have adapted.”

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Meanwhile, during a chat with The Irish Times, the Academy Award-winning actor explained how their decision to quit the Big Smoke was prompted by a desire for “something quieter.”

“The kids are of a certain age. I think if you live in a world capital – like New York or London or wherever – it’s excellent and exciting and stimulating in your 20s and 30s,” he said.

“Then there’s a point where the things that were excellent and stimulating are now a bit sort of tedious and draining. You want something quieter and that’s what we did.”