Until somewhat recently, versatile Irish actor Cillian Murphy was often regarded as more of a go-to villain than as a sex symbol . . . but that was before the world saw him in Peaky Blinders [1] and realised that he's drop-dead gorgeous. How his chiseled bone structure and striking blue eyes avoided widespread celebrity-crush status for so long is a mystery, because Murphy has been gorgeous from the start of his career — and we've rounded up 29 movie moments that prove it. Before reading on, be warned: his signature jaw clench may cause heart palpitations.
There's no better way to start a Cillian Murphy eye-candy journey than with a good look at his cheekbones and crystal-blue eyes.
In this 28 Days Later scene, he's the only man in London — and in our hearts.
And in one of his scariest roles, as Scarecrow in Batman Begins, he makes a straitjacket look weirdly sexy — yikes.
When he licks his lips, it's over. RIP.
His eyes are so piercing, they could probably kill.
Understandably, Cillian rolling those eyes is basically a religious experience for viewers.
We wish we could offer him a massage when he sets super stressed in Inception.
When he rocks WWII-era style in The Edge of Love, we nearly swoon.
And when he looks all sullen on the beach, we naturally think about ways to cheer him up.
Smoking is terrible for you, but watching Murphy smoke (in an army uniform, no less) is good for the soul.
When Murphy holds this adorable baby, he takes things to a whole new level of attractiveness. Calm down, ovaries.
In Broken, he shows up on this doorstep and gets us hoping for a Love Actually moment.
Then, getting annihilated by the sun in Sunshine somehow lends him an angelic glow.
His side-eye is unreal.
And that profile? Sculpted by the gods.
Like, imagine being locked in a storage room with him. Lucy Liu is one lucky woman!
When he bites his lip in Red Eye, he makes the world swoon — and fear for their lives.
He's known for his jaw clenches . . . and it's not hard to see why.
Feast your eyes on the jaw [2], everyone.
He gets a bit roughed up in Red Lights, but those baby blues are simply stunning.
A bit of scruff makes his jawline look even more chiseled.
And don't even get us started about Murphy with long hair.
Even when he's scared for his life, there's something gorgeous about him!
When he's playing a villain, Murphy becomes menacingly handsome.
Probably because his sass face is unmatched.
(The appropriate reaction if Murphy were to walk into the room.)
Lord help us, he's even cute when he's crying.
Murphy and Tom Hardy in a single scene, wearing well-tailored suits to boot? Consider us dead.
He might look annoyed while on the run from the mob in Perrier's Bounty, but he looks good doing it.
And now you're picturing him in the bath. (You're welcome.)
