Who Is Cillian Murphy’s Wife? Everything to Know About the Actor's Low-Key Partner

Cillian Murphy may prefer to keep his personality in his art, rather than in the celebrity tabloids, but that hasn’t stopped fans from being curious about his love life. The famously press-shy Irish actor, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his title role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer last year, has been married for over two decades now. 

Below we break down everything you need to know about his under-the-radar, surprisingly normal relationship to wife Yvonne McGuinness.

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How Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness Met

Both natives of Ireland, Murphy and McGuinness met far from a movie set or Hollywood premiere party. In fact, the 28 Days Later and Peaky Blinders star wasn’t even famous at the time, or at least he wasn’t nearly as famous as he is now. He got his break in the 1990s acting in a local production of the play Disco Pigs in Cork, Ireland, which became a hit and toured in Dublin, London, and eventually around the world. During this time, Murphy and McGuinness got to know each other, and she joined him on his whirlwind ride as a performer.

"That time, making Disco Pigs, was kind of the most important period of my life," Murphy told The Guardian in 2016. "The people I met there remain my closest friends… They shaped me in terms of my tastes, in terms of what I wanted to do with my life. And it was around the same time I met my wife. She came on tour with us. It was so exciting, 20 years ago or whatever it was—we were all just kids, trying to find our way—but such a special, special time."

McGuinness and Murphy made things official and wed in 2004. Soon they had two sons together: Malachy in 2005, and Aran in 2007.

What Is McGuinness’s Background? What Does She Do?

While Murphy was born and raised in the suburbs of Cork, McGuinness hails from Kilkenny on the Emerald Isle. She holds a master's degree from the Royal College of Art in London.

Though she may be married to an actor known for maximalist blockbuster films like Inception and Batman Begins, McGuinness has made her own stamp as a visual artist. She “creates innovative, situational art installations,” according to People.

"Her work encompasses film, performance, sculptural and textile elements, sound and writing," per McGuinness' website, which adds that she stages "live, public interventions and performances."

Over 20 Years in Love and Counting

These days, Murphy and McGuinness have made their life in Dublin with their teenage sons, after a long stint in London. And they have no plans to pack it and move to sunny Southern California any time soon.

"I don't need to live in Los Angeles," Murphy told People in 2005. "I'd be tremendously far away from my family—I'd never see them."

Indeed, when he went up to grab his Oscar last year, Murphy sent a lot of love and thanks to his better half in his speech.

"I love you so much,” he said, “and I'm a very proud Irish man standing here tonight.”

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