Cillian Murphy‘s former guitar teacher has recalled the star’s days as a musician, revealing he was in a teenage band that sounded like Fontaines D.C. and U2.
Before his days as an Oscar-winning actor, the star was involved in music, including a jazz band, and nearly pursued a career in the field.
Mark O’Leary has now opened up in a new interview with Echo Live about his days teaching in Cork, recalling that he crossed paths with Murphy when he walked in “a wet, windy Saturday afternoon” in parka.
He praised the then-teenage Murphy as “a handy guitarist”, revealing that he introduced him to another student and the two formed a band together.
O’Leary said that Murphy had an “aura and presence” and that “people were going, ‘this guy is gifted’.”
“Having taught him, I could be prejudiced, but the band was at that mezzanine level between Fontaines D.C. and U2,” he shared.
“He could have had that. The band broke up. Cillian got into acid jazz and then into acting. The acid jazz ship had sailed. He starred in Disco Pigs. His timing was good. He’s a determined guy.”
Last year, an old clip of Murphy discussing the importance of live music around the time of his jazz band The Sons of Mr Green Genes emerged online.
“It came from the whole spirit of jazz, which is the freedom to express yourself on your instrument, which has been lost,” he said, adding that “it can be argued through the ’80s and through the early ’90s [bands were] playing to a pop formula.”
“This is the freedom to go a bit further,” the pre-fame star continued. “Obviously it has its roots in jazz and ’70s music but it’s moving on and becoming popular now…. I think it’s great because people of our age are beginning to appreciate musicianship as opposed to a catchy tune. They begin to appreciate live music.”
Meanwhile, Murphy is due to return to the role of Jim in the ongoing 28 Years Later trilogy, having missed out on the recent first entry. He is also reprising his role as Tommy Shelby in the new Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man, while a new series of the BBC crime drama is also in the pipeline.
