Cillian Murphy is one of those unique beasts; an attractive actor who has been in both critically acclaimed indie films and huge box-office successes – but is still definitely an actor, not a movie star. Some of this distinction comes from his commitment to maintaining a career in theatre, but much of it arises from his publicity-shy personality.

Murphy, now 40, is rarely seen at awards shows and does a minimal amount of interviews, never appearing truly comfortable with the camera being on him unless he’s in character.

He has previously commented on how much he dislikes the increasingly “dumbed-down” nature of press interviews, saying that “the reductive nature nowadays of most journalism is very frustrating.” It’s an understandable complaint – in an era where most interviews are between four and 15 minutes, it’s difficult to explore any issue in-depth. But it also seems that Murphy appreciates the brevity, as it allows him to maintain his privacy. When asked about his views on politics, fatherhood or even just his current passions, he can neatly avoid giving too much away by claiming “oh, there’s too much to say in such a short time.”