Cillian Murphy on 28 Days Later: I wasnt too aware we were making a zombie movie

Like many people, the first time I really saw Cillian Murphy in anything was 28 Days Later, which came out in 2002. Cillian was 26 years old when it came out and it was his big break after years spent doing mostly theater and smaller roles. Cillian was great in the Danny Boyle film and he gave a very grounded performance for a film which is fundamentally about “what if zombies were fast?” Cillian still loves the film, so much so that he’s open to returning to that world, and he recently signed up to executive produce a continuation of the 28-Days-Later world, with Danny Boyle attached. Cillian also talked a lot about the film during his SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversation, which happened in December but the quotes are coming out now. Some highlights:

He didn’t know it was a zombie movie: “I wasn’t too aware we were making a zombie movie, to be honest with you,” Murphy noted, adding he hadn’t seen any of George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” series. “It was right around the time SARS happened and there was all this ‘air rage’ stuff going on. So I never felt it was a zombie film. And I’m glad I didn’t watch the Romero movies because I didn’t realize how hallowed those movies were.”

A dead genre: “Before ’28 Days Later,’ there weren’t that many zombie movies — it was kind of a dead genre,” he said, causing the audience to laugh over the unintentional pun. “So Danny [Boyle] and Alex [Garland] rebooted it.”

Murphy saw the frequent references to the film during the pandemic. “The amount of memes — I do know what a meme is — that everybody sent me during the pandemic of ‘28 Days Later’ was crazy. It just shows that good writing is prescient, it always remains prescient and relative.”

He was a huge Danny Boyle fan: “[Shallow Grave & Trainspotting] were formative films for me. I remember going to see them in the cinema, they were huge for me. So I really desperately wanted [’28 Days Later.’]” He estimated he auditioned six times for the part.

Working with Brendan Gleeson: Murphy noted that he was grateful they had already worked together. Gleeson played the title role in 1998’s “Sweety Barrett,” a small Irish film that marked Murphy’s film debut as “Pat the Barman.” “I remember on that film I had to pour him a pint of Guinness. My hand was shaking,” Murphy recalled, demonstrating how shaky his hands were. “But he was so kind. I was just a kid, but he would spend the time and talk to you. I think that show the measure of the man. I’ve worked with him five or six times now and he’s one of my all-time heroes and the kindest, sweetest man – and an absolute legend.”

Two endings to 28 Days Later: Murphy also discussed how they shot two endings to the film – one in which Jim survives, another in which he dies. Murphy was asked if he had a preference, with Riley noting she likes the “optimistic” one. “Yeah, I think when I was younger and bit more nihilist … I liked the image of two women surviving at the end and f–k the man. But I think they wanted the version with the hope.”

[From Variety]

I didn’t know they shot two endings, one where Jim doesn’t survive! That would have been sort of awful and I’m glad they went with the other ending. It’s actually one of the best endings I’ve ever seen for such a crazy horror film – so hopeful, out there in the countryside, with all of the blankets and sheets being used to make a sign. As for people sending memes to Cillian… how does that happen, though? He’s not on social media? I guess people email him and one of his kids checks his email and shows him the memes?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

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