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Cillian Murphy has turned down ‘a few’ music biopic roles

Cillian Murphy wants to keep his acting career and his love of music separate.

Cillian Murphy has revealed he has turned down “quite a few” biopics about musicians.

In an interview with Rolling Stone UK, the Peaky Blinders actor was asked if he would ever introduce a musical element into his film career considering he is a self-confessed “failed musician”.

He explained that he wanted to keep his love of music and his profession separate, and has rejected scripts for biopics about musicians for that reason.

“I almost want to protect my relationship with it,” he said about his love of music. “It was my first love, and I worked really hard at trying to be a musician and it didn’t work out.

“But I’ve turned down quite a few biopic roles of musicians. I’d much prefer to watch a three-hour Scorsese doc about George Harrison than play George Harrison in a bad wig.”

Murphy declined to reveal who has been approached to portray, however, he quickly clarified, “It wasn’t George Harrison I was asked to play, by the way.”

While his teenage band was almost signed to a major record label, the Irish actor has never been tempted any release any material as an adult because he is so focused on his acting career.

“I will never release any music of my own, never, ever,” the 46-year-old stated. “I want to do one thing well. And I guess because I’m still a little sore about being a failed musician.”

Murphy gave the interview to promote his upcoming movie Oppenheimer, which is released on 21 July.

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