Before Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy was already a recognizable face in Hollywood. With film credits like Red Eye, Inception and The Dark Knight, the actor has truly made a name for himself. However, he still prefers to keep his personal life out of the spotlight, enjoying a blissful, private marriage with wife Yvonne McGuinness. After portraying Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film, fans are curious to learn more about Cillian’s relationship and his family. 

Keep reading to learn everything we know about Cillian’s wife, Yvonne! 

Who Is Cillian Murphy’s Wife? 

Yvonne is originally from Kilkenny, Ireland, whereas her husband is from Cork, Ireland. She attended the Royal College of Art in London and received her Master of Arts. 

In 2004, Yvonne and Cillian officially tied the knot after meeting during the stage tour of his production Disco Pigs. In 2001, the play was adapted into a film, which also starred Cillian. 

“That time, making Disco Pigs, was kind of the most important period of my life,” Cillian explained during a 2016 interview. “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.”

What Does Cillian Murphy’s Spouse Yvonne McGuinness Do for a Living? 

Yvonne works as a visual artist, focusing on video installation and print pieces. Her work has been displayed throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom. Apart from her artwork, Yvonne has also directed several short films, including Charlie’s Place and This is Between Us. 

According to Yvonne’s personal website, her work “encompasses film, performance, sculptural and textile elements, sound and writing.” 

“She has an interest in embodied experience of place and belonging by staging live, public, interventions and performances which create surreal and dynamic moments of interaction and connection to place, time and communities,” Yvonne’s portfolio site reads. “This is immersive work, which is collaborative and generally temporary. Her film installation work often reconstructs the documentation of these performances for gallery contexts.” 

Do Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness Have Kids? 

Cillian and Yvonne share two sons: Malachy and Aran Murphy. The father of two does his best to shield his and Yvonne’s children from the pressures of Hollywood. However, Cillian has, on rare occasion, spoken about their kids. 

During a July 2023 video interview, Cillian joked that Malachy and Aran don’t prefer to watch their dad’s movies. 

“Most of what I do is highly unsuitable for them,” Cillian noted. “They’re suitably underwhelmed by my work. I’m trying to keep them in that state because it’s such a silly industry.”

Where Do Cillian Murphy and His Family Live? 

Cillian made it clear that big cities weren’t where he and Yvonne wanted to raise their kids. 

“We did live in London for 14 years; it was a big chunk of my life from my mid 20s to my late 30s,” Cillian explained in July 2023. “I really enjoyed it, it was really exciting, it’s a great city, but the move to Dublin wasn’t motivated by wanting to distance myself from the industry. I was purely motivated by wanting to come home to Ireland and raise our kids as Irish and be near our families. … I don’t believe that you have to live in Los Angeles or New York or London to make good work; it means you have to travel a little more, but it hasn’t affected my work or professional life in any way. It just means that when I stop working, I’m not surrounded by it, and that to me is healthy.”