Podcast Summary: Cillian Murphy Talks 'Steve'

Podcast: All Of It | Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Date: December 31, 2025
Guest: Cillian Murphy
Film Discussed: Steve (Directed by Tim Mealance, streaming on Netflix)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the making and meaning of Steve, a new film starring Cillian Murphy as a headteacher at a British reform school for boys, navigating a spiraling day of crises. The conversation delves into Murphy's approach to acting and producing, his collaboration with director Tim Mealance, the challenges and rewards of working with young actors, and the ambiguous, open-ended nature of the film's story. The interview also touches on Murphy's enduring connection to his role in Peaky Blinders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Making of Steve: Production Choices & Process

• Quick Production Cycle

  • The adaptation from book to script to filming took about six months.

    "I'd say about maybe six months. It was pretty quick."
    —Cillian Murphy (02:34)

• Benefits of a Short, Chronological Shoot

  • The film was shot on a tight schedule and in sequence, thanks in part to lessons Murphy learned from Ken Loach, making it emotionally accessible, especially for young actors.

    "Particularly for a story like this... it's very hard to sustain that, certainly for this character, that level of kind of charged anxiety and kind of live it."
    —Cillian Murphy (02:47)

  • Shooting sequentially meant the actors could experience events like their characters—in the order they occurred.

    "They're accumulating the information emotionally as they go along, as per the character."
    —Cillian Murphy (04:31)

Collaboration with Director Tim Mealance

• Working Relationship and Trust
  • Murphy calls Mealance "a magician," and credits their mutual trust with creating a safe space for creative risk-taking.

    "[Tim] is a real, real artist... I'd work with him forever... We have a massive understanding and trust together, you know." (05:51, 05:54, 06:05)

  • On feeling safe with a director:

    "Just feeling safe to experiment, feeling safe to try things out, you know, to make mistakes. Sometimes mistakes are kind of portal to real creativity, I think."
    —Cillian Murphy (06:34)

Portraying 'Steve': Character Insights and Philosophy

• A Day in the Life, Acting Philosophy

  • Murphy approached the role by reacting in each moment, since so much is thrown at the character unexpectedly throughout the day.

    "It was more about reacting than acting, if you know what I mean." (07:09)
    "The best way to do it was not to plan anything and just to be completely open to what I received, really."
    —Cillian Murphy (08:02)

• The Calling of Teaching and Personal Connection

  • Murphy relates to Steve’s vocation as both his parents were teachers. He sees the work as driven by a genuine desire to help kids who have been ignored or abandoned.

    "I think it's a vocational job. I think you kind of need to do this thing and you have a drive in you to help people or to help children in this case."
    —Cillian Murphy (08:57)

  • What draws someone like Steve to the job:

    "If you can reach that kid and make him or her feel seen... that level of satisfaction keeps bringing people back to it."
    —Cillian Murphy (09:53)

• Personal Cost of Care

  • Steve sacrifices his own well-being for his students.

    "He's probably not caring for himself in any way. And, you know, so he's minding all these kids and the school is falling apart and it’s underfunded... So I think the last thing he's thinking about is himself."
    —Cillian Murphy (10:08)

• Day-to-Day Hope vs. Grand Ambitions

  • Steve just wants the boys to feel "okay"—today and tomorrow—especially to feel valued in a world that has often dismissed them.

    "I think he wants them to feel like they are valued and that they are valued in the school and then hopefully valued by society..."
    —Cillian Murphy (10:55)

Working With Young Actors

• Energy and Inspiration
  • The commitment and natural energy of the young cast inspired Murphy.

    "They gave me a real shot in the arm, you know, their commitment and their energy for it... So I kind of thrived off their energy."
    —Cillian Murphy (11:39)

  • On what he learned:

    "Just their life, the life that they have and that sense of potential that kind of gets eroded and as you get older, I suppose."
    —Cillian Murphy (12:04)

Notable Cast: Tracey Ullman

• On Working With Tracey Ullman

  • Murphy admires Ullman’s depth as a dramatic actress and the personal warmth she brought to set.

    "She's just an icon, and she's just also a beautiful human being. She's a really caring, kind, soulful person who happens to be hilariously funny, but is a brilliant dramatic actor and just doesn't get to kind of show that off much."
    —Cillian Murphy (12:38)

• Character Dynamics

  • Ullman’s character is Steve’s confidante—someone he tells more to than his own wife, a relationship essential for his survival.

    "I think she’s his most important confidante and friend in the world... I think he compartmentalizes everything."
    —Cillian Murphy (13:10)

• The 'Tricky World' of Addiction

  • Compartmentalization allows Steve to rationalize his addictions and secrets.

    "That's the kind of tricky world of addiction. You know, everything becomes justified, I think."
    —Cillian Murphy (13:52)

Steve and Shai: Parallel Journeys

• Mirroring Pain and Potential

  • Steve and student Shai are "two sides of a coin"—both sensitive and talented, but unable to reach each other as their crisis unfolds.

    "Events trigger them both into this kind of sort of breakdown, and they're sort of circling around each other, and they both really care for each other, but they can't reach each other."
    —Cillian Murphy (14:27)

• Seeing the Good In Others

  • Steve sees potential in Shai, especially his love for music, but tries to see the best in everyone.

    "I think he sees the best in people. He's not one of those people."
    —Cillian Murphy (15:21)

Interpretations and Ambiguity of the Film’s Ending

• Open-Ended Storytelling

  • The film is deliberately ambiguous, allowing audiences to bring their own experiences to the ending.

    "It's not meant to be in any way prescriptive. It's meant to be ambiguous entirely and open to interpretation."
    —Cillian Murphy (15:47)

  • On audience finishing the story:

    "I really enjoy that in art, where it's the audience finishes the story rather than the storytellers."
    —Cillian Murphy (16:26)

• Contrasting Home and Work Life

  • After a harrowing day, Steve returns to a loving family—further complicating viewers’ perceptions of his character.

    "Yeah, he's raising girls when he's minding boys."
    —Cillian Murphy (17:04)

Peaky Blinders: Longevity and Character Growth

• What Keeps Him Coming Back
  • The writing is the main draw, and the chance to inhabit a character across 12 years is rare and rewarding.

    "The writing was the... Always the draw because it was exceptional writing. And I'm always attracted to good writing."
    —Cillian Murphy (17:34)

  • "You get to age with that character and... You can go to places you never normally would really."
    —Cillian Murphy (17:57)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On Chronological Filming:

  "If it's your first time making a film, you know, it's like life. You're gathering it in a linear fashion rather than a crazy, all over the place fashion." —Cillian Murphy (04:31)

• On Collaboration and Safety:

  "Feeling safe to experiment, feeling safe to try things out, you know, to make mistakes. Sometimes mistakes are kind of portal to real creativity, I think." —Cillian Murphy (06:34)

• On Teaching:

  "If you can reach that kid and make him or her like, feel seen... that level of satisfaction keeps bringing people back to it." —Cillian Murphy (09:53)

• On Addiction and Compartmentalization:

  "That's the kind of tricky world of addiction. You know, everything becomes justified, I think." —Cillian Murphy (13:52)

• On Art and Interpretation:

  "It's not meant to be in any way prescriptive. It's meant to be ambiguous entirely and open to interpretation." —Cillian Murphy (15:47)

• On Character Development (Peaky Blinders):

  "You get to age with that character... you can go to places you never normally would really." —Cillian Murphy (17:57)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:24–04:54] – On the film’s quick production and benefits of chronological shooting.
• [05:08–06:34] – Working relationship with Tim Mealance and the importance of trust.
• [06:48–08:31] – Acting approach: reacting vs. acting; working with less backstory.
• [08:53–10:50] – Motivations for teaching, and what Steve sacrifices for the students.
• [11:35–12:18] – Energizing experience of working with young actors.
• [12:38–13:32] – Reflections on Tracey Ullman’s role and the dynamics of compartmentalization/addiction.
• [14:18–15:36] – Steve’s relationship with Shai and how they mirror each other.
• [15:36–17:04] – Ambiguity of the film’s ending and audience interpretation.
• [17:15–18:14] – Longevity with Peaky Blinders: the power of writing and aging with a character.

Memorable Moments

• The revelation that Murphy personally draws on his family background in teaching to inform his role.
• The discussion of shooting sequentially for authenticity, and the emotional benefits for young actors.
• Murphy’s candid thoughts on art's ambiguity: leaving space for the audience’s interpretation.
• The touching acknowledgment of how being surrounded by energetic young actors reinvigorates an experienced artist.
• The gentle humor and camaraderie during the discussion of Tracey Ullman’s serious, yet deeply human, character.

Conclusion:
This episode is a thoughtful exploration of how Steve came together—both technically and emotionally. Cillian Murphy gives insight into his craft, the power of collaboration, and the importance of vulnerability, trust, and ambiguity in art. The conversation balances insight into the filmmaking process with a sensitivity to the themes of teaching, dedication, and the complex inner lives of those who care for society’s most vulnerable.