Podcast Summary: All Of It — Cillian Murphy’s 'Steve'
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Cillian Murphy, actor and producer
Episode Date: October 9, 2025
Film In Focus: Steve (now on Netflix)
Episode Overview
This episode of All Of It features an in-depth conversation between host Alison Stewart and Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy about his new film, Steve. Murphy discusses his dual role as actor and producer, the unique production process, working with young actors, and the film’s exploration of teachers, at-risk youth, and personal struggle. The conversation also touches on Murphy’s career, his creative approach, and the ambiguous ending of Steve.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Fast-Tracked Production and Process
- Steve moved from book to script to shooting in about six months, a notably quick timeline.
- [01:40] Cillian Murphy: “It was pretty quick.”
- Murphy valued the shorter shoot, especially given the emotionally intense nature of the character and his responsibilities as both actor and producer.
- [01:53] Murphy: “It's very hard to sustain that, certainly for this character, that level of kind of charged anxiety and... I was also a producer... So a nice brief shoot was probably the best in this instance.”
2. Ken Loach-inspired Filmmaking
- Murphy utilized techniques from director Ken Loach, such as filming chronologically.
- [02:24] Murphy: “We managed to shoot the film chronologically and sequentially. And that was massively beneficial... especially to the younger actors.”
- For certain key scenes, new actors were introduced with no prior rehearsal, heightening the authenticity and tension.
- [02:57] Murphy: “[For the school-closing scene]…the first time they walk into the room is the first time we'd ever seen them…so the scene was incredibly charged…”
3. The Value of Chronological Shooting, Especially for Young Actors
- Chronological shooting allowed young actors to process the story’s emotional journey as their characters would.
- [03:36] Murphy: “They're accumulating the information emotionally as they go along, as per the character... It's like life. You're gathering it in a linear fashion.”
4. Working Relationship with Director Tim Mealance
- Murphy praises his third collaboration with director Tim Mealance, emphasizing trust and creative safety.
- [04:14] Murphy: “He's a magician, really. I'm…in awe of what he does…I'd work with him forever. We have a massive understanding and trust together.”
- [05:11] Murphy: “You learn that through work and experience…He’s there to protect me…We have a shared taste…you feel safe.”
- On creative safety:
- [05:40] Murphy: “Feeling safe to experiment, feeling safe to try things out, you know, to make mistakes. Sometimes mistakes are the portal to real creativity.”
5. Understanding Steve as a Character
- The story is intentionally focused on a single day, making Steve’s backstory largely implicit.
- [06:15] Murphy: “Really what all you need to know... is what you receive on the screen. For me it wasn't about—it was more about reacting than acting.”
- Steve’s day is chaotic, reactive, and driven by the needs and crises around him.
- [07:06] Murphy: “That's the way that his day unfolded…he's over-caffeinated…best way to do it was not to plan anything and just to be completely open…”
6. Teaching as Vocation and Sacrifice
- Murphy, with both parents as retired teachers, sees teaching—especially for troubled youth—as vocational and deeply rewarding for those invested.
- [08:03] Murphy: “It's a vocational job…I think you have a drive in you to help people or to help children... That level of satisfaction keeps bringing people back to it."
- The sacrifices:
- [09:14] Murphy: “He's probably not looking or caring for himself in any way…All the self care just gets abandoned, you know, so he's like, well, shaving is irrelevant.”
7. De-escalation and Empathy
- Steve’s character is naturally adept at de-escalating conflict.
- [10:48] Murphy: “Some people have a nature like that…They’re diffusers.”
- Authenticity in scenes was achieved through physical and emotional experimentation, such as adding a moment where Steve is knocked over breaking up a fight.
- [11:28] Murphy: “We worked that out in the blocking of the scene…keep experimenting with the scenes.”
8. Adolescence and Artistic Roots
- Murphy reflects on the solipsism of adolescence and how lack of support can be damaging.
- [12:22] Murphy: “If you don't have any support system…it can turn inwards and become very problematic."
- He started acting at 20, being a musician earlier.
- [13:06] Murphy: "No, I didn't start till I was 20, but I was playing music."
9. Collaboration with Young Actors and Tracey Ullman
- Murphy gains energy and inspiration from young actors’ commitment and potential.
- [13:33] Murphy: “They give me a real shot in the arm…their commitment and their energy for it…is so natural to them.”
- On Tracey Ullman:
- [14:33] Murphy: “She’s just an icon…and a brilliant dramatic actor…It was great to see her be so brilliant in this role.”
- Ullman’s character is Steve’s confidante—he confides more in her than even his wife.
- [15:04] Murphy: “I think she's his most important confidante and friend in the world. I think he tells her more than he tells his wife.”
10. Addiction and Compartmentalization
- Steve hides addictions and personal issues through intense compartmentalization—a common aspect of addiction.
- [15:26] Murphy: “Those people who have that way of…rationalizing these things…everything becomes justified.”
11. Relationship with Shai
- Steve and Shai are portrayed as “two sides of a coin”—sensitive, brilliant, but unable to connect at a crisis point.
- [16:22] Murphy: “They're both really sensitive and brilliant people…but…events trigger them both into this kind of sort of breakdown.”
12. Valuing Each Child
- Steve is depicted as uniquely able to see the best in all the boys.
- [17:30] Murphy: “It's just a type of person that is selfless, and I wish I had that…”
13. Leadership and Burnout
- Steve is a good leader due to his care and compassion.
- [18:53] Stewart: "Do you think he's a good leader?"
- [18:53] Murphy: "Yeah, I do, actually."
- [18:57] Murphy: “He cares about people… he’s non-judgmental and he’s compassionate.”
- His exhaustion is attributed to unending responsibilities and lack of self-care.
- [18:27] Murphy: "the school falling apart, trying to raise a family, trying to stay sober and clean…and not looking after his health..."
14. Institutional Bureaucracy as a Villain
- Steve is particularly triggered when the school’s closure is announced in a bureaucratic, dismissive manner.
- [19:25] Murphy: “That represents the sort of bureaucracy... when people begin to see these institutions in terms of numbers and...profit...rather than human beings.”
15. Physicality and Self-Neglect
- Steve’s unkempt appearance symbolizes abandoned self-care.
- [20:34] Murphy: “I just think that he doesn’t care about his appearance…everything gets left. All the self care just gets abandoned.”
16. Ambiguous Ending & Audience Interpretation
- The film ends ambiguously, inviting varied audience reactions.
- [21:09] Murphy: “It’s meant to be ambiguous entirely and open to interpretation.”
- Murphy prefers not to provide his own take, believing “the audience finishes the story rather than the storytellers.”
- [21:48] Murphy: “People see the film through the lens of their own life experiences... I really enjoy that in art…”
17. On Peaky Blinders and Script Quality
- Murphy discusses his enduring interest in Tommy Shelby and what draws him to projects: exceptional writing above all.
- [22:56] Murphy: “The writing was always the draw…It’s rare to play a character over the course, like for 12 years…”
- [23:42] Murphy: “Oh, yeah, yeah.” [on turning down a script with good names but bad writing]
- The script is the foundation, but sometimes—depending on “the extent of the damage”—it can be fixed.
- [24:07] Murphy: “Well, it depends the extent of the damage, you know.”
18. What Should Audiences Take Away?
- Murphy stresses that his hope is for audiences to finish the film for themselves—art is a conversation.
- [24:32] Murphy: “I care incredibly about it…the film isn’t finished until people see it…audiences finish the film for themselves and we don’t do it. So I think the less that I say about it, the better.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On artistic trust:
- “You have to be in a safe environment to [experiment and make mistakes]. Sometimes mistakes are kind of portal to real Creativity, I think.” —Cillian Murphy [05:40]
- On vocation:
- “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 [08:03]
- On self-neglect:
- "All the self care just gets abandoned, you know, so he's like, well, shaving is irrelevant." —Cillian Murphy [20:34]
- On audience interpretation:
- “People see the film through the lens of their own life experiences… I really enjoy that in art where it's the audience finishes the story rather than the storytellers.” —Cillian Murphy [21:48]
- On leadership:
- “He cares about people, he cares about his staff, and he really cares about the kids. And he's non-judgmental and he's compassionate.” —Cillian Murphy [18:57]
- On exhaustion:
- When asked to describe himself in a few words, “very, very tired.” —Steve (character), as described by Stewart [18:18]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:30] — Murphy describes the accelerated production process
- [02:24] — Filming chronologically and its impact
- [03:36] — Benefit for young actors of linear shooting
- [04:14] — Relationship & trust with director Tim Mealance
- [05:40] — Safety, experimentation, and creativity in the filmmaking process
- [06:15–07:36] — On the film's structure and “reacting, not acting”
- [08:03–09:14] — Teaching as vocation and personal sacrifices
- [11:28] — On working out physicality in de-escalation scenes
- [14:33] — Working with Tracey Ullman, portrayal of friendship
- [15:26] — Addictive behaviors and compartmentalization
- [16:22]–[17:11] — Steve’s relationship with Shai and empathy for students
- [19:25] — Bureaucracy and school closure as emotional trigger
- [20:34] — Steve’s appearance as a symbol of self-neglect
- [21:09]–[21:48] — Ambiguity of ending discussed
- [22:56]–[24:07] — Peaky Blinders, the importance of writing, and project selection
- [24:32]–[25:11] — On audience takeaways and resonance
Final Thoughts
The conversation is reflective, warm, and candid, revealing Murphy’s thoughtfulness about his craft and his investment in creating authentic, moving art. The episode provides insights not just into the making of Steve, but into broader questions of vocation, creativity, empathy, and the collaborative nature of storytelling.