Aran Murphy is beginning to step out of his father’s shadow — although escaping comparisons with Cillian Murphy may prove difficult. The 19-year-old actor recently appeared at a London premiere, and his resemblance to the “Peaky Blinders” star quickly became the biggest talking point online.
The teenager attended a special screening of HBO’s new comedy “Youth.” It was a significant moment for Aran, who walked the red carpet as a guest in his own right while promoting a project in which he appears as an actor.
In the series, Aran portrays the son of a character played by Sharon Horgan. The 50-year-old actress takes on the role of a divorced woman in the new production.
Once footage from the London event reached social media, however, conversation quickly moved beyond the series itself. Clips from Aran’s interviews and photographs taken at the premiere spread rapidly, introducing Cillian’s younger son to viewers who had rarely seen him before.
The reaction was immediate. People began comparing virtually everything about the teenager with his Oscar-winning father — not only their facial similarities, but also Aran’s expressions, body language and way of speaking.
His voice particularly surprised some viewers. Combined with familiar-looking expressions and mannerisms, it left fans joking that watching Aran felt remarkably similar to watching a younger version of Cillian.
One X user summed up the reaction by writing: “His voice, face, expression — everything is like his father. Cillian Murphy basically hit copy and paste.”
Another commenter took the familiar saying about family resemblance even further, joking that “the apple didn’t even fall.”
Aran is the younger of Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness’s two sons. The couple married in 2004 and also share 20-year-old Malachy.
Despite Cillian’s international fame, his sons have generally grown up outside the constant celebrity spotlight. The actor offered a rare insight into their opinion of his work during a 2023 Rolling Stone UK interview, revealing that both boys consider his movies “very intense.”
Aran is now building his own résumé in front of the camera. In addition to “Youth,” he has worked on a dramatic television series dealing with divorce, appearing alongside Sienna Miller and Dominic West.
That production is due to arrive in October, giving audiences another opportunity to see the young actor perform.
His latest premiere appearance, though, has already accomplished something significant: Aran is attracting attention under his own name. Yet judging by the flood of reactions to his face, voice and mannerisms, comparisons with his famous father probably aren’t disappearing anytime soon.
