Emily Watson drops surprising truth about Cillian Murphy's acting prowess

Emily Margaret Watson OBE, a renowned actress who goes by the name Emily Watson, recently articulated her thoughts about Cillian Murphy’s acting.

While having a conversation with Deadline, Watson talked about her role in Small Things Like These and said Murphy had "a sort of dream" that she should play Sister Mary, which led to her taking on the role.

She was asked, “How did you come to be involved in Small Things Like These?”

The Dune: Prophecy star replied, “Cillian wanted to have all Irish actors, and then, I think they were having a bit of trouble casting the role, and he said he actually had a sort of dream that it was me, so they called me up and offered it to me, and I was absolutely sold.”

Further expanding on this, the two-time Oscar-nominated actress added, “The book is so brilliant. It’s like a poem; it’s like a breath; it’s just all perfect story, and obviously anything with Cillian is.”

Then Watson went on to remark that “Cillian — I’ll say something quite controversial, but I think he’s even better than in Oppenheimer; his performance in this is so profound.”

“I didn’t know Tim’s work at the time, but I’ve become his number one fan since. It was a great experience,” she shared, referring to Tim Mielants’ direction.

For the unversed, in Small Things Like These, directed by Mielants, Watson depicts the role of strong-willed Sister Mary.

She oversees a convent hiding a Magdalene Laundry institution where unwed mothers are sent to repent, do hard labour, and give up their babies for adoption.

The film is based on Claire Keegan’s eponymous novel of the same name, adapted by Enda Walsh.

It is pertinent to mention that Small Things Like These was released on November 1, 2024, which was produced by Murphy along with Matt Damon and his partner at Big Things Films, Alan Moloney.

The executive producers are Ben Affleck, Niamh Fagan, Kevin Halloran, and Michael Joe.