Cillian Murphy admits 'Steve' left him exhausted

Cillian Murphy says the anticipation around his new film Steve still has him on edge, even after positive early reviews.

Steve, which follows a single day at a school for boys with behavioural and social difficulties, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year to warm feedback and currently holds a 72% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, Murphy says the real test is still ahead. “You’re always nervous," he said of his personal experience playing the titular character as well as produced the movie through Big Things Films, his company with longtime collaborator Alan Moloney.

"So I’m not finished until the audience sees it. I’m very proud of it,” he told the press.

Asked if producing increased the pressure, he admitted, “It’s doubly nervous because that’s what makes it more stressful! Yeah, but the reaction’s been brilliant so far.”

Murphy said reactions from educators and caregivers have been especially meaningful. “Teachers and social workers, you know, caregivers, they really responded to the film and they’re really the people who made it for.”

His own parents, both retired teachers, haven’t yet seen Steve. “My mum and dad have not seen it, and they’re retired teachers, so I’m looking forward to them seeing it,” he shared with a grin. Asked if he’s nervous about their reaction, he joked, “No, they’ve seen everything, so they’re well used to it.”

The Oppenheimer and Peaking Blinders star, 49, also described the role of the headteacher in Steve as emotionally taxing.

“It’s like if you do anything for 16, 17 hours a day, that’s what happens, you end up… there’s an exchange of atoms, I think. And you just need a rest after it,” Murphy explained. “It’s not about shaking it off. It’s about a lot of displaced energy, I suppose.”

Steve will be in select US, UK, and Ireland theaters starting September 19, 2025 before hitting Netflix globally on October 3, 2025.