Irish actor Cillian Murphy has starred in some of the biggest blockbusters of the last few years. A favoured actor with top directors Christopher Nolan and Danny Boyle, he is still a relatively unknown name. Here are ten more reasons why he could be the most underrated actor in Hollywood right now…

1). Cillian Murphy is not afraid to be the bad guy. Rather than falling into pretty boy/one-dimensional hero typecasting, he is best known for villainous roles such as Jackson Rippner in Red Eye, Dr Crane/The Scarecrow in Nolan’s Batman films and the driven ‘time-keeper’ Raymond Leon from In Time.

2). His acting prowess allows him to play complex and challenging roles, especially characters with fluid gender orientation such as the transgender ‘Kitten’ in Breakfast On Pluto or the female dissociative personality ‘Emma’ in Peacock.

3). He is not frightened of onscreen nudity. His opening scene in the 2002 breakthrough film, 28 Days Later…, featured him naked (full frontal) in a hospital bed.

4). He can put on a very convincing American accent – see Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Red Eye, Inception, In Time and the science-fiction blockbuster, Sunshine.

5). He is willing to put serious research into his roles. He partied with transvestites while filming Breakfast On Pluto and after consulting with renowned physicist Brian Cox in preparation for Sunshine, he became an atheist.

6). A highly accomplished theatre actor, he has given critically-acclaimed performances in Disco Pigs, Love Song and the recent Misterman.

7). He is a man of principle. He has been a vocal supporter of workers’ rights and homeless outreach and is vegetarian due to his cynicism of current farming practices. A supporter of independent film, Cillian Murphy takes on blockbuster and low-budget roles in equal measure.

8). Despite his high-profile roles, he is an extremely private figure. Living in London with his family to avoid the ‘LA scene’, he is proof that you can be a successful film star whilst maintaining dignity and discretion.

9). He is Irish! He joins the ranks of such stellar Irish actors as Liam Neeson, Brendon Gleeson and Gabriel Byrne.

10). Finally, it would be amiss to write so many words about Cillian Murphy without mentioning his striking, chameleonic appearance and intense eyes.