Who Is Cillian Murphys Wife Yvonne McGuinness?

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Behind every great man is a great woman — and Oscar-nominated actor Cillian Murphy and his wife, Yvonne McGuinness, who is just as accomplished in her own right, are no exception. 

McGuinness — a visual artist who works in several mediums, from film and performance to print — first met Murphy ahead of his breakout role in the 1996 play Disco Pigs. They tied the knot in 2004 and welcomed two children, sons Malachy and Aran. Other than that, not much is known about the ultra-private couple.  

Despite their successful careers, Murphy and McGuinness lead relatively low-key lives in Dublin. "The fame thing was never a goal. I just want to improve," Murphy previously told People back in 2005 before crediting McGuinness with keeping him grounded. "It's very important to have somebody like that. My life hasn't changed in any way, really. I still have the same friends, and we go to the same places."

Here, read on to learn more about Murphy's wife and their decades-long relationship. 

When did Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness meet?

Getty

Murphy and McGuinness first met in 1996 before the actor hit it big with his first acting role in the play Disco Pigs. It toured in Dublin and London, as well as other parts of the world over the course of 18 months, which is when Murphy was initially introduced to McGuinness.

"That time, making Disco Pigs, was kind of the most important period of my life," the Oppenheimer star told The Guardian in 2016. "The people I met there remain my closest friends … They shaped me in terms of my tastes, in terms of what I wanted to do with my life. And it was around the same time I met my wife. She came on tour with us. It was so exciting, 20 years ago or whatever it was — we were all just kids, trying to find our way — but such a special, special time."

How long have Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness been married? 

Murphy and McGuinness tied the knot in 2004. No other details have been reported about the wedding, but if we had to guess, we'd say it was probably pretty dreamy.

How many children do Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness have?

The couple share two teenage sons, Malachy, 18, and Aran, who was born in 2007 — two years after his big brother. Malachy, for one, is following in his dad's footsteps and will soon make his acting debut alongside Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega in Taika Waititi's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun.

Where is Yvonne McGuinness from?

Like Murphy, McGuinness is from Ireland — specifically, the small city of Kilkenny, which is located in the Southeast Region and in the province of Leinster. Meanwhile, Murphy grew up in Ballintemple, a suburb of Cork about 100 miles away from Kilkenny.

What does Yvonne McGuinness do for a living?

McGuinness is a classically trained visual artist whose work spans several mediums, including film, performance, writing, and sound. According to her website, she "embodies experience of place and belonging by staging live, public, interventions and performances, which create surreal and dynamic moments of interaction and connection to place, time and communities.”

She studied at the Cork Institute of Technology before receiving her master's degree from the Royal College of Art in London.

Where do Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness live?

Murphy and McGuinness lived in London for decades before moving to Dublin in 2015 to be near family.

"I loved living in London in my 20s and 30s, but after awhile, you kind of go, 'Right, is this it? Is this it for the rest of my days? Or is there some other possibility?'" Murphy previously told The Guardian, adding he and McGuinness wanted their children to have close relationships with their grandparents.

"We wanted them to be Irish, I suppose," he continued. "It's amazing how quickly their accents have adapted. Even within a year of moving back, they are fading into this rakish west Brit kind of thing. Which I think, hopefully, will get them lots of girls when they're 15."

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qrrSrbClnV6YvK571qGmZqGjYrCquMuimKdlnaq%2FsbTYZq6inpVixre7zaecZqWTnMKqus2eqqxlaGt9dYSYbA%3D%3D