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Meet Cillian Murphy's Wife, Yvonne McGuinness

She's a talented artist

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With all the rave reviews and Oppenheimer Oscar buzz, we imagine that the cast has been getting all the spotlight these days. Still, it hasn't prevented Cillian Murphy and his wife, Yvonne McGuinness, from keeping their romance out of the public eye.

Murphy, 47, who's known for Inception and BBC's Peaky Blinders, told People that he prefers to keep things low-key. He said, "The fame thing was never a goal. I just want to improve. If I can leave one film behind that's something that affects somebody, that's absolutely fine."

Murphy will attend the 2024 Oscar Awards on March 10, where he’s nominated for Best Actor. The question is: Will he bring McGuinness as his plus-one? Keep reading for details on Cillian Murphy’s wife, including how they first met.

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Yvonne McGuinness

1. Who Is Yvonne McGuinness?

According to her official website, McGuinness is a visual artist based in Dublin, Ireland. She received her masters degree from the Royal College of Art in London, and she has made several short films, including Charlie's Place and Procession.

Her biography reads, "Her work encompasses film, performance, sculptural and textile elements, sound and writing. She has an interest in embodied 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."

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2. How Did McGuinness and Murphy Meet?

Murphy met his wife while touring Europe, Canada and Australia for his first-ever play, Disco Pigs. He landed an audition for the play in September 1996, and it ran for nearly two years, which means the pair met during the late '90s.

In 2016, Murphy told The Guardian, "That time, making Disco Pigs, was kind of the most important period of my life. 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."

He added, "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."

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3. When Did They Get Married?

Details of their wedding haven't been publicly revealed, but we do know the couple tied the knot in 2004 at her father's vineyard, Domaine des Anges, in Provence, France, per Town & Country.

McGuiness's father, Gay, told Irish Independent, "The vineyard was under-capitalized and my then partner and I, having seen the place, decided to become involved in it. Steadily from that point on, our involvement grew more and more until, ultimately, we bought the vineyard out around 1986 or 1987."

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4. Do They Have Children?

McGuinness and Murphy have two sons together: Malachy, born in 2005, and Aran, born in 2007.

In 2016, while discussing his kids with The Guardian, he said, “We wanted them to be Irish, I suppose. 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.”

In 2020, the actor also opened up to The Irish Sun about raising two teens. He said, “Regarding empathy, I’m a father of two teenagers, and I once was young as well, so I recognize how tricky it is as a young person today in society. I think it’s a very complex time growing up, I think things are changing a lot at a very accelerated rate, and I think the idea that empathy would form part of a curriculum is an excellent idea.”

In January 2024, Aran made a rare appearance at the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards. Although Murphy walked most of the red carpet solo, he was later seen sitting with his 16-year-old son during the ceremony. The resemblance between the father-son duo was uncanny, including everything from their shaggy haircuts to their sharp facial features. 

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Instagram

5. Is McGuinness Active on Social Media?

McGuinness is active on Instagram, but her account is private.

Currently, Murphy isn't on social media—though it comes as no surprise, since they're both notoriously private.

Low-key romance, FTW.



nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...