It’s actually funny. It was 2016 and the film Anthropoid burst into Czech cinemas, charting the fates of two soldiers in the resistance who committed the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. One of them was played by Cillian Murphy, a damn hot Irishman, now a first-rate star. But at that time, even though he already had three series of the series Gangs from Birmingham, not so many people knew him here. And so when the foreign media confused the Czech actress Aňa Geislerová, with whom he played in Anthropoid, with his wife, no one paid much attention. Only later, when Peaky Blinders became a phenomenon.
Aňa Geislerová as alleged wife
And so even today, eight years after the filming of Anthropoid, when you search the Internet for the wife of a sexy actor, photos of Ani Geisler pop up. She was mistaken for his wife by, for example, the Daily Express or People magazines.
Aňa Geislerová herself was amused by it and made fun of it even this year, when Murphy won the Oscar for the best actor in a leading role for the film Oppenheimer. She congratulated him on her Instagram and recalled their kissing scene from Anthropoid. “He is the first and probably the last Oscar-winning actor I had the opportunity to kiss. At work of course! So I congratulate Cillian very much and on that occasion I would like to state that I am not his wife, as the foreign tabloids often thought,” she wrote on Instagram. She called Murphy a wonderful person and a true star.
Cillian Murphy’s Family
In defense of foreign journalists, making such a mistake is not difficult. Murphy is very protective of his privacy and especially his family life, and there are not many pictures of him with his real wife Yvonne McGuinness.
Not that he hides it, but they live out of the limelight as much as possible. And they have been together for 20 years, they got married in 2004. Murphy has two sons with artist Yvonne, the first, Malachy, was born a year after their marriage, the second, Aran, two years later. By all accounts, Murphy is a calm and loving husband and father, and his family comes first.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
Peaky Blinders – A Star Is Born
Murphy has appeared in film since the late 90s – he played, for example, in the horror film 28 Days Later, in the Dark Knight trilogy, or in the film Breakfast on Pluto, where he played a trans woman and was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role. He was nominated for the Czech Lion for his role in the Czech film Anthropoid.
But the real fame came only with the series Peaky Blinders. The razor-bladed guys in the back jackets who created Birmingham’s most feared gang of the 20th century captivated audiences. Six series were filmed – the first in 2013 and the last in 2022. That was supposed to be it, but fans are crazy about Tommy Shelby and his cronies, so now the feature film Peaky Blinders is being filmed, which is supposed to be the definitive end to the fate of these toughs.
And so far, the biggest highlight of his acting career was the film Oppenheimer, in which he played astrophysicist Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb. He won an Oscar for this role.
Cillian Murphy: The Man, The Mystery, and The Woman Who Isn’t His Wife
Ah, 2016! A year that saw the release of Anthropoid, a film that turned Cillian Murphy from a less known Irish actor into a sizzling hot star. Seriously, he’s like the poster boy for ‘how to be suave while playing a WWII hero’! And to think, back then, his greatest recognizability was playing a gang boss in Peaky Blinders. I mean, who wouldn’t love a man who can wreak havoc and still look like he walked off a runway? But I digress!
Aňa Geislerová: The Accidental Ex-Wife
Now, here comes the kicker. So over the years, foreign tabloids have repeatedly confused Czech actress Aňa Geislerová with being Murphy’s wife, and apparently, this misunderstanding has taken on a life of its own! It’s almost like an episode of Friends – “Aňa and Cillian: The One With the Confusing Relationship!”
Even the prestigious *Daily Express* and *People* magazines fell into this delightful pit of misconception. You’ve got to hand it to the media; they manage to turn a simple co-starring gig into a full-blown love story worthy of a romantic comedy. “Oh, look, a man and a woman together in a film! They must be married!” Come on, guys! Check the credits in that dictionary of yours!
Aňa had the good spirit to poke fun at this mix-up. When Cillian took home an Oscar for Oppenheimer, she congratulated him on Instagram, saying, “He is the first and probably the last Oscar-winning actor I had the opportunity to kiss. At work, of course!” No pressure, eh? And just to clarify, “I’m NOT his wife,” she added. Talk about needing a Maltese Falcon to keep that pregnancy rumor alive!
The Mysterious Murphy Family
Now, in defense of the beleaguered foreign journalists, it’s tough to keep up with Murphy’s private life when the guy plays hide-and-seek with the press like he’s auditioning for a new spy thriller! The man has been married to Yvonne McGuinness for nearly two decades and he’s more private about his family than a politician reporting their expense claims! Couple that with a desire for privacy and you’ve got a recipe for media mess-ups. It’s hardly surprising that people mistake Aňa for Yvonne – at least they both have ‘A’ names; that’s a start!
The Rise to Fame
From horror films like 28 Days Later (which, fun fact, didn’t gross as much as the toilet paper aisle during a pandemic) to playing a trans woman in Breakfast on Pluto, his filmography is impressively varied. He’s like a fine wine; he takes time to develop character, and just when you think he’s reached his peak, he surprises you with an Oscar-winning performance that explodes in your face like a well-timed joke.
But it was Peaky Blinders that made him a household name. Those razor-bladed jackets and a gang that knows how to throw a good punch made sure every Sunday night was a masterclass in drama. And now, amidst uproarious fan demand, a feature film is on its way! Can’t wait for Tommy Shelby to come back and remind us why we love an antihero with style!
The Grand Finale
So, what’s the takeaway here? Cillian Murphy might be a world-renowned actor now, but just like any good plot twist, you never know when to expect a little misunderstanding. And while Aňa Geislerová may never play the role of Mrs. Murphy, she certainly knows how to keep humor alive in a world obsessed with sensationalism.
In the wise words of the talented Mr. Atkinson: “I love the thought of me hanging about like a bad smell for the next 1,000 years!” Well, folks — Cillian Murphy and Aňa Geislerová’s love entanglement might just turn into a classic comedy, serving as a reminder that sometimes, the truth is just a hilarious blunder away!
