Hollywood update: Busy times for Murphy

These are hectic times for Cork actor Cillian Murphy. The lad can’t stop working.

He has a slew of movies coming out in the next few months including 'The Edge of Love' with Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley, 'Hippy Hippy Shake' with Max Minghella and Derek Jacobi and, of course, he’s back as the Scarecrow in the next Batman adventure, 'The Dark Knight'.

And just in case he’s thinking of a long rest Murphy has put pen to paper to appear alongside Ellen Page in the psycho thriller about a man with a strange split personality – 'Peacock'.

Murphy isn’t the only busy Irishman for Jonathan Rhys Meyers will join Julianne Moore in the supernatural thriller 'Shelter' for Swedish directors Bjorn Stein and Mans Marlind.

Meyers, meanwhile, seems to be settling down in his personal life after being spotted wandering the lonely streets with a can of beer after the death of his mother. He’s back with girlfriend Reena Hammer and “looking after” himself, working on and promoting the hit TV drama 'The Tudors'.

Ulster actor Ian McLarnon picked up a credit for not being in the recent Tim Burton hit 'Sweeney Todd'. He was about to film a scene with Johnny Depp when the star was called away to visit his sick daughter. By the time he returned to the set the scene had been cut. But Ian still gets his moment of glory by being listed as ‘Man in need of a shave.’

Judas was innocent, and Ulster star James Nesbitt will try to convince us when 'The Passion' hits the small screen. Nesbitt plays Pilate to Paul Nicholls’ Judas in the four-part Gospel drama.

In the wake of the Oscars movie folk have been turning their attention to the sad fact that quite often a win can be a curse, and a couple of actresses with Irish connections have been pointed out.

Brenda Flicker (Best Supporting Acftress in l990 for 'My Left Foot') never made another worthwhile film and now appears in various TV medical dramas. Charlize Theron, squeeze of Stuart Townsend, won Best Actress for 'Monster' in 2004 and went on to star in 'Aeon Flux', one of the worst movies ever.

And then there’s Hilary Swank (Best Actress for 'Million Dollar Baby' in 2005) who ended up in the awful chick-flick 'PS: I Love You'.