Cillian Murphy, fresh off his Best Actor Oscar win for Christopher Nolan’s "Oppenheimer," is set to appear in the new Netflix drama "Steve," which begins streaming on October 3. In a role that demands an even more profound sense of emotional exhaustion than portraying a nuclear physicist, Murphy credits his "very good hair and makeup team" for his haggard on-screen appearance, noting that it was a deliberate process to convey his character's state.

Directed by Tim Mielants and co-produced by Murphy’s recently launched Big Things Film, "Steve" draws its inspiration from Max Porter’s acclaimed novella "Shy." Set in the mid-1990s, the story unfolds within an underfunded reform school designed for boys grappling with societal and behavioral challenges. While Porter's original work chronicled events from a pupil's viewpoint, his first screenplay for "Steve" pivots the narrative to focus on the deeply empathetic yet endlessly embattled head teacher, played by Murphy. For Murphy, whose parents were both educators, the film serves as a heartfelt tribute to the teaching profession, highlighting their often-unacknowledged role as "custodians of the next generation."

The cast for "Steve" is a strong ensemble, featuring Tracey Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, and Simbi Ajikawo. Emily Watson also reunites with Murphy and Mielants, having previously worked together on "Small Things Like These." Her role in "Steve" is reportedly more substantial and less terrifying than her award-winning performance in their previous collaboration. Roger Allam joins the cast as a "terrible establishment figure," a role he previously inhabited in "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" with Murphy. Allam's character includes a line that is a subtle, humorous nod to a former British Prime Minister, which Murphy leaves to the audience's interpretation.

The casting process for the young actors was extensive, with casting director Robert Sterne sifting through 3,500 children. Many of the selected youngsters had some prior experience, though a few were completely new to acting. Director Tim Mielants led workshops, making the children feel integral to the school's fabric. Jay Lycurgo, cast as Shy, was an instant consensus pick, and the immersive two-and-a-half-week workshop process helped blur the lines between the actors and their characters, fostering authentic performances.

Murphy brought some of his past experiences to the set of "Steve," deliberately incorporating techniques he learned from Ken Loach, his director on the 2006 Irish war drama "The Wind That Shakes the Barley." One such technique involved shooting the entire film in sequence, a method Murphy found "life-changing" on "Barley," allowing for an instinctual emotional journey where each scene prepared for the next. Another Loachian method employed was keeping the actors playing the antagonists (the board members) separate from Murphy until they were on camera, ensuring their first encounter was "fully charged with as much realism as you can muster."

Regarding his deeply exhausted portrayal of Steve, Murphy elaborated on the meticulous effort behind it. Beyond the skilled hair and makeup team, significant attention was given to his character's single, ordinary costume, which was carefully chosen to signal his state without being too flashy or bland. The character’s visual progression was designed to show him starting in a state of exhaustion and steadily becoming more so. Furthermore, Steve's struggle with addiction was handled with extreme care, aiming to depict "the real fucking horror of that disease" without glamorizing it, while realistically showing that individuals can function at a high level despite addiction.

Despite the immense success of "Oppenheimer" and his Oscar win, Murphy's subsequent projects like "Small Things Like These" and "Steve" were not a conscious shift away from Hollywood blockbusters. He clarified that scripts for both films were ready and financed before "Oppenheimer," and he was simply unavailable for other major studio projects due to his prior commitments and the awards run. Murphy emphasized that his choices reflect a "30-year evolution of taste and experience," and the extraordinary success of "Oppenheimer" has not altered the types of stories he is drawn to tell.

Murphy also touched on other roles, confirming his "tiny bit" involvement in "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," praising Nia DaCosta's direction and the film itself, while playfully hinting he'll be "more than a semi-naked infected." He unequivocally denied online rumors that he would be playing Voldemort in HBO's "Harry Potter" reboot, jesting that it would be "very hard to follow Ralph Fiennes."