killer talent; After establishing himself as Hollywood's favorite villain, Cillian Murphy gives a star-making turn in Neil Jordan's latest.

Byline: Elisabeth Franck-dumas

Although Cillian Murphy romanced Scarlett Johansson in Girl with a Pearl Earring and nearly saved the world in 28 Days Later, the actor's most memorable recent performances-as a ruthless killer in Red Eye and as the blood-curdling Scarecrow in Batman Begins-have begun to typecast him as the ideal preppy psychopath.

This month, Murphy's poignant turn as an androgynous cross-dresser in Neil Jordan's vibrant, surreal epic Breakfast on Pluto offers proof of his versatility. On-screen for most of the film, which is set in Northern Ireland and London in the seventies, the 29-year-old is riveting as Patrick "Kitten" Braden, abandoned at birth and determined to find happiness, gracefully flitting from wit to coquetry to unexpected fortitude.

"I like characters who are under a lot of pressure; the potential for drama is greater," Murphy confides over a glass of red wine in London. "But of all the characters I have played, Kitten's definitely the one I have the most affection for."

In person, ...