Steve is Cillian Murphy’s first movie for Netflix, a powerful, mature drama about a school teacher struggling to balance his demanding work with his own mental health issues. The film is Murphy’s second since his impressive Best Actor win at the Oscars for Oppenheimer, and marks a reunion with his Small Things Like These director Tim Mielants.
Steve has received strong reviews from critics following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, with many praising Murphy’s lead performance above all else. But the film boasts several impressive supporting performances, both from award-winning actors and talented rising stars.
Cillian Murphy As Steve
- Date Of Birth: May 25, 1976
- Active Since: 1996
Actor: Cillian Murphy was born in Douglas, Ireland in 1976 and started his career on the stage with the Corcadorca Theater Company. His breakthrough film role was in 28 Days Later, where he played the lead role of Jim. Since then, Murphy has appeared in blockbuster films such as The Dark Knight and A Quiet Place Part 2. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2024.
Previously In: Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders (2013-2022), J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer, and Bill Furlong in Small Things Like These.
Character: Murphy plays the тιтular role in Steve, the struggling headteacher of a reform school in England. It’s one of Murphy’s best roles to date, and a very demanding one too. His character is constantly on the edge as a result of looking after these troubled children, but still puts their own needs above his own.
Tracey Ullman As Amanda
- Date Of Birth: December 30, 1959
- Active Since: 1976
Actor: Tracey Ullman was born in Slough, England in 1959 and began her career on the British soap opera Mackenzie, before shifting her focus to comedy and starring in The Tracey Ullman Show from 1987 to 1990. She has continued working in scripted sketch comedy ever since, returning to the BBC for Tracey Ullman’s Show in 2017.
Previously In: Nell Van Dort in Corpse Bride (2005), Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods (2014), and Irma Kostroski in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Character: Ullman plays Amanda in Steve, the deputy headteacher of the school and a close friend of Murphy’s protagonist. She’s one of the few people who look out for Steve throughout his time at the school, standing beside him as they tackle the growing strain from the school’s violent pupils and overbearing financial trust.
Jay Lycurgo As Shy
- Date Of Birth: February 6, 1998
- Active Since: 2019
Actor: Jay Lycurgo made his television debut in an episode of the BBC medical drama Doctors in 2019, before going on to appear in series such as I May Destroy You and War of the Worlds. His breakthrough performance was in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, where he played a young gang member. He also played Tim Drake in DC’s тιтans show.
Previously In: Tim Drake in тιтans (2018-2023), Nathan Byrne in The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself (2022), and Charlie in Generation Z (2024).
Character: Many reviews have singled out Lycurgo’s performance as a highlight of Steve, and that’s likely because his character is given so much to do. He’s one of the few children at the school who doesn’t resort to violence to deal with his own personal issues, but rather bottles everything up inside and shoulders an unbearable weight as a result.
Little Simz As Shola
- Date Of Birth: February 23, 1994
- Active Since: 2010
Actor: Simbi Ajikawo, better known under her stage name Little Simz, is a rapper and actor from London, England. Her 2019 album Grey Area was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won Best Album at the NME Awards. Her follow-up record, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, won the Mercury Prize and led her to the 2022 BRIT Award for Best New Artist.
Previously In: Shelly in Top Boy (2011-2023), and herself in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Character: Shola is one of the school’s newest teachers, and one who struggles to keep the most antagonistic pupils in check. Steve uses her character to great effect to show how these boys respond to younger, female authority figures in contrast to their more paternal relationship with Murphy’s protagonist.
Emily Watson As Jenny
- Date Of Birth: January 14, 1967
- Active Since: 1992
Actor: Emily Watson was born in Islington, London in 1967 and began her career at the Royal National Theater in productions of Three Sisters, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Lady From The Sea. Her breakthrough role was in Lars von Trier’s Breaking the Waves, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Previously In: Lena in Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Tammy in Synecdoche, New York (2008), and Valya Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy (2024).
Character: Although the students clearly respect Steve, it’s not until their conversations with Jenny that we really get to see them at their most vulnerable. She’s the school’s therapist, and it’s through her private sessions that we really get to learn about the burdens and anxieties of the young boys.
Steve Supporting Cast & Characters
Douggie McMeekin as Andy: McMeekin is best known for his roles as Sunny Blandford in Netflix’s The Crown and Aleksandr Yuvchenko in HBO’s Chernobyl. He also played John Brown in Netflix’s Joy earlier this year.
Youssef Kerkour as Owen: Kerkour is a Moroccan-British actor best known for his roles in House of Gucci and Napoleon. He also worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company on productions of Richard III, Henry IV, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Tut Nyuot as Tarone: Nyuot is a young British actor who made his name in the CBBC drama The Dumping Ground. He also appeared in The Witcher: Blood Origin, and recently made his film breakthrough in Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk.
Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Julian: Ben Lloyd-Hughes broke out in the British teen comedy Skins, where he played Josh Stock. Since then, he’s landed roles in Divergent, Industry, and The Crown.
Roger Allam as Sir Hugh Montague Powell: Roger Allam is an acclaimed actor of the stage and screen, best known for his roles as Javert in Les Misérables, Peter Mannion in The Thick of It, and Magister Ilyrio in Game of Thrones.
