In the decade between 1995 and 2005, Cunningham continued to divide his time between television series and a range of feature films — most notably, Neil Jordan's 2005 adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel, "Breakfast on Pluto." The film won Cillian Murphy a Best Actor award at the Irish Film and Television Awards, and though "the other Liam" had a larger role in it, Cunningham's was no less memorable. What's more, this wouldn't be the last time he teamed up with Murphy, and their reunion could well be called his breakthrough role.
Ken Loach's 2006 drama about the Irish War for Independence, "The Wind that Shakes the Barley," stars Murphy as one of the film's two main brothers, and Cunningham in the supporting role of their fellow Irishman Dan. It was a pivotal moment im Cunningham's career, and the acclaimed film — which won Loach the coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival — earned Murphy and "The Vault" star a Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor award, respectively, at the 2007 Irish Film and Television Awards (via IMDb). From there, Cunningham went on to star in the highest grossing Irish film to date, John Michael McDonagh's 2011 hit, "The Guard," before squeezing in the lesser-known but critically-acclaimed "The Silence of Joan" (or, "Jeanne captive") in which he stars alongside "Tenet" star, Clémence Poésy.
Cunningham continued to land roles in blockbuster films, including "Clash of the Titans" (once again, alongside Liam Neeson), Steven Spielberg's "War Horse," (starring "Loki" heartthrob, Tom Hiddleston) and the 2012 Denzel Washington thriller, "Safe House." And yet, although the prolific actor's career included, by 2012, a number of memorable movie roles, it was his ultimate return to Knighthood for which "The Vault" viewers will know him best.
