Who is Angus Neill? All about the British art dealer who claims to be the zombie in the viral 28 Years Later image

Newcomer Angus Neill was recently mistaken for Cillian Murphy when the new trailer for 28 Years Later dropped this Tuesday, December 10. The internet went wild with speculation regarding whether the upcoming post-apocalyptic horror film will have Murphy return as the undead.

However, The Guardian reported on December 11 that the actor spotted as the zombie in the film is not Murphy but rather Angus Neill, who himself confirmed it to the publication.

Neill, an art dealer specializing in old masters, also works as a model, as per the media outlet. His professional profile says that he has a 28-inch waist. He was talent-spotted by director Danny Boyle, who was drawn in by his distinctive look, casting him in his upcoming June 2025 movie.

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Who is Angus Neill?

Angus Neill is a British art dealer specializing in old masters, while also working as a model. He is notable for his extremely lean physique. Angus Neill has come forward to claim that the actor the internet is mistaking for Cillian Murphy is actually him. He is the “Emaciated Infected" in Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, which is set to be released next year.

According to The Guardian, Angus Neill said:

“Danny told me he’d always had me in mind for the role. So we met up, hit it off, and I agreed to take part. On set he has an extraordinary ability to hypnotise you, and working with him on the film was a very, very intense experience.”

There is not much additional information available about the model and actor, or the character he plays in 28 Years Later.

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What do we know about 28 Years Later?

Sony Pictures Entertainment released the official trailer and synopsis of 28 Years Later this Tuesday. The official synopsis of the movie reads:

“It’s been almost three decades since the Rage Virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now,... some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island,... he discovers secrets, wonders and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.”

The 28 Years Later trailer gives a horrifying glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world that is being taken over by zombies. In the trailer, we see Aaron Taylor-Johnson's character walk out from the secure community and venture into the outskirts, with a bow and arrow to help take out the zombies.

In the video, we also see Jodie Comer's character carrying a small baby. However, it is the sudden appearance of a skeleton-like zombie, which has a striking resemblance to Irish actor Cillian Murphy, that caught the internet's attention.

Cillian Murphy played a bicycle courier in the first movie of the franchise, 28 Days Later, where he woke up from a coma to find the world taken over by a zombie apocalypse, which broke out due to a highly contagious virus. It had led to the breakdown of society, with desperate survivors being haunted by the undead.

The character that the Irish actor played survived in the first movie, but he did not return for the 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later. However, Cillian Murphy has previously expressed interest in being part of the third installment. Speaking to the Independent about the development of the film, on January 11, 2024, Murphy said:

“I would be there in a flash. I made two movies with both of those guys [Boyle and writer Alex Garland], and I would love to work with them again. Of course, I’m there.”

As of now, there is no confirmation if Cillian Murphy will be returning for 28 Years Later. Confirmed cast members include Jodie Comer, Angus Neill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, and Jack O’Connell.

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28 Years Later is coming next year, on June 20, 2025.