He’s Ireland’s biggest star at the moment, and you can support Cillian Murphy at this weekend’s Oscars ceremony with a lock of the actor’s hair.
In the age of mobile phones and selfie sticks, celebrity memorabilia collecting seems to have been diminished to blurry photos from unflattering angles. To the uninitiated, that is.
To those in the know, celebrity autographs and the like still command huge attention and, indeed, prices.
Perhaps the most lucrative is celebrity hair, and you can get your hands on a piece of Irish star Cillian Murphy’s luscious locks for £6,000 at Paul Fraser Collectibles. We spoke to Paul Fraser to learn more about the world of celebrity hair collecting.
Cillian Murphy – one of Ireland’s best actors
Following a string of theatre roles and lesser-known film credits, Cillian Murphy delivered his breakthrough performance alongside fellow Irishman Brendan Gleeson in Danny Boyle’s 2002 post-apocalyptic horror, 28 Days Later.
His performance as Tommy Shelby across six seasons of Peaky Blinders later made him a household name on this side of the Atlantic, while Christopher Nolan’s 2023 biopic Oppenheimer cemented Murphy’s place as one of the best Irish actors of all time.
Murphy’s portrayal of the titular scientist has seen him win his first major accolades at this year’s BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. He is also hotly tipped by many to pick up the Oscar at this Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.
Celebrity hair collection – get your hands on a lock of Murphy’s hair
A lock of Murphy’s hair is currently available for purchase at Paul Fraser Collectibles for the princely sum of £6,000. Should you find that too expensive, you can get your hands on a strand of the Cork man’s hair for £399.
This might seem expensive, but Fraser revealed to us that he once sold a lock of hair from Mary Queen of Scots for £25,000. Meanwhile, a lock of King Charles I’s beard hair once went for £12,000.
You might wonder if there’s really much demand for celebrity hair. We did, too. However, Fraser claimed that hair is the best seller from his shop that stocks autographs, original artwork, and books and manuscripts, among other memorabilia.
“Some people think it’s unusual, and it’s certainly not for everyone,” Fraser told us. “However, our hair buyers love the intimacy that celebrity and historical hair provides. You just don’t get that with other collectibles”.
From film stars to racehorses – deeper into the world of celebrity hair collecting
Given the prices celebrity hair commands, customers surely like to know that the follicles are genuine before they part with their money. Therefore, the source of the hair is key.
“We purchase some locks at auction and others in private sales. We acquired several strands of Hollywood A-listers’ hair from a wigmaker,” Fraser explained.
“She has produced wigs for many films and TV programmes. She takes hair samples from the actors to ensure the wigs exactly match their hair; the majority of stars use wigs or hair extensions on screen”.
Other strands from this same wigmaker include those of Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington, as well as huge names like Harrison Ford, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Craig, and Kevin Costner.
Paul Fraser Collectibles also specialises in racehorse hairs, counting hairs from two of the greatest Irish racehorses of all time among the collection – three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Arkle and Grand National legend Red Rum.
“Red Rum is our most popular horse among horse hair collectors,” claimed Fraser. “By a large margin”.
