Cillian Murphy’s lookalike son lands role opposite Jenna Ortega in Taika Waititi film

Cillian Murphy's son Aran is following in his father’s acting footsteps after the teenager was cast in upcoming film, Klara And The Sun, opposite Wednesday star Jenna Ortega.

The news, first reported by US entertainment outlet Deadline, revealed that Aran will make his film debut in the cinematic adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's acclaimed novel, directed by Oscar winner Taika Waititi.

Joining a stellar cast that includes Ortega and Golden Globe winner Amy Adams, the 16-year-old will portray the character Rick, the best friend of Ortega's character, an Artificial Friend purchased by Adams' on-screen daughter Josie, portrayed by newcomer Mia Tharia.

Aran, the youngest of Murphy’s two sons with wife visual artist Yvonne McGuinness, is no stranger to the acting world having starred in the title role of Hamnet, a play that debuted in Dublin’s Abbey Theatre before moving to London.

Alongside his older brother Malachy, 18, the teen lives in Dublin with their parents, having relocated from London several years ago.

The news comes as Cillian gears up to attend the Academy Awards next month where he is nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.

He has already won a Golden Globe for the role.

Murphy faces Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction,  Paul Giamatti, who has won plaudits for his performance as a cranky prep school teacher forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student in drama The Holdovers, Bradley Cooper for his Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro and Colman Domingo for his performance as activist Bayard Rustin, adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.

Earlier this week, his Oppenheimer co-star Emily Blunt revealed how he "required medical attention" after she inadvertently caused him to "smash his head open" during filming.

The actress, who played Murphy’s on-screen wife Kitty, explained how she bought the actor, 47, a "fantastic pillow" over "concern" about his sleep as he undertook the mammoth cinematic feat.

However, Blunt’s thoughtful gift ended up being more trouble than it was worth, revealing the actor smashed his head on his bedside table after he missed his pillow.

She told The Sun: "He’s going to kill me for telling this story. I was very concerned about Cillian’s sleep when we started shooting because I felt he had a monumental undertaking with this role.

"I thought, like, ‘that’s a good start-of-shoot gift’.

"He told me he woke up in the middle of the night and he was so thrilled to fluff himself back to sleep on the pillow, that he sort of threw his head down back on to it and smashed his head open on the bedside table.

"He was luxuriating in it so much he smashed his head open. So, he came to set and they had to glue his head shut, all because of the pillow."