Cillian Murphy, an Irish actor, discusses the impending, series-ending sixth season of the famous crime thriller Peaky Blinders. The Dunkirk and Inception star plays Thomas “Tommy” Shelby, the protagonist and leader of the Peaky Blinders group, and is accompanied by a superb supporting ensemble that includes series regulars Paul Anderson, Joe Cole, Annabelle Wallis, Finn Cole, and the late Helen McCrory. Many renowned actors appear in recurring roles in Peaky Blinders, including Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley, Adrien Brody, Anya Taylor-Joy, Aidan Gillen, and Sam Claflin, to mention a few.
The iconic British television series Peaky Blinders, created by Steven Knight and set in the city of Birmingham, England, takes place in the aftermath of World War I and centers around the activities of the crime organization known as Peaky Blinders. The fictitious gang is based on a real-life urban youth gang that operated in the city from the 1890s through the 1910s. Peaky Blinders premiered in September 2013 and has amassed a significant global fandom over the course of its first five seasons.
Now, speaking to The Guardian about Peaky Blinders’ season 6 ending, Murphy confesses that, while he did feel like it was “the conclusion of something,” he also feels “weird” talking about it since he hasn’t had “a handle on it yet.” However, he does suggest that once the program closes, he may have “some perspective,” stating that it was a “great journey” in his life that brought him close to many “colleagues and individuals.” Check out what he had to say about it below:
“It feels like the end of something. It’s strange talking about it. I don’t have a grasp on it yet. Maybe when it’s done I’ll have some perspective. It’s the end of 10 years of my life; a big adventure with lots of colleagues and people that you became very close to.”
Murphy’s portrayal of the charming Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders has undoubtedly been the series’ most compelling selling point. While the Irish actor has great recollections of portraying the character, he has also called the experience as “f**king taxing,” which is understandable considering the size of the intricate part. Murphy is known for his meticulous preparation as an actor, and part of his approach in embracing the image of Tommy includes learning the Birmingham dialect and, as he has famously stated, smoking almost 3,000 fake herbal cigarettes every season, demonstrating his dedication to the job.
Murphy was first famous for playing nasty characters in films such as Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and Wes Craven’s Red Eye before securing his career-defining role as Tommy, which has gained international praise since the debut of Peaky Blinders nearly a decade ago. McRory as Polly and Anderson as Arthur Shelby are two examples of excellent acting in the series. Nonetheless, it’s reasonable to say that the face of Thomas Shelby has become synonymous with the series, owing in large part to Murphy’s rich, flawless portrayal.
