Irish actor Cillian Murphy reveals his thoughts on the upcoming, series-ending season 6 of the popular crime drama, Peaky Blinders. The Dunkirk and Inception actor stars as the protagonist and head of the Peaky Blinders gang, Thomas "Tommy" Shelby, and is joined by an excellent supporting cast, that includes the likes of series regulars Paul Anderson, Joe Cole, Annabelle Wallis, Finn Cole, and the late Helen McCrory. Peaky Blinders also features many notable stars in recurring roles, including Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley, Adrien Brody, Anya Taylor-Joy, Aidan Gillen, and Sam Claflin, to name a few.
Created by Steven Knight and set in the city of Birmingham, England, the popular British television series takes place in the aftermath of the First World War and revolves around the exploits of the crime organization known as Peaky Blinders. The fictional gang is loosely based on the real-life urban youth gang who were actively operating in the city from the 1890s to the 1910s. Peaky Blinders first debuted in September 2013 and has steadily garnered a massive fanbase worldwide throughout the first five seasons.
Now, while speaking to The Guardian about Peaky Blinders coming to an end with season 6, Murphy reveals that, while he did feel like it was "the end of something," he also feels "strange" speaking about it, as he hasn't had "a grasp on it yet." However, he does also mention that he might have "some perspective" once the show finally concludes, stating that it marked a "big adventure" in his life that brought him close to many "colleagues and people." Check out what he had to say 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 performance in Peaky Blinders as the charismatic Tommy Shelby has arguably been the biggest selling point of the series. While the Irish actor understandably has fond memories of playing the character, he has also described the experience as "f**king exhausting," which is no surprise given the magnitude of the complex role. Known for his diligent preparation as an actor, part of Murphy's process in embodying the persona of Tommy included having to learn the Birmingham accent and, as he has famously mentioned, smoking over 3,000 fake herbal cigarettes per season, which exhibits his commitment to the role.
Having initially been recognized for playing villainous characters in films like Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and Wes Craven's Red Eye, Murphy had expressed an interest in doing more television parts before landing his career-defining role as Tommy, which has received universal acclaim since the premiere of Peaky Blinders almost a decade ago. The series isn't short of terrific acting, with McRory as Polly and Anderson as Arthur Shelby being worthy examples. Nevertheless, it would be safe to say that the face of Thomas Shelby has become synonymous with the series itself, thanks in large part to Murphy's layered, perfectly executed performance.
Source: The Guardian