It’s been nearly 13 years since audiences were first introduced to the formidable presence of Tommy Shelby, the ruthless and often violent architect behind the Peaky Blinders. Despite his morally ambiguous nature, Tommy, brought to life through Cillian Murphy’s nuanced portrayal, has cemented his status as a compelling television icon. Now, he’s set to make a return in the upcoming Netflix film, The Immortal Man, a venture that plunges him into the tumultuous landscape of World War Two and sees him confronting a new, impetuous generation of the gang, spearheaded by his own son, Duke, played by Barry Keoghan.
Across six acclaimed seasons, Tommy Shelby has captivated viewers as a complex anti-hero. His narrative has been punctuated by acts of extreme violence, calculated betrayals, and gut-wrenching decisions. The television series concluded in 2022, leaving Tommy’s fate ambiguous as he rode off into an uncertain future. Yet, even with his history steeped in brutality, fans have remained steadfast in their admiration for his intricate character.
Ahead of his much-anticipated return to the role, Cillian Murphy, fresh off his Oscar win for Oppenheimer, sat down with new Peaky Blinders co-star Tim Roth to discuss the enduring appeal of the Shelby patriarch.
The Enduring Allure of Tommy Shelby
Murphy, the 49-year-old star, initially muses on the multifaceted reasons behind Tommy’s widespread appeal. He largely attributes the character’s deep connection with audiences to the nature of long-form television.
‘It allows you to really explore all the light and shade, all the different complexities that characters can have,’ Murphy explains. ‘And despite the fact that this is gangster and stylised and genre and heightened, there’s a great deal of humanity in it. Like, if the character gets injured, he stays injured. There’re consequences from the violence. Steve [Knight, the creator] has woven in politics; characters die and it’s heartbreaking.’
Murphy elaborates, ‘And I think if you spend that length of time with a character, you will begin to invest in them in an emotional, kind of intimate way, which you don’t always get with films – you get it in a different way. But with long form telly, it’s unusual, and there’s an ownership that the audience has which is kind of interesting.’
Tim Roth, a veteran of films like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, echoes this sentiment. ‘You can put a character under a microscope and spend time with their weaknesses,’ he adds. ‘You can do a whole episode on one aspect of a character and investigate it, whereas you don’t necessarily have the time to do that cinematically.’
Unsurprisingly, Murphy remains modest about his own contribution to Tommy’s global success, deflecting praise towards the dedicated fanbase. ‘It’s very humbling when it does, but I do think that’s the fans doing,’ he states simply.
Birmingham’s Resurgence and the Art of the Brummie Accent
The Cork-born star has also inadvertently played a significant role in championing Birmingham, the show’s gritty backdrop. Murphy’s dedication to mastering the distinctive Brummie accent of Small Heath’s most infamous resident has been a quiet triumph.
‘Locals have been ‘very kind’ in their feedback on his efforts over the years,’ Murphy acknowledges. ‘Originally when we started doing it, I would leave voice messages on [series creator] Steve Knight’s phone because he’s a true-blue Brummie, and he would let me know if I was getting close.’
However, Murphy consciously decided early on ‘to not lean into it’ in a stereotypical way. ‘There’s always been this kind of comedic version of the Brummies,’ Murphy explains, with Roth citing Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as a notable example. ‘[So I wanted to] avoid all of that and to make him cool and mysterious, just like Birmingham has all of that – it’s totally there – but it took Steve to show the world.’ Roth also playfully credits Solihull-raised comedian Joe Lycett for contributing to the region’s modern cool factor.
The extended tenure playing Tommy has also instilled a sense of ‘discipline’ in Murphy. ‘We shot the TV show at a very, very fast pace, shooting six hours in the same amount of time you shoot a feature film. And we always had real cinematic ambition for the show, and the production values we always wanted to keep extremely high – and I think we managed to maintain that.’
‘I don’t really go into parts looking to learn stuff – obviously it happens as you play them,’ he continues. ‘But I can just say that I’m immensely grateful for it. To be given that level of quality of writing for that length of time, and for the story to have gotten richer and deeper, more satisfying for us, and for the fans that have been so loyal and stayed with the show. It’s been a huge part of my life,’ he adds.
Introducing Beckett: Tommy’s New Adversary
Oscar nominee Tim Roth steps into the role of Beckett, a chillingly casual yet ruthlessly effective Nazi sympathiser poised to aid Germany’s war efforts. Roth, known for his roles in Tornado, Planet of the Apes, and The Incredible Hulk, brings a new layer of menace to the Peaky Blinders universe.
‘Beckett, a chillingly casual yet ruthless antagonist and another fascist for the Peaky Blinders to tackle, is ‘a lovely fellow’,’ quips Roth. The Cockney character, however, was initially conceived quite differently. Roth suggested an overhaul, explaining, ‘He was from a different class and [had a] kind of aristocratic vibe to him, a militaristic vibe, and I just thought it’d be nice to play him like a geography teacher. I think that brought a possible element of the fatherly masquerade to it, which maybe slightly became a reality for the character somehow.’
Beckett ultimately aligns himself with Duke, aiming to leverage the gang’s extensive criminal network for his nefarious Nazi agenda. For the 64-year-old Roth, the wartime setting holds personal resonance, given his father was 17 during that era. He relished the cinematic ambition and demanding schedule of The Immortal Man.
‘You really felt when you were there, it’s almost payback for the loyalty of the fans and the enjoyment that they have. It’s quite an extraordinary place to be,’ he adds.
Echoes of Opposition: Tommy and Beckett
Beckett emerges as perhaps Tommy’s most formidable opponent to date, with both characters sharing a calculated yet violent approach to achieving their goals. ‘They kind of circle around each other, and the two times they encounter each other is very explosive and visceral, but there’s not that much interaction – and yet each has a huge influence on the other,’ shares Murphy.
‘I think initially Beckett would have liked to have done business with Tommy. He ends up with Tommy’s son, and he has to kind of recalibrate in terms of how he’s going to get this thing done. But I do think they feel like sort of equals and opposite sides of the coin.’
This dynamic allows Tommy to truly shine, particularly as his adversary becomes more challenging. ‘That’s in the writing too,’ points out Roth. ‘You need to create a big enough mountain for these guys to climb over, to conquer. And I think [Knight] did such a good job in writing that.’
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is currently in UK and US cinemas and will be streaming exclusively on Netflix from March 20.
