A long-time collaborator of Christopher Nolan’s, with no less than 6 films together – including the latest Oppenheimer – Cillian Murphy is best known for the TV role that sticks to his skin.
From 2013 to 2022, the Irish actor played the role of Thomas Shelby in the TV series Peaky Blinders, which was ranked among the 10 best TV series of all time by AlloCiné viewers, with a rating of 4.5 out of 5.
It’s hard to imagine any talent other than Cillian Murphy playing Thomas Shelby, and yet another actor almost got the part. It was the text message that changed everything and allowed the Irish star to play the iconic character.
Which other actor almost played Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders?
in the given interview independentPeaky Blinders showrunner Steven Knight has explained that he hesitated between two actors to play Thomas Shelby: Cillian Murphy and… Jason Statham!
“I met both of them in Los Angeles to talk about the role and I went for Jason… because physically Jason in the room is Jason.”, recalls Stephen Knight. For the showrunner, Jason Statham’s physical presence and his background in action and gangster films were a good fit for Thomas Shelby’s methodical and brilliant tough-guy role.
When Stephen Knight met Cillian Murphy, he was faced with a very gentle, calm and friendly being, the opposite of Thomas Shelby. “Of course Killian isn’t Tom, that’s for sure, but I was stupid enough not to realize that.”he explained.
How did Cillian Murphy manage to play Thomas Shelby? Thanks to a text she sent to Stephen Knight, in which she wrote: “Remember I’m an actor.”. The showrunner then realized that he had to see beyond Cillian Murphy’s introverted character and that the latter could transform himself: “If you meet him on the street, he’s a completely different person.”.
And Cillian Murphy has proven himself to be the perfect candidate for the role of Thomas Shelby, whose adventures are probably far from over as there is a movie in the works as well as two spin-off projects.
The Peaky Blinders series is available on Netflix.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
