Nearly 13 years after the introduction of Tommy Shelby, the ruthless yet captivating leader of the Peaky Blinders, the character remains a staple favorite among viewers, thanks to Cillian Murphy’s layered portrayal. As Tommy returns in the new Netflix film The Immortal Man, set during World War Two, Murphy sheds light on why audiences remain so drawn to this complex anti-hero.
Examining the Deep Complexity Behind Tommy Shelby’s Appeal
Tommy Shelby has been depicted as a figure who inflicts violence, betrayal, and terror throughout six seasons of the Peaky Blinders TV series. Despite his brutality, fans remain invested in his story, a phenomenon Murphy attributes largely to the extended storytelling format of television. The actor highlights how the long-form narrative allows audiences to witness every nuance of Tommy’s personality, including the consequences of his violent actions and the emotional depth beneath his harsh exterior.
“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 has woven in politics; characters die and it’s heartbreaking.”
Murphy further suggests that with sufficient time spent alongside a character, viewers develop an emotional attachment and a sense of ownership that film narratives typically cannot provide. Co-star Tim Roth agrees, emphasizing that the television format can investigate a character’s traits in greater detail.
“You can put a character under a microscope and spend time with their weaknesses,”
Roth says.
“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.”
Despite Tommy’s widespread popularity, Murphy remains modest about his own contribution to this acclaim and instead credits the fans.
“It’s very humbling when it does, but I do think that’s the fans doing,”
he states simply.
How the Series Elevated Birmingham’s Image Through Tommy Shelby
Murphy, originally from Cork, Ireland, has successfully embraced the Birmingham accent and culture, helping to reframe the city’s image through the eyes of the Shelby family, who are based in the Small Heath area. The actor shares that locals have appreciated his efforts to capture an authentic Brummie voice and mannerisms, often consulting with series creator Steve Knight, himself a Birmingham native, to refine the accent.
“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,”
Murphy recounts.
However, Murphy deliberately avoided exaggerating regional stereotypes. With Tim Roth adding context, the approach was to steer clear of the more comedic or caricatured portrayals of Brummies that have historically appeared in UK media, such as those presented in shows like Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
“There’s always been this kind of comedic version of the Brummies,”
Murphy explains.
“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.”
Spending years inhabiting Tommy Shelby’s role, Murphy notes, has instilled a sense of discipline and appreciation for the quality of writing and production values involved.
“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,”
he says.
Tim Roth Introduces Tommy’s New Opponent: Nazi Sympathizer Beckett
The new film The Immortal Man introduces Beckett, portrayed by Oscar nominee Tim Roth, as a chilling Nazi ally and rival to Tommy Shelby. This antagonist is characterized by a calm ruthlessness that sharply contrasts yet mirrors Tommy’s own calculated violence. Roth describes Beckett’s initial conception as more aristocratic and militaristic but reimagined the character as resembling a geography teacher, bringing a subtle fatherly facade to the role.
“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,”
Roth explains.
“I think that brought a possible element of the fatherly masquerade to it, which maybe slightly became a reality for the character somehow.”
Beckett’s alliance with Tommy Shelby’s illegitimate son Duke positions him at the center of the gang’s criminal operations during wartime, making him perhaps Tommy’s most formidable challenge to date. Murphy notes the dynamic between the two adversaries as one of mutual respect and shared darkness, describing them as
“equals and opposite sides of the coin.”
“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,”
Murphy shares.
“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.”
For Roth, the wartime setting holds personal significance as his father experienced the era first-hand at age 17. He expresses admiration for the project’s ambition and the devoted fanbase.
“You really felt when you 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,”
Roth says.
Setting the Stage for Tommy’s Next Chapter and Its Broader Impact
The introduction of a powerful adversary like Beckett raises the stakes for Tommy Shelby and allows the character’s strengths and vulnerabilities to be fully realized on screen. Roth emphasizes the importance of providing such challenges to maintain narrative tension.
“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,”
he remarks.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now screening in UK and US cinemas and is set for exclusive release on Netflix beginning March 20. Murphy’s continued embodiment of Tommy Shelby not only reinforces the character’s iconic status but also sustains the cultural influence of the series, spotlighting Birmingham’s gritty charm and historical complexity for a global audience.
