For almost a quarter of his life, Cillian Murphy has played Tommy Shelby, one of the most iconic TV characters of the 21st Century. On the eve of the new Peaky Blinders film, the Oscar-winning actor talks to Donal O’Donoghue about the appeal of Shelby, his love of music and why he took a year-long break from acting.
“I’ve played the character for a quarter of my life now, so I think I have a good understanding of how Tommy Shelby ticks,” says Cillian Murphy of the role that has, even with his Oscar for Oppenheimer, defined his acting career thus far.
It’s impossible to imagine the TV drama, Peaky Blinders, without Murphy. From that first knock-out…