Cillian Murphy Reveals He Wasn’t First Choice for Peaky Blinders Lead Role

Cillian Murphy, the acclaimed actor who is a frontrunner for the Best Actor award at the upcoming Oscars, recently disclosed that he was not initially the primary selection for his breakthrough role in a popular TV series.

Murphy portrayed the central character, Tommy Shelby, in the globally beloved period drama Peaky Blinders. In a revealing moment on the Desert Island Discs radio show, he admitted that he wasn’t the initial preference of the show’s creator, Stephen Knight, for the lead role.

During the interview, Murphy shared, “I wasn’t the obvious choice physically. I don’t know if I convinced Stephen in the meeting, but apparently afterwards I sent him a text that said: ‘Remember, I am an actor.’ And I do believe that. I do think it is our duty as actors to transform to whatever the part demands.”

Despite the series concluding after six successful seasons in 2022, Murphy expressed his willingness to reprise his role. He stated, “If there is more story to tell, and if Stephen Knight delivers a script like I know he can, then I will be there. I mean, if we want to watch 50-year-old Tommy Shelby, I will be there. Let’s do it.”

Reflecting on his remarkable portrayal of Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan‘s epic film, Murphy acknowledged the complexity of embodying such characters. He emphasized, “…you put it all in the mix and that becomes Chris’s version and my version of Oppenheimer.”

The Irish actor also shared his evolving perspective on awards season, noting that he has learned to embrace and enjoy it more. He remarked, “But you can choose to enjoy it. You can make that alteration in your brain. Really, you would be an eejit not to enjoy it. Just go with it.”