It’s been some time since a new season of Peaky Blinders landed on our screens, but the popularity of the BBC drama remains at an all-time high. You need only take a stroll down to your local pub to see that Peaky Blinders and the characters it generated live on in daily life. From the hairstyle to the fashion, the show has transcended the screen and firmly cemented itself in the zeitgeist of modern culture. Even those with a most Australian drawl are trying their luck at the famous Tommy Shelby accent – and let it be known, few have mastered it.
Though Cillian Murphy is an actor of incredible talent with a resume boasting some of the world’s biggest film titles, it was his portrayal of gang leader Thomas Shelby that made him a household name. He has made the character his own and despite the shortcomings and flaws that encapsulate Shelby, Murphy plays him with such sincerity that as an audience we feel for the character deeply. That we are living at a time of peak Blinders obsession is clear. David Bekcham added a Peaky collaboration to his clothing line, while Snoop Dog reached out to series writer/creator Steven Knight telling him the show reminded him of what initially drew him to gang culture, before Snoop then went on to write a cover of the show’s theme song. Unlike most TV series that seem to be churned out with rapid succession these days, Blinders has something of a cinematic quality to it. Each season takes four to five months to shoot and the dialogue scenes are so long and complex, they’re staged almost like theatre.
In a recent interview with Men’s Health UK, Murphy revealed some insights into the final season, which has been delayed due to the global pandemic. As writer Josh St. Clair notes, “Murphy is wearing the [hair] cut now, though a more mature variation, with the sides a bit longer, his hair a touch greyer.” As Murphy explained, “It’a s slightly less severe cut this year,” adding, “Last [season] it was a zero blade. So that was [shaved] every day.”
Still, a release date for the new and final season is yet to be confirmed, with many speculating it will either be late this year, or early 2022. Speaking about the upcoming retirement of Shelby, Murphy says, “It’ll be very strange, I think probably when I stop, like a few months in, I’ll have to process the fact that I may not play him again. I’ll have to deal with that. But right now, I’m just still in it.”