How Cillian Murphy convinced ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator to land the lead role

Cillian Murphy may have needed to do some convincing before he landed his breakthrough role as Tommy Shelby in the BBC period gangster drama Peaky Blinders, as the role almost went to Jason Statham.

In an interview with Esquire Magazine, show creator, Steven Knight revealed that he was contemplating between the two actors for the lead.

“I met them both in L.A. to talk about the role and opted for Jason,” Knight told the publication. “One of the reasons was because physically in the room Jason is Jason. Cillian, when you meet him, isn’t Tommy, obviously, but I was stupid enough not to understand that.”

However, Knight added that Murphy then texted him of a crucial detail about himself at a later stage which actually landed the role for him.

“Afterwards, [Murphy] sent me a text saying, “Remember, I’m an actor.'”

“Which is absolutely the thing because he can transform himself,” Knight added. “If you meet him in the street, he is a totally different human being.”

It ended up being the right call for Knight as it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the cold, calculating character Murphy portrays in the role.

Previously, the actor who played Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, told The Guardian that “there was a bit of convincing needed” to secure the role.

“Initially, there may have been some doubts about whether I had the requisite physicality, which I understand. I’m not the most physically imposing individual.”

The show ran for seven seasons from 2013 to 2022. All of its seasons are available to watch on Netflix.