Cillian Murphy Q&A: ‘Peaky Blinders’

“It’s the most under-pressure we’ve ever seen Tommy,” admits Cillian Murphy as we chat via webcam (watch above) about the third season of “Peaky Blinders,” the gangster drama that streams on Netflix. Murphy plays Tommy Shelby in the show, which is set in post-WWI England. Tommy is the leader of a gang in Birmingham, England.

“He’s an incredibly capable character and can seemingly deal with anything that’s thrown his way. But I think in this season he actually takes on more than he can handle. When they go after his family that’s when the wheels begin to spin. It’s the most damaged we’ve ever seen him.” This season saw Tommy both marry and lose the love of his life Grace.

The actor reflects, “it was heartbreaking because she altered Tommy. That light side of Tommy, that he left behind in the trenches, was reignited by her. It was a bit of a shocker to read. But the nature of these series is that every now and then a major character needs to cop it. It was amazing. What that would do and the spiral it would send Tommy on was interesting to play.” As for whether his character would marry again.“I don’t know but Tommy needs a good woman, doesn’t he?”

“Peaky Blinders” has been renewed for two more seasons and Murphy hints that the fifth may be the last. “It’s loverly knowing this is the arc of the show. We are going to tell the rest of the story in two more seasons. It’s great for Stephen Knight to go, ‘How am I going to tell the end of this saga?”