Who plays Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders?

Cillian Murphy plays Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Shelby, commonly called Tommy, is the central character and leader of the Shelby family’s criminal enterprise in post-World War I Birmingham.

Murphy is an Irish actor whose performance helped make the series an international success. Tommy is written as a calculating gang leader, businessman, politician, and decorated former soldier coping with the effects of trench warfare. The character’s distinctive blue eyes, quiet intensity, and strategic intelligence became defining features of the show.

A common mix-up is confusing Murphy’s role with those of his co-stars. Joe Cole plays Tommy’s younger brother John Shelby, Paul Anderson plays his older brother Arthur Shelby, and Tom Hardy plays Alfie Solomons, a rival gangster. Murphy continued in the role throughout the show’s six television series.