Cillian Murphy points out the best scenes from ‘Peaky Blinders,’ the series that brought him success

Cillian Murphy is the talk of Hollywood and the acting world after being named Best Actor at the 96th Academy Awards for his portrayal as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller about the life of the “father of the atomic bomb”.

Oppenheimer was the big winner at the 2024 Oscars, collecting seven awards in total, also including Best Picture, Best Director (Nolan) and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.). Murphy had never before been nominated for an Academy Award but is now one for one.

Of course, the Irishman has been a household name for years as a result of stellar performances in high-profile films including Inception, Dunkirk and The Dark Knight Batman trilogy. But, now in addition to Oppenheimer, he is undoubtedly most synonymous with his role as gang leader Tommy Shelby in British period crime drama Peaky Blinders.

Murphy discusses ‘Peaky Blinders’’ most iconic scenes

Speaking recently to host Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Murphy gave his thoughts on three of the most iconic scenes from the show, which received widespread critical acclaim.

“I’ll break your heart”, “Already broken”

In just the second episode of season one, a troubled Shelby, a First World War veteran, tells Grace Burgess to get up sing in an empty Garrison, a pub owned by the Peaky Blinders. When he asks her to sing a sad song, Grace responds: “I warn you, I’ll break your heart”.

Tommy’s own retort, as he shakes his head, hits hard: “Already broken”.

“It was great writing, really well directed,” says Murphy. “Annabelle (Wallis) was great in it. It was just kind of a good scene. I remember the director cut that scene together and showed it to us and said, ‘I think we’ve got something special here’.

Tommy Shelby escapes execution

At the end of season two, it appears as if Shelby has met his maker, with three members of the Ulster Volunteers, an Irish unionist, loyalist paramilitary organisation, kidnapping him and taking him to an empty field to execute him. One of the trio, however, turns on the other two and spares his life as he lies in an already-dug grave. A distraught Tommy grunts and groans as he walks away from the scene, ending the season.

“I was just in it (the moment). I can’t really recall, it was quite a while ago. I just remember being it in. Most normal people would be relieved to not be dead. I think he was wishing that he was dead. That was a distinction with him,” Murphy explains.

“No fighting” on Shelby’s wedding day

Finally, the 47-year-old also discussed a humorous incident from Shelby’s wedding to Grace at the start of season three. With the Peaky Blinders at odds with the bride’s family, Irish members of the British Army, Tommy has strict instructions for his men.

“No fighting,” he repeats to them all individually, followed by a more general, “NO FUCKING FIGHTING!” to make sure he gets his point across. No sooner have the words left his mouth that he aggressively pushes over a waiter who accidentally bumps into him, causing plates, glasses and who knows what else to smash.

“There was a stage direction in that scene and it said, ‘This is the angriest we’ve ever seen Tommy Shelby,’” explains Murphy. “So that gives you licence to go for it. It was brilliantly written and it was kind of funny, but he also meant it. We had a brilliant director for that series, Tim Mielants, who I’ve just made another movie with and going to do another movie with, so we were in really great hands there.”

The newly-crowned Academy Awards best actor has previously said he felt the series had ended after “a perfect six seasons” and initially suggested Tommy Shelby’s time was over, at least on television. However, he was also open to appearing in a Peaky Blinders movie, which has been rumoured. ”If we want to watch 50-year-old Tommy Shelby, I will be there. Let’s do it.”