© Photo: BBCPeaky Blinders is officially back on our screens, and we can't wait to see what shenanigans Thomas Shelby and co get up to this time around. But what about the actors and actresses behind the notorious Birmingham gang? How much do you know about the incredible cast? We've compiled a compilation of handy facts about the Peaky Blinders cast, so you can brush up your knowledge before tonight's episode. You might even recognise a few faces from some of your other favourite films and shows…
© Photo: BBCAda Thorne played by Sophie Rundle
Ada has had a tough time of it on the Peaky set. After her husband Freddie Thorne died she was left to look after their son Karl and estranged from her family, although she's since grown closer to the Shelby clan. As for Sophie, well you might know her from Gentleman Jack in which she co-starred alongside the ineffable Suranne Jones, or as Vicky Budd in Bodyguard. Sophie is currently engaged to her actor boyfriend Matt Stokoe, and the pair met on the set of Sky One's Jamestown.
© Photo: BBCArthur Shelby played by Paul Anderson
Although Arthur is the eldest of the Shelby siblings, he's no match for Tommy – who has both brains and brawl. Still, he's second in command and certainly not to be messed with. But who is Arthur in real life? Paul Anderson is an acclaimed British actor who's also had roles in The Revenant and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. Just like Cillian, Arthur was once an aspiring musician but it wasn't until the mid-2000s that he chose to pursue acting full-time, appearing in plays written by his friend, famed Scottish playwright Gregory Burke. No big deal!
© Photo: BBCColonel Ben Younger played by Kingsley Ben-Adir
Ben Younger first appeared at the very end of season four, but stuck around for the next season. He heads up army intelligence in the show and orchestrated Ada Thorne's arrest. Actor Kingsley has been in the TV series Vera and also played Karim Washington in Netflix's cult-hit The OA. The London actor is still only 32 years old, but he's been in plenty of theatre productions and first decided that he wanted to pursue an acting career when he was at school.
© Photo: BBCFinn Shelby played by Harry Kirton
Finn is the youngest of the Shelby siblings, and Harry does an excellent job portraying the character. Earlier in August Harry made headlines after it was revealed that he still works part-time in a Shoreditch café when he's filming in order to stay grounded, telling The Metro: "I still do part-time work, you know, I like to keep in sync with the world that we live in because acting is a very… you know, you’re pretending a lot and your headspace is in this area. At the end of the day we’ve all got to pay rent and we’ve all got to do real things. I have a lot of passions that aren’t just acting. I like to write, I’m vegan, I’m working at a vegan cafe because I love what they’re doing." It sounds like the 21-year-old actor is wise beyond his years!
© Photo: BBCJessie Eden played by Charlie Murphy
It was plucky unionist Jessie Eden who brought the female workers on strike, and Charlie's character is actually based on a real life woman of the exact same name. The Irish actress played the lead character, Siobhan, in Love/Hate and won an Irish Film and Television Award for her performance. You might have also seen her in BBC's Happy Valley. We can't wait to see what Charlie does next!
© Photo: BBCLinda Shelby played by Kate Phillips
Arthur's wife Linda is played by Kate Phillips, who has also appeared in The Crown and Wolf Hall. It was Kate's excellent performance as Jane Seymour in the latter that really cemented her as a star, and we'll also be seeing Kate in Downton Abbey's feature film. How exciting!
© Photo: BBCLizzie Shelby played by Natasha O'Keeffe
Once engaged to John Shelby, Lizzie's engagement to the Peaky Blinder was cut short when it was revealed by Tommy that she still worked as a prostitute. As for Natasha? The actress cut her teeth playing Abbey Smith in Misfits and since then has appeared in Strike and Jekyll & Hyde. Born in Brighton but raised in London's Tooting, Natasha's first ever role was in an Oasis music video!
© Photo: BBCMichael Gray played by Finn Cole
Polly's estranged son Michael was taken away from his mother by the authorities – but they were eventually reunited with the help of Tommy. Finn was born in Kingston and is still only 23, which is impressive considering he's already appeared in one of TV's biggest shows, not to mention films such as Slaughterhouse Rulez. Finn is currently over in America starring in Animal Kingdom, and if his Instagram is anything to go by, he's having the time of his life!
© Photo: BBCOswald Mosley played by Sam Claflin
Oswald Mosley was a famous MP who led the British Union of Fascists during the 1930s. Needless to say, Sam is nothing like his on-screen character, and this certainly isn't the talented actor's first rodeo. He's also been in The Hunger Games and even had a small part as Philip Swift in Pirates of the Caribbean. But perhaps most famously of all he starred in Me Before You with Emilia Clarke. Sam played Will Traynor, a man who decides to die by assisted suicide despite falling in love with his caregiver.
© Photo: BBCPolly Gray played by Helen McCroy
The exceptionally stylish matriarch of the Shelby family, the ever-fierce Polly Gray, is played by Helen McCroy, best known for her outstanding roles in the likes of Harry Potter and her take on Cherie Blaire in Netflix's The Crown. Born in London, Helen has won multiple awards and honed her craft at the infamous Drama Centre in London. She's been married to Homeland star Damian Lewis since 2007, and the couple have two lovely children together.
© Photo: BBCTommy Shelby played by Cillian Murphy
The leader of the Peaky Blinders, Thomas Shelby, is portrayed on screen by the talented Cillian Murphy, who has a string of Hollywood titles under his belt including 28 Days Later, Cold Mountain, Red Eye and Dunkirk. The actor lives with his wife, artist Yvonne McGuinnes, in Dublin with their two young sons. Before his career as an actor took off, Cillian was actually a musician, but he ended up turning down a record deal to pursue a stint acting in theatre. We're glad he did!
