Peaky Blinders, arguably one of the most adored TV shows of recent times had the nation on tenterhooks.
Over the course of the show’s nine-year run, from 2013 to 2022, fans were used to seeing certain characters on their screens, and Joe Cole’s impactful John Shelby was one of them. This isn’t the only popular gangster that Joe has portrayed on screen.
The star made a massive impact as titular gangster Sean Wallace in the wildly popular series Gangs of London. The show has now returned to Sky Atlantic and premiered at 9pm on March 20, bringing its third (dangerously, deliciously chaotic) season to viewers. Gangs of London will air weekly on Thursdays for the entirety of its 10-episode run, however fans can also binge the show in one sitting as a box set on Sky Atlantic or on the streaming service Now.
When it comes to Peaky Blinders, throughout its six series run, audiences watched as Tommy Shelby, the head of the Shelby family, and his aunt Polly Gray, established their dominance among Birmingham’s gangs in post-WWI Britain. As the years rolled by, Tommy began to delve into the murky waters of post-First World War politics, leading to catastrophic outcomes and a thrilling six seasons.
While Cillian played Tommy Shelby, Joe Cole, 36, played his younger brother John. It’s impossible to forget the devastating scene in which Arthur (Paul Anderson) and Tommy’s younger brother was shot to death by Italian assassins in the fourth series of the widely acclaimed show.
A crucial character across the four seasons of the smash-hit British show, Joe spoke to Metro and revealed his reason for exiting the TV show in 2017, sharing: “With Peaky Blinders I never really got out of the gates in that role. It’s Cillian’s show really. This show [Gangs of London] is more ensemble, it follows characters on a deep level.”
He added: “I’ve spent the last few years turning down gang related shows because when a show does well you get offered quite a lot of them. I actually chose to leave Peaky Blinders because I wanted to explore new avenues, and new characters and new stories.”
In a separate interview with Radio Times, Joe shared: “In society we’re told to play by the rules and live your life in a certain way. For me, it was a no-brainer. I was missing out on some stuff, and I felt like I had exhausted this character.”
Delving deeper into the reason behind his departure from the iconic show, the British actor divulged: “People used to come up to me and go, ‘You’re that bloke from Peaky Blinders,’ but I’m thinking, ‘My best work is in other stuff.’ There’s more to me than this.”
Peaky Blinders originally premiered on 12 September 2013 and was broadcast on BBC Two till its fourth season, following which it moved to BBC One for its fifth and sixth series. In a deal with The Weinstein Company and Endemol, Netflix acquired the rights to release the natively British show in the United States and around the world.
Written and created by Steven Knight, the title of Peaky Blinders was inspired by a real-life gang that operated in Birmingham, England, after World War I. After ending on somewhat of a make-of-it-what-you-will cliffhanger, a feature-length film Peaky Blinders movie called The Immortal Man, is deep in the works.
In what can be considered a bombshell announcement, creator Steven Knight revealed that it will be getting a theatrical release—a rarity for Netflix projects—and called the film “a fitting end to the first chapter.”
Speaking to The Playlist, Steven announced: “I just wanted to do it. I mean, part of it is, and this is not obviously the prime motivation, although I could pretend it is: I really want the ‘Peaky’ fans who have been a big part of this, the way they found it. It was never promoted massively, but people just found it and told each other about it.
“And the way that they’re so passionate about it, I really want them to be watching this all together in one building because the communication has all been virtual, which is fine. But I do want this to be in cinemas so that people can sit there together and watch this thing happen.”
The writer was also all praise for his lead Irish superstar, Cillian, and shared: “Cillian is the most down to earth, straightforward person, never mind actor, just human being that you would ever meet. And when he was getting all his awards, he used to text me pretty much LA time next day, saying, ‘I can’t wait to be on the ‘Peaky’ set. He leads the line in terms of actors.
“He sets the standards so people have to turn up knowing their lines. They have to turn up on time. And that is such a great thing to have.”
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