Cillian Murphy on Leaving Tommy Shelby Behind: “I’m Not That Bloke”

For more than a decade, Cillian Murphy has lived in the skin of Tommy Shelby — the sharp-dressed, steel-eyed leader at the heart of Peaky Blinders. But today, as he sits down to talk about his latest project, Murphy seems lighter, almost relieved. “I’m not that bloke,” he says with a wry laugh. “Playing Tommy was a gift and a privilege, but he’s not me.”

The Irish actor, now 49 and fresh off an Academy Award win for Oppenheimer, is stepping into a new chapter with Steve, a film that trades gangland power for vulnerability and quiet humanity. It’s a shift Murphy describes as long overdue. “After so long with a character who’s so armored, it’s good to rediscover softness,” he says.

A Decade in the Shadows

When Peaky Blinders debuted in 2013, few could have predicted its global cultural impact. The BBC series — later embraced by Netflix — introduced viewers to the Shelby family, a Birmingham gang navigating power, politics, and survival in the aftermath of World War I. Over six seasons, Murphy’s performance as Tommy Shelby became iconic: calculating, haunted, and relentless.

“To grow older with a character is rare,” Murphy reflects. “That’s the joy of long-form television — you evolve alongside them. We never anticipated the show would resonate the way it did or have that longevity. It’s defining.”

Yet, he’s quick to distance himself from the dark charisma of the Shelby patriarch. “I’ve played him for a quarter of my life, but I’m nothing like him,” Murphy says. “People assume I’m this stoic, hardened man. In reality, I’m not a gangster. Not at all.”

Fans of the series can rejoice: a Peaky Blinders feature film, written by creator Steven Knight, is on the way. But details remain closely guarded. “I think it’s better to keep it under wraps,” Murphy teases. “Some things are more exciting when you don’t know what’s coming.”

From Steel to Vulnerability in Steve

Murphy’s new film, Steve, is worlds apart from the shadowy streets of Birmingham. Adapted from Max Porter’s 2023 novella Shy, it follows the story of Steve, a headteacher trying to steady a struggling reform school in the mid-1990s while grappling with his own mental health.

The narrative unfolds over a single tumultuous day, with everything — from a visiting politician to a morally ambiguous documentary crew — threatening to unravel the fragile balance of the school. Alongside Steve is Shy, a teenage boy wrestling with his own pain and anger. Their parallel journeys, Murphy says, are deeply human. “It’s like two sides of a coin,” he explains. “They’re at different points in life but share similar struggles. And somehow, they just can’t reach each other.”

Murphy describes the film as a “love letter to teachers,” honoring those who shape young lives in difficult circumstances. “Teachers are custodians of the next generation,” he says. “The job is complex and deeply emotional — we wanted to show that.”

Timeless Conversations

Though set in the 1990s, Steve explores themes that feel immediate: education in challenging settings, adolescent rage, and men’s mental health. “It’s a reminder that these issues never really go away,” Murphy notes. “People will view it through their own life experience, which is what makes it powerful.”

Murphy’s collaboration with author and screenwriter Max Porter is not new. The two previously worked on the stage adaptation of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers. Their shared creative language brings an emotional depth to Steve that’s both raw and restrained.

Co-star Jay Lycurgo, who plays Shy, has also joined the secretive Peaky Blinders film project. But like Murphy, he’s staying silent on details. “You’ll have to wait,” Murphy says with a grin.

Looking Beyond Tommy Shelby

Murphy’s career has evolved far beyond the flat caps and whiskey-fueled stares that made him a global star. With roles in Small Things Like These and his Oscar-winning performance in Oppenheimer, he has proven his ability to inhabit radically different worlds.

Still, leaving behind a character as defining as Tommy Shelby isn’t simple. “It’s strange when people can’t separate you from a role,” he admits. “But acting is about transformation. I’m interested in finding the human core — whether that’s a scientist, a teacher, or, yes, a man who’s lived a brutal life.”

With Steve, Murphy seems to be embracing gentler terrain — one where quiet resilience matters as much as power. After ten years in the shadows, he’s ready to step back into the light.

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