10 ‘Peaky Blinders’ Secrets Every Fan Should Know
By the Order of the Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a modern phenomenon about the times that have gone by. Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby led the show to amazing heights and fans could never stop binging the seasons over and over. But Peaky Blinders has a lot of behind the scenes facts and easter eggs that you may not know about.
The Razor Blades in the Caps Are (Probably) a Myth
This is the show's entire premise, but according to historians, there's no real evidence the historical Peaky Blinders sewed razor blades into their hats. It's most likely a folk tale. Razors were a luxury item and would have been difficult to sew in and use as a weapon. The real Peaky Blinders got their name from the "peak" of their caps and their "blinder" style of dress. Creator Steven Knight heard the myth and knew it was too good not to use.
The Show Was Inspired by the Creator's Dad
Steven Knight's (the show's creator) father had childhood memories of the real Peaky Blinders. Knight said his dad, at age nine, was sent to deliver a message in a slum and saw a table of eight men, impeccably dressed, drinking beer out of jam jars, with guns in their pockets. This single, powerful image of "mythical" men in a harsh industrial world was the seed for the entire series.
Jason Statham Was Almost Tommy Shelby
This is the ultimate "what if?" Steven Knight met with both Jason Statham and Cillian Murphy for the lead role. Knight initially thought Statham was the obvious choice for the tough gangster, but Murphy's audition stuck with him. Murphy famously sent Knight a text message after their meeting that simply read: "Remember, I am an actor." Knight realized Murphy could transform into Tommy, while Statham would just be Jason Statham as Tommy.
Cillian Murphy Despised the Haircut
The "Peaky" undercut (shaved sides, long on top) became a global style phenomenon, but the man who made it famous couldn't stand it. Cillian Murphy has said he was "horrified" by the cut, which is based on the rough, delousing haircuts of the era. He hated the "tough guy" attention it brought him in public but dutifully got the cut for every season, seeing it as a key part of getting into the "animalistic" headspace of Tommy.
Tommy Smoked Over 3,000 (Herbal) Cigarettes
Tommy Shelby is almost never seen without a cigarette. To avoid nicotine poisoning, Cillian Murphy smoked herbal, tobacco-free cigarettes, which are made of a rose-petal-based blend. The prop department estimated that Murphy smoked over 3,000 of them by the time the series ended, which he said still left a terrible taste and covered his lips in residue.
Sam Neill Hired Liam Neeson as an Accent Coach
Sam Neill, who is from New Zealand, was cast as the Belfast-born Inspector Campbell. Panicked about getting the difficult Northern Irish accent right, he called his friends and fellow actors, Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt. Both of them recorded Campbell's lines into Neill's phone so he could listen and practice the specific cadence and rhythm.
Helen McCrory Based Polly's Accent on Ozzy Osbourne
The late, great Helen McCrory wanted Polly Gray's accent to be perfect. She watched hours of footage of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. She figured he was the most famous person from Birmingham and that his "Brummie" accent, which he never lost, was the perfect template for Polly's "tough, unapologetic, and regal" voice.
The Modern Soundtrack Was a Deliberate Choice
The show's most defining feature is its use of modern artists like Nick Cave, Arctic Monkeys, and Radiohead. This was a decision made from day one. The creators wanted the show to feel like a "modern, mythical Western," not a "museum piece." By using modern music, they told the audience that this wasn't a stuffy historical drama; it was a cool, epic gangster story.
"Birmingham" Is Actually Liverpool
While the show is set in the industrial Small Heath area of Birmingham, almost none of it was filmed there. Modern Birmingham is too new and redeveloped. The production primarily used the streets of Liverpool, as well as parts of Manchester and Leeds, which still had the preserved, untouched industrial-era architecture they needed to recreate the 1920s.
Tom Hardy (Alfie Solomons) Kept Coming Back
Alfie Solomons was never meant to be a main character. He was written for a short, two-episode arc in Season 2. But Tom Hardy's performance was so chaotic, hilarious, and utterly magnetic that Steven Knight couldn't let him go. The chemistry between Hardy and Murphy was too good, so Knight kept writing him back in, even bringing him back from a seemingly definite death.
