Tommy Shelby returns in ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man‘, but Barry Keoghan says the heart of the story is really about Duke Shelby. Yes, the new dark face of the Shelby clan.
He was the son Tommy left behind, and was embraced in the final season of the show. After months of secrecy, Keoghan is finally talking about playing the character and why the role felt right the moment he got the call from Cillian Murphy himself.
Barry Keoghan Reveals How Cillian Murphy Personally Cast Him As Duke
Interestingly, the casting happened very simply. Keoghlan and Cillian Murphy worked together on ‘Dunkirk‘ and stayed friends afterwards. Keoghan sent a Father’s Day message, and Murphy called back asking if he wanted to play with his son in the ‘Peaky Blinders‘ movie. His response? “At the drop of a hat, I was like, feckin’ yeah, anything to work with yourself again, and to become part of that universe and that world,” Keoghan told Empire.
Related: Tommy Shelby’s Son Becomes His Greatest Enemy In ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’
He added, “It couldn’t be any more perfect casting,” and then joked, “I look more Cillian Murphy than Cillian looks Cillian Murphy.” Murphy supported the decision as well. He described Keoghan as a “firecracker of a presence,” and explained that he suited Duke perfectly.
Fans first met Duke in Season 6, just as he began bonding with Tommy before being left again. But now the film brings them together once more.
Barry Keoghan Breaks Silence On Playing Tommy Shelby’s Troubled Heir
The film takes place four years after Tommy disappeared. War now surrounds Birmingham, and people barely remember the man who once ruled the streets. When he walks into the Garrison again, someone even asks, “Who the f— is Tommy Shelby?”
During his absence, Duke stepped up. Ada tells Tommy his “Gypsy son is running the Peaky Blinders like it’s 1919,” which means the gang has returned to its violent ways. Duke already makes risky moves, too. He talks with a dangerous man played by Tim Roth and even considers treason during wartime.
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Keoghan emphasized that Duke is “up to no good”. After all, he wants his father’s approval, but has only been hit by abandonment. The actor described his character’s state of mind: “That’s a boy, just looking for his father. Being a father myself, I really did relate to Duke, because there’s this cry for his father and this cry for the figure that he needs to be there.”
To play Duke, Keoghan quite obviously studied Murphy and tried to emulate his mannerisms and mystique. However, there was another surprising parallel: “In the way that Simba follows his dad in The Lion King. It’s as simple as that.” This inspiration might be unpredictable, but for Keoghan, it “had that animalistic, father-son approach to it” that he was trying to bring to the ‘Peaky Blinders‘ movie.
Keoghan had wanted to join the gangster drama for years but never fit earlier roles. This time, the character and story matched perfectly, and he knew straight away it was right for him.
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