Nobody thought going back to ‘Peaky Blinders‘ was supposed to help Cillian Murphy prepare for his big return as Tommy Shelby. Instead, it turned into something much harder than he expected.
The actor revealed that rewatching the show became difficult for a heartbreaking reason, which changed how he experienced the series while preparing for the film.
Why Cillian Murphy Found Rewatching ‘Peaky Blinders’ Heartbreaking
Murphy played Tommy Shelby from 2013 to 2022 and has now stepped back into the role for the movie ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man‘. To prepare, he watched the series again, but the experience wasn’t easy.
Seeing Helen McCrory on screen proved the toughest part. McCrory portrayed Polly Gray, the Shelby family matriarch and Tommy’s closest adviser, for the first five seasons before she passed away in 2021.
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Polly stood at the center of many major moments, which made her presence stand out even more during the rewatch. Murphy told GQ the rewatch was “quite heartbreaking” because he kept seeing McCrory and thinking about the fact that “we lost her.” Preparation for the film quickly became emotional.
How The Emotional Rewatch Affected Cillian’s Return As Tommy Shelby In ‘The Immortal Man’
Even so, Murphy still needed to study the show closely. He worked as an executive producer on the final two seasons and continued that role on ‘The Immortal Man‘, so he wanted the film to stay true to what made ‘Peaky Blinders‘ special.
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He explained that rewatching helped him understand the atmosphere, look, and energy the movie needed, but it also reminded him how important McCrory’s presence was to the series. Murphy also said you can’t instantly become Tommy Shelby again; it takes a few weeks to settle back into the character.
The filming wrapped in December 2024, and the movie will release in theaters in March 2026 before arriving on Netflix. The new chapter brings the Shelby story forward, but for Murphy, the journey now carries a personal memory; every return to the series reminds him of Helen McCrory and the legacy she left behind.
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