Tommy Shelby

Thomas Michael Shelby OBE DCM MM MP is a fictional character and the protagonist of the British period crime drama Peaky Blinders. He is played by Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who has won two Irish Film và Television Awards and two National Television Awards for his portrayal of Shelby. The character has received critical acclaim.

Thomas Shelby
Peaky Blinders character
Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby in a promotional image for Peaky Blinders' second series
First appearance	"Episode 1" (2013)
Last appearance	The Immortal Man (film) (TBA)
Created by	Steven Knight
Portrayed by	Cillian Murphy
In-universe information
Full name	Thomas Michael Shelby
Nickname	Tommy Tom Thomas Mr. Shelby Mr. Jones The Devil
Gender	Male
Title	Member of Parliament
Occupation	Politician gangster businessman soldier (formerly)
Affiliation	Peaky Blinders Labour Party British Union of Fascists (undercover)
Family	Elizabeth "Polly" Gray (aunt; deceased) Arthur Shelby Sr. (father; deceased) Michael Gray (cousin; deceased) Arthur Shelby (brother) John Shelby (brother; deceased) Finn Shelby (brother) Ada Shelby Thorne (sister) Freddie Thorne (brother in-law; deceased)
Spouse	Lizzie Shelby (1926-1934) Grace Shelby (1924; deceased)
Significant other	May Carleton (1921-1922) Princess Tatiana Petrovna (1924) Jessie Eden (1925-1926) Diana Mitford (1933-1934)
Children	Erasmus "Duke" Shelby (from pre-WW1 relationship with a woman called Zelda) Charles Shelby (from Grace) Ruby Shelby (from Lizzie; deceased)
Origin	Small Heath, Birmingham
Nationality	British
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1918
Rank	Sergeant Major[1]
Unit	Birmingham Rifles
Battles / wars	First World War Battle of the Somme
Awards	Distinguished Conduct Medal Military Medal

Director Steven Knight cast Murphy for the role of Tommy Shelby. The character is introduced as a First World War veteran from a family with Romani ancestry, whose criminal enterprise is centred in Birmingham. The narrative begins in 1919, and largely revolves around Shelby's romance with Grace Burgess and his conflict with Inspector Campbell. As the series progresses, Shelby's relationship with mob quấn Alfie Solomons is a key element in many of the storylines.

Cillian Murphy had expressed an interest in doing more television roles, "Those iconic American shows had been on and we watched them and everyone was kind of conscious of that. I think the Đài truyền hình BBC were conscious of that and so sánh I was keen to tướng read some good scripts and they [Peaky Blinders] were the first TV scripts I got sent". Murphy admitted that he was not aware of who the Peaky Blinders were when he was initially presented with the script.^[2]

Jason Statham was initially preferred for the role by director Steven Knight, who explains "I met them both in LA to tướng talk about the role and opted for Jason. [...] Cillian, when you meet him, isn't Tommy, obviously, but I was stupid enough not to tướng understand that". Knight then opted to tướng cast Murphy instead after receiving a text message from Murphy that read "Remember, I'm an actor".^[3]

Although many characters in the series are based on real-life historical figures, most of the Peaky Blinders are entirely fictional and were created by Knight.^[4] Tommy Shelby is from a Romani family based in Birmingham.^[5][6] Murphy spent time with Romani people to tướng prepare himself for the role.^[7] Shelby is a veteran of the First World War and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences during the war; something that is a recurring theme throughout the series.^[8] Shelby sports an undercut hairstyle and this has led to tướng a resurgence in its popularity.^[9]

Thomas Michael Shelby was born in Birmingham, England, around 1890 to tướng an Irish Traveller and Romani family. He grew up in the Small Heath neighbourhood of Birmingham. Thomas was the second of 5 children of Arthur Shelby Sr and Mrs Shelby. He dated Greta Jurossi, a woman of Italian descent during his 20s, but she died of tuberculosis. His experiences as a sergeant major during the First World War have resulted in him suffering from PTSD and it is implied he returned from it as a changed man.

In 1919, Tommy leads the Peaky Blinders into appropriating a consignment of guns from the Birmingham Small Arms factory. Inspector Campbell (Sam Neill) is tasked by Winston Churchill (Andy Nyman) to tướng find the guns and, unbeknownst to tướng Tommy, his new barmaid Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis) is working undercover for Inspector Campbell. Tommy is involved with fixing horse races, which has potential for conflict with Billy Kimber (Charlie Creed-Miles), who runs the races.

Inspector Campbell instructs Grace to tướng get close to tướng Tommy so sánh that he can find the location of the guns. Grace attends the Cheltenham races as Tommy's date. Tommy saves Grace from harm after initially offering her to tướng Kimber, as part of a khuyến mãi for the Peaky Blinders to tướng become the security at Kimber's establishment. Tommy obtains a betting licence for his business and hires Grace as his brother Arthur Shelby's (Paul Anderson) secretary at the Garrison, which the Peaky Blinders own. Tommy and Grace become romantically involved. Grace tells Inspector Campbell, if she gives him the location of the guns, he has to tướng leave Tommy and his family alone. Grace gives up the location to tướng Inspector Campbell and resigns service to tướng the crown.

As she has resigned, and the guns found, with the exception of one, Inspector Campbell proposes marriage, which Grace rejects. Tommy gathers the Peaky Blinders and another family, the Lees, and they take on Kimber's men. This leads to tướng a confrontation where Tommy shoots Kimber dead. Tommy meets Grace and she tells him she loves him and will go to tướng London for a few days. Tommy meets with his aunt Polly Gray (Helen McCrory) and she informs him that Grace is the reason Inspector Campbell found the guns. The series ends with a gunshot as Inspector Campbell confronts Grace at the railway station.

Grace is revealed to tướng have shot Inspector Campbell, but Inspector Campbell survives. Tommy, Arthur and their brother John Shelby (Joe Cole) decide to tướng get familiar with the London scene and start a fight at Darby Sabini's (Noah Taylor) club. In retaliation, Sabini has his thugs kidnap and attempt to tướng rape Tommy's sister Ada Thorne (Sophie Rundle), as well as beat Tommy up. Inspector Campbell intervenes before Sabini and his men can finish him off. Inspector Campbell has agreed with Churchill (Richard McCabe) that Tommy will be useful to tướng them.

Tommy discharges himself from hospital early and takes a barge down to tướng London. Tommy meets with gang leader Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) there. Tommy has a hard time convincing Alfie that he should align with the Peaky Blinders against Sabini. Tommy and John meet with Billy Kitchen (Paul Bullion), of the Black Country Boys, who fought with them in the war. Tommy tells Billy to tướng round up his men for them to tướng go to tướng work in Camden Town for Alfie. Tommy becomes romantically involved with horse trainer May Carleton (Charlotte Riley).

Alfie and Sabini meet and size an alliance against the Peaky Blinders. Alfie deceives Arthur and has him sent to tướng prison. Tommy finds his fledgling empire crumbling before him, as his power-base in London is obliterated. Tommy further complicates his love life, by escorting the returning Grace to tướng a passionate date, though still stringing May along, who had earlier expressed her feelings for him. Tommy attempts to tướng over his romantic relationship with May, though he still wants her to tướng continue training his horse. Alfie gets Arthur out of prison. Derby Day then arrives.

Tommy collects the Peaky Blinders and gives them their mission at the races. Without firing a shot, they are to tướng collect and burn the licences of Sabini's bookies and steal the bets. Tommy runs into Grace who informs him she's pregnant. Tommy tells her after the race, they will talk. Inspector Campbell's men from Northern Ireland, members of the Ulster Volunteers, kidnap Tommy and take him to tướng an empty field, while Polly meets with Inspector Campbell and shoots him. Tommy is let go with a message from Churchill promising future liên hệ.

Two years later, in 1924, Tommy and Grace get married. Meanwhile, a refugee from Russia, named Anton Kaledin (Richard Brake), makes liên hệ with the Peaky Blinders, offering the code "Constantine" as confirmation for the money-exchange meeting with Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna (Gaite Jansen). Tommy informs her that Kaledin provided the wrong code name, meaning the man must be killed. In the over, Arthur kills the impostor. Tommy inspects armoured vehicles for a business khuyến mãi with Father John Hughes (Paddy Considine).

He meets with Mr. Romanov, who pays him for murdering Kaledin with a sapphire. Tommy later finds a thẻ under his son Charles' pillow, which reads "Charles Shelby – R.I.P.". Grace wears the sapphire, which Tommy gave her, to tướng the Shelby Charity Foundation dinner. Father Hughes informs Tommy that the Russians want to tướng inspect the vehicles. Tatiana tells Tommy that the sapphire Grace is wearing was cursed. Tommy attempts convincing Grace to tướng take off the necklace when a man shouts "For Angel!" and shoots Grace dead. Tommy travels to tướng Wales with the sapphire necklace, where he confers with a Romani woman named Bethany Boswell, whom he asks whether it is cursed.

He returns trang chính with some sense of normality having left the necklace with Boswell. Arthur and John have procured a man called Vicente Changretta (Kenneth Colley), an Italian American Mafia thành viên who Tommy threatens to tướng torture, but Arthur shoots him in the head as an act of mercy. Tatiana sees Tommy to tướng his car; he tells her that Father Hughes is betraying them to tướng the Soviets and offers to tướng kill him for không lấy phí. Easter arrives and Tommy announces a plan to tướng Arthur and John: they will have been hired to tướng provide the Russians with weapons for a rebellion stolen from a train and will be paid in jewels, but believing the Russians will betray him, Tommy plans to tướng break into their vault.

Polly goes to tướng church while drunk and during confession she inadvertently reveals Tommy's plan to tướng assassinate Father Hughes to tướng the priest, who tells Father Hughes about it. Knowing he is the target, Father Hughes foils Tommy's attempt on his life, and watches him being seriously injured by his minders. Father Hughes then makes Tommy go tell the Russians that he was misinformed about Father Hughes betraying them. Three months later, Tommy has recovered and the planned massive heist involving the Russians is drawing near. Tommy enlists Alfie to tướng appraise the Russian's jewels.

Charles is kidnapped. Father Hughes reveals to tướng Tommy that he knows about his subterfuge. He demands the jewels as payment and for Tommy himself to tướng blow up the train, which must kill six people, in exchange for the safe return of Charles. Tommy agrees unconditionally. After some investigation he discovers that Alfie divulged the plans to tướng Father Hughes. During a confrontation, Polly's son Michael Gray (Finn Cole) kills Alfie's associate. Michael talks Tommy out of killing Alfie.

Tommy figures out where Charles is being held and sends Michael to tướng retrieve him and kill Father Hughes. At the same time Arthur and John mix off to tướng carry out the train bombing in case Michael cannot rescue Charles in time. Even though Michael is successful, word does not reach the family in time, and the train is blown up. Tommy returns trang chính to tướng distribute the loot to tướng his accomplices. At the over of the meeting he announces that the police are at the residence to tướng arrest everyone. The rest of the Peaky Blinders and the family are taken away in handcuffs.

As Arthur, John, Michael and Polly prepare to tướng hầm for their crimes, Tommy's reprieve comes just in time to tướng save their lives. A year later, the family is scattered and estranged from one another. Each of the Shelbys receives a letter from Vicente's son Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody), a leader in New York's Italian American Mafia, marking him or her for death in retribution for the murder of Vicente and Changretta's brother Angel. Tommy and Ada attempt to tướng convince the others to tướng meet on Boxing Day, believing that they will be safer if they come back together. When Tommy discovers and kills a mafia agent among his staff, he realises the assassination attempts are due to tướng take place on Christmas Day and gets word to tướng the rest of the family.

Michael goes to tướng collect John and his wife Esme Shelby (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), with whom Tommy could not get in liên hệ. A cart pulls up, and John and Michael are shot several times. Michael survives his injuries but John is killed. In the wake of his death, Tommy who is deepened by John's death, so sánh as the rest of the family, agree to tướng put their differences aside while they khuyến mãi with the mafia threat. Tommy suggests contacting Aberama Gold (Aidan Gillen), a contract killer. Changretta visits Tommy in his office at the factory by using a kém chất lượng name to tướng get into the factory. Tommy goes to tướng his jacket to tướng grab his gun and shoots Changretta, but Changretta already took the bullets out and sets them on the table, stating that each is for a thành viên of the family. He plans to tướng keep Tommy alive until the rest are dead, but insists that their vendetta be an honourable one, with Tommy agreeing not to tướng involve the police or the death of children or civilians.

The Peaky Blinders are lured by the Changrettas into a chase on the streets of Birmingham, where it becomes clear that the Changrettas are outmatched. Tommy has figured out Polly and Michael have betrayed him, but goes to tướng the meeting Polly has mix for him, and finds himself engaged in a shootout with Changretta's men. After Tommy kills Changretta's men, he confronts Changretta, but the police arrive and break up the fight. The family gather to tướng find out what happened. Tommy explains what happened, it appears he had been in on it with Polly, he does not tell the family of Michael's betrayal.

Alfie arranges a boxing match between Aberama Gold's son Bonnie Gold (Jack Rowan) and Alfie's protégé. It is a trap, as Alfie has made a khuyến mãi to tướng let the Changrettas kill the Peaky Blinders, in exchange for the Changrettas to tướng transport and sell Alfie's London-made bootleg liquor in Thủ đô New York. At the day of the match, Arthur is seriously wounded and appears to tướng have died. Luckily, Tommy finds Arthur in time to tướng save his life, but tells Polly to tướng inform everyone that he has died, as a part of Tommy's elaborate plan. At Arthur's funeral, the widow Changretta approaches with a white flag.

Later at the family trang chính, she reveals the vendetta will be over if Tommy signs over all his assets to tướng Changretta. Changretta and his men meet with the remaining Shelbys in Tommy's basement distillery to tướng sign the documents. Tommy reveals to tướng Changretta that he has sent Michael to tướng America to tướng negotiate with Al Capone and turn Changretta's men against him. Realising he has been outmanoeuvred, Changretta attacks Tommy, and a fight ensues. As Tommy is getting the upper hand, Arthur enters the distillery and shoots Changretta. It is revealed that Tommy had Arthur kém chất lượng his death to tướng lure Changretta into the trap.

The family celebrate the over of the vendetta at Tommy's countryside estate, and it is announced that Tommy will take a holiday from the business. Tommy confronts Alfie for his betrayal, who reveals he did so sánh knowing Tommy would track him down and kill him, and that he has cancer. Tommy then shoots Alfie and proceeds to tướng take his holiday. During the holiday, Tommy continues to tướng sleep with Lizzie Stark (Natasha O'Keeffe). Lizzie become pregnant with Tommy's child. When he returns, he starts a chiến dịch for Member of Parliament, an election which Tommy wins.

In 1929, Tommy goes up to tướng a phone booth on Lickey Hills, where on the phone Arthur reads a letter from "Angels of Retribution", which states that they have never even heard of the Peaky Blinders and therefore are not scared of their threats. Meanwhile, Michael who runs the Shelby company in the United States, gets a message that the US stock market has crashed and leaves for Birmingham with his wife Gina Gray (Anya Taylor-Joy). Tommy gets the news from Arthur about the Stock Market crash and becomes furious after learning that Michael held on even after being instructed not to tướng tự so sánh. It is revealed that Tommy is now married to tướng Lizzie. Later, the family have a meeting at the Garrison, where Tommy reveals that Aberama and Isaiah Jesus (Daryl McCormack) were sent to tướng kill a pimp, who was blackmailing a senior thành viên of House of Lords.

During the assassination mission, Tommy's younger brother Finn Shelby (Harry Kirton) was shot in the arm, even though he was instructed by Tommy to tướng stay back and let the other two men tự the killing. At the House of Commons, Tommy meets Sir Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin). Tommy later threatens Lord Suckerby (Tim Woodward), a senior thành viên who was being threatened, for not being paid the amount he was promised. Mr. Levitt (Elliot Cowan), a journalist, conducts an interview with Tommy and asks him questions about his past, with a view to tướng damaging his image as MP, but Tommy outmanoeuvres him with personal and sensitive information he has on him. At the over of the episode, Mr. Levitt is killed by unknown assailants. At his mansion, Tommy gets a gọi from Captain Swing (Charlene McKenna), who informs that she captured Michael from a cabin of the men who supposedly wants to tướng kill Tommy, and asks whether to tướng spare him or kill him. As per Tommy's request, Michael walks không lấy phí.

At the Garrison, Arthur and Tommy warn Finn not to tướng get involved with guns. Tommy tells Arthur that he doesn't sleep because he dreams that someone wants his crown and that it might be Michael. Tommy and Ada meets with Mosley. Tommy tells Mosley that Ada advised against meeting him, as he seems to tướng be moving in direction of fascism. At a ballet sự kiện, Mosley announces to tướng everyone his and Tommy's involvement in the new British fascism movement. Tommy visits an asylum to tướng meet Barney Thomason (Cosmo Jarvis), an old comrade from the First World War. Barney agrees to tướng join the Peaky Blinders, and Tommy plans to tướng have him assassinate Mosley.

Tommy visits Alfie, who survived being shot by Tommy, to tướng organise a riot to tướng cover up the assassination of Mosley. The plan to tướng assassinate Mosley is foiled and both Barney and Aberama are killed in the ensuing events. Tommy leaves for trang chính with Arthur and walks off into a field. A hallucination of Grace tells him "the work's all done" and Tommy screams and points a gun at his own head.^[10]

Following Tommy's suicide attempt, he receives a gọi from Captain Swing, who takes credit for foiling the attempted assassination of Mosley. She returns the bodies of Barney, Aberama Gold and Polly Gray, who was assassinated by the IRA. The entire Shelby family gather for Polly's funeral, with Michael swearing revenge on Tommy for his role in Polly's death. In 1933, Tommy, now sober, sets up a meeting with an estranged Michael, and business associates of Jack Nelson (James Frecheville), a south Boston gang leader and Gina's uncle on Miquelon Island. Following unsuccessful talks to tướng re-enter into business, Tommy lands Michael in prison for possession of opium.

Later, Tommy is phoned by Lizzie who announces she, Charles (Billy Jenkins) and Ruby (Orla McDonagh) cannot travel to tướng Canada due to tướng Ruby's sudden illness. Believing her sickness is a message and gypsy related, Tommy decides to tướng return to tướng Britain. Tommy, still a Labour MP, returns to tướng the United Kingdom and is informed Ruby is recovering. He has a seizure in the bathroom and Lizzie urges him to tướng see a doctor, but he refuses. While on a diplomatic mission for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Nelson expresses an interest to tướng meet the fascists. Tommy sees an opportunity to tướng ally himself with Captain Swing. He visits Alfie and announces the death of his uncle at the Cotton Club at the hands of Nelson's gang.

After a tense meeting with Mosley and his fiancé Lady Diana Mitford (Amber Anderson), Tommy meets Nelson and agrees to tướng feed information about England's political goings to tướng his gang in exchange for opium. Tommy is informed that Ruby is sick again and decides to tướng liên hệ Esme. As Ruby falls sick with consumption and treated with gold flakes, Tommy goes in tìm kiếm of the source of the curse that he believes has been laid upon his family, and eventually reunites with Esme. Ada takes over Tommy's role in Birmingham. Tommy discovers that Bethany Boswell had given the cursed sapphire that once belonged to tướng Grace, who died after Tommy gifted it to tướng her, to tướng Evadne Barwell, who had a daughter that died at the age of 7, prompting Tommy to tướng believe that it was Barwell who had cursed Ruby in revenge.

Tommy returns to tướng Birmingham and goes straight to tướng the hospital where Ruby is. Lizzie meets him at the entrance to tướng tell him that the gold salts treatment didn't work, and that Ruby had died. As the family mourns, Tommy enacts revenge, as he murders the Barwell family who cursed Ruby. Distraught in grief, Tommy ignores letters from his personal doctor as his relationship with Lizzie strains even further. The meeting between Tommy, Mosley, Diana, Captain Swing and Nelson takes place: Nelson agrees to tướng let Tommy trade opium in Boston as he gains information from Mosley about the political future of England, and agrees with Captain Swing that the Irish working class can be turned.

Tommy meets with Doctor Holford (Aneurin Barnard) and is told that due to tướng coming into liên hệ with Ruby while she was ill, he has developed inoperable tuberculoma and that he now only has between 12 and 18 months left to tướng live. Tommy đơn hàng with the Chinese business that got Arthur hooked on opium by walking into their cửa hàng, taking their remaining drugs and throwing them into the canal with a bomb. He introduces his newly found son, Erasmus "Duke" Shelby (Conrad Khan), at a family meeting, to tướng Lizzie's disliking. Tommy sleeps with Diana as a payment for her cause. She arrives at the family trang chính with Mosley, and tells Lizzie that Tommy was disloyal to tướng her, in an act purely devised to tướng split her and Tommy away from each other, with Mosley believing that Tommy deserves better if he is to tướng move up in the world.

Lizzie leaves Tommy after his affair with Diana, taking Charles. Tommy sets the rest of the Peaky Blinders to tướng dismantle his house, and gives false information to tướng the informant Billy Grade (Emmett J. Scanlan) to tướng lure the IRA into a trap. On Miquelon Island, Tommy meets Michael, who has been released from prison. His friend Johnny Dogs (Packy Lee) switches a car-bomb intended for Tommy, which after the meeting kills Michael's associates. Tommy then kills Michael, fulfilling Polly's prediction.

With Nelson's business partners defeated, Alfie and Tommy agree to tướng coordinate a take-over of his business in Boston, with Alfie staying in America permanently to tướng oversee operations. A month after saying goodbye to tướng his family, an alone Tommy prepares to tướng shoot himself. But after seeing a vision of Ruby, and Doctor Holford pictured with Mosley in a partially-burnt newspaper, Tommy realizes he had been given a false diagnosis of inoperable tuberculoma. Tommy goes off to tướng kill Holford, but realises he has finally changed and ends up sparing his life. After returning and watching his wagon and remaining possessions burn, Tommy rides away.

For his portrayal of Tommy Shelby, Murphy has received widespread critical acclaim and won the Irish Film và Television Academy for Best Actor in a Lead Role in Drama in 2017 and 2018.^[11] In 2020, Murphy was awarded a National Television Award for Best Drama Performance for the same role, beating the likes of Jodie Comer and Idris Elba to tướng the award, and went on to tướng win again in 2022.^[12]

Emily VanDerWerff praised the character, "to gọi Murphy magnetic might be underselling his presence, and even though the rest of Blinders is quite good, the show can't help but sag a little whenever Murphy's not around."^[13] Morgan Jeffery praises the 'movie-star charisma' of the character while Maureen Ryan says "Tommy Shelby may not be a good man, but he's a phenomenally watchable one."^[14][15]