Cillian Murphy sent the world into a state of awe when he first appeared as the tough and dangerous Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders. The show was quick to gain a huge following and Cillian Murphy’s incredible work was one of the biggest reasons why. The actor has won many awards for his performance including a couple of National Television Awards.
Peaky Blinders

However, things could have gone in a different direction with the show as the creator, Steven Knight, had his heart set on Jason Statham for the role. Of course, Cillian Murphy was not going to let the opportunity get snatched from him so easily. Steven Knight recalls a little text message he received from the actor after he met with Cillian Murphy and Jason Statham for the role. And that’s when the creator began having a change of heart.

Cillian Murphy’s Message to Steven Knight

Steven Knight
Also Read: Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy Was Even More ‘Ambiguous & Paradoxical’ for Christopher Nolan Than Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne: “I’m drawn to interesting protagonists”

Steven Knight sat with Esquire UK where he talked about how he almost chose Jason Statham for the role of Thomas Shelby. Given the fact that Statham has many “tough-guy” roles to his name and had previously worked with Knight, he seemed like the obvious choice. That is until Cillian Murphy decided to fight for the part.
Jason Statham
Knight stated that he met with both Statham and Murphy and walked out of the room with the former’s name in mind for the role. However, he soon realized that Murphy, too, had a lot to offer and the actor’s four-worded message might be a reason why.
“I met them both in L.A. to talk about the role and opted for Jason. One of the reasons was because physically in the room Jason is Jason. Cillian, when you meet him, isn’t Tommy, obviously, but I was stupid enough not to understand that…[Murphy] sent a text saying, ‘Remember, I’m an actor.’ Which is absolutely the thing because he can transform himself to the extent you see on the screen. If you meet him in the street he is a totally different human being…What he can do is extraordinary.”
Well, it looks like Murphy was able to turn Knight’s head to his direction with a simple text message. And some say texting is a waste of time!

Cillian Murphy had to Convince the Creator

Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders
Murphy sat for a chit-chat with The Guardian to promote his film, A Quiet Place Part II. When asked about getting the role of Thomas Shelby, Murphy replied that he had to do a bit of convincing to bag the role. He added that there were doubts about whether or not he had the necessary physicality for the role.
“There was a bit of convincing needed. Initially there may have been some doubts about whether I had the requisite physicality, which I understand. I am not the most physically imposing individual.”
Despite the initial doubts, Murphy was able to prove that he was born to play Thomas Shelby. Fans love the actor’s portrayal of the character and it is safe to say that Knight made the right choice.

You can stream the six seasons of Peaky Blinders on Netflix.

Source: Esquire UK