10 Best Performances In Peaky Blinders, Ranked

Peaky Blinders is well known for its intricate storylines and explosive action, but one aspect of the show that’s often underappreciated is the performances. The characters are all complex and dynamic, changing dramatically over the course of Peaky Blinders’ six seasons, and none of this would have been possible without the brilliant actors who bring them to life. The Shelby family tree is an extensive one, but many of the show’s best characters aren’t related to the protagonist at all.

While there are many harsh realities about Peaky Blinders, including aspects that haven’t all aged particularly well, the performances are the one element that remains captivating from the pilot until the very end. Even when the show reached its low point in the sixth season, the actors were all still at the top of their game, allowing Peaky Blinders to coast to a satisfying conclusion.

10

Aiden Gillen As Aberama Gold

Appeared In 11 Episodes

Aberama Gold is one of Peaky Blinders’ most interesting characters; a lawless hitman with no remorse for his crimes or sympathy for his victims until he eventually softens and shows a much looser, more vulnerable side in the show’s later seasons. Much of this transformation comes down to his relationship with Polly Gray, which undeniably changes him for the better.

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Aiden Gillen does a great job of mapping this journey throughout Gold’s several appearances on the show, subtly tweaking his performance at every turn to display how drastically the character is evolving. While many of Peaky Blinders’ main characters remain the same from start to finish (which is a common criticism of the show’s later seasons), Aberama Gold is living proof that the writers are actually capable of strong, astute character work beyond the show’s protagonist.

9

Adrien Brody As Luca Changretta

Appeared In 6 Episodes

Although Adrien Brody’s antagonist only appears in a few episodes of Peaky Blinders’ fourth season, he completely took control of this character and made the most of every single scene he was involved with. The Changrettas’ vendetta against the Shelby family is among the show’s most intense and dramatic subplots, and it’s thanks to Brody that these New York mobsters feel as threatening as they do.

Luca Changretta is one of Peaky Blinders’ best villains, and his storyline was one of the few times that the writers have been able to make the audience genuinely fear for Tommy’s life. The decision to kill John Shelby (Joe Cole) in season 4 was a genius twist that immediately proved how dangerous Changretta was, and Brody’s performance really captured that dangerous side of his character.

8

Annabelle Wallis As Grace Shelby

Appeared In 19 Episodes

The relationship between Tommy and Grace Shelby is the centerpiece of Peaky Blinders’ first season, as their complicated romance turns into a game of cat-and-mouse when her true motivations are revealed. The way that Annabelle Wallis plays both sides of this character is nothing short of sensational, perfectly capturing Grace’s inner turmoil at falling in love with the man she’s supposed to be bringing down. This moral conflict is one of the first season’s strongest assets, and it evolves in fascinating ways.

Even when their romance progresses to something more familiar and traditional, with the pair ultimately getting married, Grace remains one of the show’s most unpredictable characters. The audience is never quite sure what role she plays in Tommy’s life, as they’re at entirely different levels of emotional maturity, but that’s exactly what makes them fun to watch. Wallis’ chemistry with Cillian Murphy is undeniable, and the show wouldn’t have been as successful without her.

7

Tom Hardy As Alfie Solomons

Appeared In 13 Episodes

Alfie Solomons is a character who only shows up when the story needs him, but his screen presence is undeniable. Tom Hardy brings a kind of intense ferocity to this role that makes him a complete scene-stealer, never letting the audience into his mind and forcing them to always question his true intentions. Particularly in the show’s early seasons, Solomons is a standout villain whose volatile chemistry with Tommy Shelby always enhances the episodes in which he appears.

Unfortunately, the writers quickly lost track of Solomons; purpose in this story following his supposed death at the end of season 4. Hardy’s performance remained as captivating as it had always been, but the character simply wasn’t as engaging and important after this point; this is the only thing holding him back from objectively being the show’s strongest villain. That being said, Alfie Solomons still has some of Peaky Blinders’ best quotes and most memorable scenes, which is entirely thanks to Hardy.

6

Sophie Rundle As Ada Thorne

Appeared In 36 Episodes

Ada Thorne née Shelby is the younger sister of Tommy and Arthur, but it’s clear from the show’s earliest episodes that she’s just as mature and capable as her older brothers regarding the family business. Sophie Rundle plays the Peaky Blinders character with a very clear purpose and integrity that’s always fun to watch, transforming what easily could’ve been an underwritten and forgettable fixture into one of Peaky Blinders’ most likable figures.

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The reason that Ada shines so brightly among the show’s ensemble cast is that she perfectly grounds her brothers in reality, bringing them back down to Earth whenever they’re consumed by their frequent delusions of grandeur. The show could have easily become too pretentious and melodramatic without characters like Ada (and Aunt Polly) to remind the audience that everything isn’t as noble and virtuous as Tommy and Arthur like to pretend.

5

Sam Neill As Chief Inspector Campbell

Appeared In 12 Episodes

Sam Neill’s performance as Chief Inspector Campbell is exactly what Peaky Blinders needed in its first season to get this story off the ground and suck audiences into its explosive narrative of politics and betrayal. Where later seasons aren’t afraid to get more grandiose with their narratives, bringing Tommy face-to-face with the New York mafia and exiled Russian oligarchs, the first season is a much more level-headed story that simply focuses on the conflict between these two troubled men.

The simplicity of Tommy’s feud with Campbell works perfectly in Peaky Blinders’ earlier seasons; both characters are deeply flawed and problematic, but they represent two different sides of the same coin. They’re both transfixed by power and control but employ wholly different methods to acquire it. Peaky Blinders’ later seasons failed to replace Campbell, and Neill’s absence in the show was strongly felt following his departure.

4

Natasha O’Keeffe As Lizzie Shelby

Appeared In 27 Episodes

Lizzie Shelby came fairly late to the game in Peaky Blinders, only stepping into the spotlight as Tommy Shelby’s love interest after Grace’s death in the previous season. However, the character quickly developed a strong personality of her own that many viewers weren’t expecting, and much of this comes down to Natasha O’Keeffe’s stirring, emotional performance. Her character may have started out as a replacement for Grace, but she evolves into somebody totally different who steals many important scenes in the show’s final season.

When Peaky Blinders decided to take its protagonist across the Atlantic and establish his business in Boston throughout the show’s final season, Lizzie’s character took on a whole new importance and highlighted Tommy’s absence from his own domestic life. O’Keeffe’s visceral performance strongly enhances this subplot, with scenes like Ruby’s death and Tommy’’ attempted suicide made all the more emotional because of her involvement.

3

Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby

Appeared In 36 Episodes

Arthur Shelby has been one of Peaky Blinders’ most entertaining characters since the very first season, and he’s been on a long journey since those early episodes. He’s arguably the character who changes the most dramatically from the first to the last season, and Paul Anderson does an excellent job of portraying Arthur’s tragic descent into self-hatred that makes him such a crucial figure in the show.

Arthur starts out as Tommy’s right-hand man but ultimately fails to withstand the same pressure and trauma that his younger brother carries so firmly on his shoulders. The loss of his brothers and the dissolution of his marriage ultimately prove too much for him, and by the end of Peaky Blinders’ sixth season, Anderson’s character has developed a severe opium addiction that leaves him totally dependent on Tommy. While Arthur Shelby’s character arc wasn’t perfect, Anderson never shied away from displaying the darkness inside his mind.

2

Cillian Murphy As Tommy Shelby

Appeared In 36 Episodes

Cillian Murphy’s lead performance is the reason that Peaky Blinders always works, even when the story isn’t at its strongest. While he’s certainly not perfect, Tommy is an incredibly engaging protagonist whom audiences always want to see succeed. His relationships with the other members of the Shelby family, alongside his many romances and rivalries, make him a very complex figure whose hidden flaws and mental struggles are always evident via Murphy’s performance.

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The actor constantly plays Tommy with a firm stoicism that makes it difficult for audiences to fully get inside the character’s head, but that often works to the Peaky Blinders’ advantage. His plans and motivations are never entirely clear, which allows the writers to keep the audience in the dark until the perfect moment to execute the show’s signature twists and surprises.

1

Helen McCrory As Polly Gray

Appeared In 31 Episodes

While Tommy may be the protagonist of Peaky Blinders, Polly Gray is the emotional heart of the show. She is a constant beacon of light in a world that’s often dominated by darkness, making her the show’s most likable figure despite all her flaws. Aunt Polly easily could have been a recurring character that only appears when it serves the story, but Helen McCrory’s emotional performance thrust her into the spotlight and made it impossible for the show to survive without her.

McCrory’s tragic death during the production of Peaky Blinders’ sixth and final season meant that Aunt Polly never got the satisfying ending she deserved, and the actress’ absence was resoundingly felt in those final episodes. Thankfully, a Peaky Blinders spinoff focusing on Polly Gray’s younger years has been confirmed for the near future, so there’s clearly still room for the character to evolve.

Peaky Blinders

Release Date

2013 – 2021

Showrunner

Steven Knight

Directors

Otto Bathurst, Tom Harper, Colm McCarthy, Tim Mielants, David Caffrey, Anthony Byrne

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