The British period series Peaky Blinders may not have had an explosive start but towards the end, the show became quite the global hit. One might say that it had something to do with the show’s eventual availability on Netflix. The cast also boasts of a stellar cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and the late Helen McCrory.The show had recently released its final season (which seemed to have drawn mixed reviews) and it featured several cast members who had been there from the start. As fans may remember, Peaky Blinders has seen its fair share of cast exits.And recently, one former cast member had even revealed that he essentially left because of lead star Murphy.
Earlier Seasons Of Peaky Blinders Featured A More Complete Shelby Family
Set in England in the 1900s, Peaky Blinders tells the story of a gangster family (called Peaky Blinders) who basically controlled Birmingham. The gang includes Thomas Shelby (Murphy) and his brothers who have all served in the British Army during WWI.
Of the siblings, John Shelby easily became a fan favorite. The character was also, arguably, the most brutal. On the show, fans saw him blow up a train and even stab a man right in the eye. And for actor John Cole who portrayed him, that’s what made the role quite exhilarating to play.
“It’s been quite therapeutic playing those roles because you can be a bit of a lunatic, and people applaud you, rather than cuff you and put you behind bars,” he even remarked.
Unfortunately, John would only remain with his gang family until the beginning of season 4 when the character is shot to death when he and his brothers were pursued by the Changretta family. And while the character’s fate is tragic, it turns out that Cole very much welcomed being killed off from the show.
Joe Cole Left Peaky Blinders Because "It’s Cillian Murphy’s Show"
Fans may have hated losing John Shelby too soon, but Cole knew he couldn’t stay for much longer. As far as his career was concerned, the show wasn’t really doing much for him because from the beginning, his presence was overshadowed Peaky Blinders’ main star.
“With Peaky Blinders, I never really got out of the gates in that role,” Cole explained “It’s Cillian’s show really.”
Since his exit from the show Cole has remained busy, mostly working on several other tv shows. After starring in one episode of Black Mirror (the 2017 episode Hang the DJ), the actor has gone on to star in the HBO Max dramedy Pure.
“I actually chose to leave Peaky Blinders because I wanted to explore new avenues and new characters and new stories,” Cole explained.
Meanwhile, due to the success of Peaky Blinders, casting directors have also tried to get the actor into similar shows, only he’s not interested to do them. “I’ve spent the last few years turning down gang-related shows because when a show does well you get offered quite a lot of them,” Cole even said.
But then, he was told about the Sky drama Gangs of London and Cole eventually realized he had to be a part of it. “When I received this, literally I read the title and I thought, ‘no,’” the actor recalled. “I read the first episode and a synopsis, and I was like, ‘This could be something special.’”
At the same time, Cole was confident that he could shine on the show, unlike in Peaky Blinders. “This show is more ensemble, it follows characters on a deep level,” he explained. “So for me, it’s really an opportunity to show what I can do and for the rest of the cast, what they can do.”
John Cole Has Been Successful (And Busy) Since Peaky Blinders
Gangs of London has earned one Emmy nod so far. The series has also already been renewed for a second season, although Sky is yet to set a release date. On the other hand, Cole has also been hard at work on the latest ITV drama The Ipcress File where he plays reluctant spy Harry Palmer (a role famously played by Michael Caine in several films).
For the actor, the role couldn’t be more perfect. “Harry Palmer is an iconic character. The anti-Bond,” Cole said. “I hadn’t seen the movies prior to being sent the project and didn’t know much about him, but I quickly found myself enamored with the man, the myth, the legend.”
Meanwhile, Cole is also set to star in the upcoming biopic A Small Light, which tells the story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who risked her own life to shelter Anne Frank’s family from the Nazis. Aside from Cole, the cast also includes Liev Schreiber and The King of Staten Island actress Bel Powley who is portraying Gies.
