“Peaky Blinders” star Paul Anderson, who portrayed the temperamental, hot-tempered Arthur Shelby on the iconic gangster program, seems unrecognizable in new images taken in London.
The problematic British actor was recently charged with carrying class A crack cocaine, class B amphetamines, and two class C prescription drugs after being found with the contraband in London on December 26.
He pled guilty to all four charges and received a fine of £1,345. Following that, he was photographed looking untidy while walking around London.
“Peaky Blinders” aired for six seasons, from 2013 to 2022. Set in Birmingham, England, after World War I, it followed the Shelby criminal family: Tommy (Cillian Murphy), his brothers Arthur (Anderson) and John (Joe Cole), their sister Ada (Sophie Rundle), their aunt Polly (the late Helen McCrory), and Polly’s estranged son Michael (Finn Cole).
In a BBC interview during the show’s run, Anderson stated, “They’re the most exciting parts to play: violent, terrible, dark individuals. There is so much freedom because you can perform the obvious brutish stuff, but you can also experiment with the various levels of a violent man”.
“There is a cause for such type of conduct and mindset. Men were tough guys, and if they weren’t, they were left behind. It was a delight playing Arthur Shelby. “Much better than playing the nice guy.”
Tom Hardy, Sam Neill, “House of the Dragon” actor Paddy Considine, Adrien Brody, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sam Claflin have starred as villains and fellow criminals in different seasons.
Even after murdering off Hardy’s character, Alfie, creator Steven Knight chose to bring him back, telling The Post in 2019, “I began to think, ‘What a shame we don’t have Alfie.’ Tom [Hardy] had a similar perspective. Tom adores the character. I try to avoid social media whenever possible, as it’s more… You meet people who say, ‘I adore “Peaky Blinders,”‘ and they ask, ‘Is Alfie coming back?’ So, I could tell there was a lot of concern. So many factors came together to make me think, ‘Let’s get Alfie back.’ “I can, and I will.”
The turbulent Arthur typically had drug plotlines, and Tommy was regularly called upon to bail out his brother from trouble.
Murphy told The Post in 2018, when the show was attracting a record 4 million viewers on BBC Two and gaining traction in America owing to Netflix streaming, “It’s nuts, I’m just constantly surprised how [‘Peaky Blinders‘] continues to grow.”
Sometimes these longform programs stagnate or decline for a season, but ‘Peaky’ appears to have gradually become stronger, which I’m quite pleased of.
He told The Post that the show appeared to catch on “like some sort of osmosis.” When the second season came out, it became popular, and by the third season, people were dressing up like Peaky Blinders, getting haircuts, and listening to the soundtrack music.”
Brad Pitt, David Bowie, Snoop Dogg, and Tom Cruise were among the many celebrities who watched the concert.
According to the Guardian, Anderson’s lawyer told the court, “You will recognize the defendant from a very intense role that he has played in a recent television program.” He is frequently recognized and tries his best to gratify fans of the program by sliding into character. He was noticed on Boxing Day and attempted to play up to these individuals. And because of his lifestyle, people frequently offer him incentives.”
According to insiders, this might jeopardize his position in the suspected “Peaky Blinders” movie.
“[Creator] Steven Knight is still writing the script,” the insider confirmed. “But this conviction will create huge problems as it will be so hard to have a ‘Peaky Blinders’ film without such a pivotal character, while it will be tough having him reprise the role as if nothing has happened.”
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
