A Cillian Murphy lookalike has told how his close resemblance to the Peaky Blinders star has helped him make a lucrative living as a Tommy Shelby double.
Shannon Clayton, 30, admits he never had any desire to work as an impersonator of the Cork-born actor’s lead character - describing his work at Peaky Blinders-themed events as “a bit cheesy”.
However, he concedes that being doppelgänger for Cillian Murphy has helped him earn a good living, with offers of work coming in from as far away as the US.
Clayton had been regularly combining his day job as mechanical engineer with weekend work as a Tommy Shelby double since 2018, until demand for his services completely dried up during the pandemic.
However, since the premiere of the new and final series of the Shelby family TV saga, coupled with the lifting of Covid-related restrictions, Clayton, who lives near Birmingham, said bookings have started to flood in once again.
He said: “Things were very quiet during Covid, but it’s now getting busy once more. The bookings have started to come in, and I think it’s going to get even busier now that the new series has started.
“The kind of work I do is a bit cheesy, to be honest. It was never an ambition of mine to work as a Tommy Shelby double. It was my mother’s idea. She loves the show and really pushed it, telling everyone, ‘My son’s going to be famous.’ If it wasn’t for her, I really don’t think I’d be doing for it.
“I just happen to look a bit like Cillian Murphy, and there’s a lot of events out there that people want me to turn up at. I do a good few Peaky Blinders-themed weddings, parties and other events, and the money’s really good. I’m even being flown out to Memphis in the US in a few weeks to spend the weekend at a Peaky Blinders-themed bachelor party.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the show. But I don’t take a great deal of pride in what I do. I wish I loved doing it more, but it’s a bit cringey, if the truth be told.”
Although an admirer of Murphy’s portrayal of gang leader Shelby, Clayton claimed there’s one area in which he outperforms the Irish A-lister - namely, the distinctive Brummie accent.
He added: “I’m from Telford, which is near Birmingham, so I’ve already got the accent nailed. I think Cillian does a pretty good job, but I can hear a mixture of Irish and Brummie in him when he talks.”
