Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson), John Shelby (Joe Cole) and Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy)
(Picture: BBC/Mandabach/Tiger Aspect/Rober)Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole has revealed he left the hit drama because “it’s Cillian Murphy’s show” and he “never got out of the gates” in his role.
The BBC show follows the lives of the notorious Shelby family, a gang rising to prominence in post-First World War Birmingham, and returned for its sixth and final series in February.
Cillian, 45, plays lead character Tommy Shelby while 33-year-old Joe starred as his younger brother John.
The actor also admitted that he was initially reluctant to join his new show “Gang of London” on Sky Atlantic.
He said that when he first heard the title, he immediately thought “no” – but later realised it “could be something special” after reading a synopsis.
Joe told Metro: “With Peaky Blinders I never really got out of the gates in that role. It’s Cillian’s show really. This show is more ensemble, it follows characters on a deep level.”
He then signed on to take on the role of lead character Sean, who is on the hunt to track down the men who killed his kingpin father Finn Wallace.
Joe explained: “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.
“I actually chose to leave Peaky Blinders because I wanted to explore new avenues, and new characters and new stories.”
He said his new project is “really an opportunity to show what I can do and for the rest of the cast, what they can do”.
“I grew up on gang shows,’ he continued. “I grew up on The Wire. The Wire was my favourite shows, Boardwalk Empire and The Sopranos are other ones.
“The problem for me is they’re the seminal pieces of television, right? They’re also American, right? Peaky Blinders is doing it in the UK now and I think this is, I think this is the one that’s going to move the conversation forward.
“I just feel very lucky to be a part of it.”
The second series of Gangs of London is set to air on Sky Atlantic on April 21.
