Cillian Murphy has said he is nothing like his Peaky Blinders character Tommy Shelby, describing the role as markedly different from who he is off screen. The 49-year-old actor told BBC News, "I'm nothing like Peaky Blinders' Tommy Shelby. I'm not a psychopathic gangster." He added that playing the violent patriarch for a quarter of his life has been a gift and a privilege, and that growing older with a single character has been defining for him. Murphy, who won an Oscar for his lead role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, stressed that the on-screen persona and the real person are separate, underscoring the distinction between fiction and lived experience.
The actor also addressed the future of the Peaky Blinders universe, confirming that a feature film is in the works for Netflix, with the project kept under wraps and the plot largely under lock and key. He teased the development while promoting Steve, his new film about a reform school headteacher in the 1990s who confronts the emotional and behavioral challenges of troubled boys, as well as his own personal demons. Murphy indicated that the film’s narrative and tone will unfold with a sense of discovery for audiences and fans of the series alike.
In Steve, Murphy’s character—a headteacher at a reform school in 1996—faces mounting pressures as a documentary crew with questionable ethics films the day-to-day life of the students. A local member of parliament visits, and both Steve and one pupil, Shy (played by Jay Lycurgo), receive devastating news, pushing them to the brink and guiding audiences through an emotionally intimate journey. Murphy described the film as a love letter to teachers, praising their role as custodians of the next generation and highlighting how the movie engages with education in challenging circumstances, men’s mental health, and adolescent violence. Even though the events are set 30 years ago, he said the issues are enduring, with conversations that vary depending on viewers’ life experiences.
Steve draws on Max Porter’s 2023 novella Shy, with Porter adapting the screenplay for the screen. Murphy and Porter have a shared history dating to the stage production Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, a collaboration rooted in Porter’s literary world. Jay Lycurgo, meanwhile, is also slated to appear in the upcoming Peaky Blinders feature, though plot details remain closely guarded as the film moves toward production. Steve is currently playing in cinemas and is slated to arrive on Netflix next month, reinforcing Murphy’s continued prominence in both prestige cinema and high-profile television-adjacent projects. The project’s cross-platform release underscores the actor’s versatility and broad audience appeal within the Culture & Entertainment landscape.