A série de época britânica Peaky Blinderspode não ter tido um início explosivo, mas no final, o show se tornou um sucesso global. Pode-se dizer que teve algo a ver com a eventual disponibilidade do programa na Netflix. O elenco também se orgulha de um elenco estelar que inclui Cillian Murphy, Anya Taylor-Joy e a falecida Helen McCrory.
O programa havia lançado recentemente sua temporada final ( que parecia ter recebido críticas mistas) e apresentava vários membros do elenco que estavam lá desde o início. Como os fãs devem se lembrar, Peaky Blindersviu seu quinhão de saídas do elenco.
E recentemente, um ex-membro do elenco revelou que ele saiu essencialmente por causa da estrela principal Murphy.
Temporadas anteriores de Peaky Blinders apresentavam uma família Shelby mais completa
Situado na Inglaterra nos anos 1900, Peaky Blindersconta a história de uma família de gângsteres (chamada Peaky Blinders) que basicamente controlava Birmingham. A gangue inclui Thomas Shelby (Murphy) e seus irmãos que serviram no exército britânico durante a Primeira Guerra Mundial.
Dos irmãos, John Shelby facilmente se tornou um favorito dos fãs. O personagem também foi, sem dúvida, o mais brutal. No programa, os fãs o viram explodir um trem e até esfaquear um homem no olho. E para o ator John Cole, que o interpretou, foi isso que tornou o papel bastante emocionante.
“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.
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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 Blindersbecause 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.
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But then, he was told about the Sky drama Gangs of Londonand 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 Londonhas 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 Filewhere 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 Islandactress Bel Powley who is portraying Gies.