When people talk about the women who defined Peaky Blinders, they usually start with Grace Burgess. It makes sense. She was the one who broke Tommy’s heart, the one he couldn't forget, and the one whose ghost literally haunted him for years. But if you actually look at the power dynamics of the show, Charlotte Riley and her portrayal of May Carleton brought something to the table that no one else could.
She wasn't just another love interest.
May Carleton was a mirror. She was a window into what Tommy Shelby could have been if he had just been born on the right side of the tracks. Honestly, Riley's performance is one of the most underrated parts of the entire series. She didn't have the gun-toting grit of Polly Gray or the tragic "damsel-turned-spy" arc of Grace. Instead, she had this quiet, aristocratic stillness that felt way more dangerous than a razor in a cap.
The Arrival of May Carleton
When Charlotte Riley first stepped onto the screen in Season 2, the show was shifting. The Shelbys were moving from the soot-stained streets of Small Heath into the high-stakes world of horse racing and London elite. Tommy needed someone who understood horses, sure. But he also needed someone who understood the rules of a world he was trying to colonize.
May Carleton was a wealthy widow. She lived in a massive estate. She was lonely.
But don't mistake that for weakness. Riley played May with this incredible sense of agency. In their first meeting at the horse auction, she’s the one holding the power. She sees right through Tommy’s "businessman" facade. She knows exactly who he is—a gangster trying to buy his way into legitimacy—and she’s fascinated by it. It’s a sharp contrast to Grace, who initially met Tommy under the guise of a lie. With May, everything was on the table from the jump.
Why Charlotte Riley Was Different
The chemistry between Cillian Murphy and Charlotte Riley was electric, but it wasn't the "fated lovers" vibe. It was something more intellectual. More transactional, at first.
Most actors would have played May as a bored socialite looking for a thrill. Riley didn't do that. She gave May a soul. There’s this specific scene where she tells Tommy, "I’ll have you for the part of me that is empty." It’s a heavy line. It’s honest. It’s the kind of bluntness that Tommy usually uses on his enemies, but here, it’s being used on him in a romantic context.
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Riley’s real-life husband is Tom Hardy (who played the legendary Alfie Solomons), which is a fun bit of trivia, but her work in Peaky Blinders stands entirely on its own. She brought a specific texture to the show’s second and fourth seasons. While the rest of the cast was often shouting or exploding with violence, Riley was a cool breeze. She was the only person who could make Tommy Shelby feel like he was the one being outmatched.
The Battle for Tommy’s Soul: May vs. Grace
Let's get into the debate that still rages on Reddit threads and fan forums. Should Tommy have ended up with May Carleton?
If you’re a romantic, you say Grace. If you’re a realist, you say May.
Grace represented the past. She represented the version of Tommy that still believed in fairy tales, despite the war. But May? May represented the future. She had the connections, the class, and the emotional maturity to actually handle a man like Tommy Shelby. When May and Grace finally face off at the Epsom Derby—that famous scene where May tells Grace that she "is the one who will win"—it’s a clash of two different worlds.
May wasn't intimidated by Grace's history with Tommy. She saw it as a hurdle, not a wall.
Interestingly, Steven Knight (the show’s creator) seemed to toy with the idea of May being the endgame. Even after Grace died, May returned in Season 4. She came back to see if Tommy had changed. What she found was a man who was even more broken than before. Riley’s performance in Season 4 is heartbreaking because she realizes that the Tommy she was drawn to is gone, replaced by a politician and a shell of a man. She walks away. That takes more strength than anything else we saw from the "love interests" on that show.
The Technical Brilliance of Riley's Performance
How do you act against Cillian Murphy’s eyes? It’s a challenge. Most people blink.
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Charlotte Riley used her stillness as a weapon. She matched his intensity by doing less. In the scenes at her estate, the way she moves through those large, empty rooms suggests a woman who is comfortable with her own silence. It makes her the perfect foil for Tommy, whose mind is constantly screaming with PTSD and ambition.
She also nailed the accent and the posture of the 1920s aristocracy without making it a caricature. It’s easy to do a "posh" voice. It’s harder to make that person feel like they have skin in the game. When May talks about her late husband or her passion for training horses, you believe her. You see the grief and the passion.
Real-World Impact and Legacy
Charlotte Riley's stint on Peaky Blinders did a lot for her career, but it also did a lot for the show’s tone. It proved that the series could handle complex female characters who weren't directly involved in the crime side of things.
Since her time as May Carleton, Riley has gone on to do incredible work in Press, Dark Heart, and The Peripheral. But for a lot of us, she will always be the woman who almost tamed the leader of the Peaky Blinders. She wasn't a victim of the Shelby family. She was a guest who decided she didn't like the service and left.
What Most People Get Wrong About May Carleton
There’s this common misconception that May was just a plot device to make Grace jealous. That’s a total surface-level take.
If you watch closely, May is one of the few people who actually challenges Tommy’s morality without being self-righteous about it. She knows he’s a "bad" man. She just doesn't care. She’s more interested in the truth of who he is than the reputation he carries. That kind of nuance is rare in period dramas. Usually, the "high society" woman is there to be scandalized. May wasn't scandalized; she was intrigued.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Aspiring Writers
If you’re looking back at the series or studying character development, there are a few things Riley’s portrayal of May Carleton can teach us:
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- Silence is a character choice: You don't need a monologue to show power. Riley’s pauses often said more than the dialogue.
- Agency matters: A character is more compelling when they make the choice to leave a situation, rather than being forced out.
- Chemistry isn't just about romance: It’s about two characters who challenge each other’s worldview.
For those wanting to dive deeper into the world of Charlotte Riley and the Shelbys, the best move is to re-watch Season 2, Episode 5. Pay attention to the blocking in the scenes between Tommy and May. Notice how she occupies the center of the frame, forcing him to move around her. It’s a masterclass in screen presence.
If you want to understand the full scope of her career, look into her work with the charity A21, or her advocacy for childcare in the film industry. She’s as much of a powerhouse off-screen as she was on the grounds of the Carleton estate.
Next time you’re debating the best characters in the Peaky-verse, don't overlook the lady with the horses. She was the one who actually had the life Tommy wanted, and she was the only one smart enough to realize he’d eventually destroy it.
To truly appreciate the nuance Charlotte Riley brought to the role, compare her scenes in the quiet of the Carleton estate to the chaotic, loud atmosphere of the Garrison Pub. The shift in Tommy’s demeanor in those two locations tells you everything you need to know about May’s influence. She offered him a different version of himself—one that was quiet, respected, and at peace. The tragedy isn't that they didn't end up together; the tragedy is that Tommy wasn't capable of being the man she deserved.
Check out Riley’s more recent projects to see how she’s evolved as an actor. Her range is massive, moving from the 1920s horse racing world to futuristic sci-fi without breaking a sweat. If you're a fan of the "Shelby style," studying May Carleton's wardrobe is also a great entry point into 1920s high-society fashion, which was a world apart from the utilitarian style of the Birmingham streets.
May Carleton was never a "second choice." She was the choice Tommy was too broken to make.