Small Heath, 1919. A man on a black horse rides through a soot-stained street. That image defined a decade of television, but honestly, looking back at the cast of Peaky Blinders season 1, it’s kind of wild how much of a gamble it actually was. At the time, Cillian Murphy was mostly "that guy from the Danny Boyle movies," and the BBC wasn't exactly known for high-octane, cinematic gangster epics that felt more like a Western than a period drama.
We forget that before it became a global fashion brand and a source of endless "sigma male" memes, this was just a gritty, localized story about a family of bookmakers. The chemistry wasn't just good; it was combustible.
The Cillian Murphy Factor: More Than Just the Eyes
It starts and ends with Thomas Shelby. When Steven Knight was casting, he famously had Jason Statham in mind. Think about that for a second. Statham. It would have been a totally different show—probably more "snatch" and less "existential dread." But Murphy sent a text that simply said, "Remember, I’m an actor," and the rest is history.
In season 1, Tommy is different. He’s suffering from what they called "shell shock" back then, though we’d call it PTSD now. Murphy plays him with this terrifying stillness. You’ve got the razor-sharp undercut and the heavy wool coats, but it’s the way he uses silence that anchors the entire cast of Peaky Blinders season 1. He doesn't need to shout to be the most dangerous person in the Garrison Pub.
Sam Neill and the Villain Problem
Most people remember Sam Neill as the heroic Dr. Grant from Jurassic Park. So, seeing him show up as Inspector Chester Campbell was a bit of a shock to the system. He brought this puritanical, repressed rage that felt so distinct from the Shelby family’s more honest brand of violence. Neill actually worked with Liam Neeson to nail that specific Northern Irish accent, which adds a layer of authenticity that keeps the show from feeling like a caricature.
Campbell isn't just a "bad cop." He’s a man who believes he’s on a divine mission to clean up Birmingham, which makes him way more dangerous than a standard corrupt official. The dynamic between Neill and Murphy in those early episodes is basically a chess match played with live grenades.
Helen McCrory: The Real Heart of Small Heath
Rest in peace, Helen McCrory. Seriously. Without Aunt Polly, this show falls apart in three episodes. While the men were off fighting in the trenches, Polly Gray was running the business. Season 1 shows her handing the reins back to Tommy, but she never truly lets go.
She was the matriarch. She was the one who understood the spirits, the ledgers, and the cost of blood. McCrory played her with such a sharp, regal edge that you genuinely believed she could stare down a gunman without blinking. Her performance in the first season set the bar for every female character that followed in the series. She wasn't just "supporting cast"; she was the soul of the Shelby Company Limited.
The Brothers: Arthur and John
Paul Anderson’s Arthur Shelby is a fascinating mess. In season 1, we see the cracks in his armor early on. He’s the eldest, the one who should be in charge by tradition, but he lacks Tommy's cold calculation. Anderson plays Arthur with a desperate, lunging energy. He’s a man who only feels alive when he’s swinging a fist or holding a drink.
Then you have Joe Cole as John Shelby. He's younger, more impulsive, and frankly, a bit of a loose cannon. The scene where he agrees to marry Esme Lee to settle a family feud is one of the most underrated moments in the series. It’s a reminder that in this world, marriage is just another business contract. Cole brings a certain "lad" energy that balances out the gloom of the older brothers.
Annabelle Wallis and the Grace Dilemma
Grace Burgess is a polarizing character for some fans, but her role in the cast of Peaky Blinders season 1 is the pivot point for the entire plot. She’s an undercover operative for Campbell, a singer in a dive bar, and eventually, the only person Tommy Shelby truly trusts.
Annabelle Wallis had a tough job. she had to play a woman who was constantly lying while making the audience (and Tommy) believe she was sincere. The chemistry between Wallis and Murphy is what kept the "will-they-won't-they" tension alive through those first six episodes. Whether you loved the romance or found it a distraction, you can't deny it raised the stakes for the season finale on the tracks.
The Supporting Players You Might’ve Missed
If you go back and rewatch, you’ll see faces that became much bigger later on.
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- Iddo Goldberg as Freddie Thorne: The Communist revolutionary and Tommy’s former best friend. His presence added a political weight to the show that grounded it in real history.
- Charlie Creed-Miles as Billy Kimber: The first "big bad." He was oily, arrogant, and represented the larger world of organized crime that the Shelbys were trying to break into.
- Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby: In season 1, Ada is the rebel. She’s the one trying to escape the family shadow, and Rundle plays that youthful defiance perfectly.
- Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong: The man at the yard. He’s been there since day one, providing the dry humor and the horses.
Why the Season 1 Cast Felt Different
The scale was smaller. That's the secret. By season 6, the show was dealing with fascists and international conspiracies. But in season 1? It was about a crate of stolen Lewis guns and a local turf war.
The acting had to be more intimate. You had to feel the damp walls of the houses and the smell of the horse manure in the streets. This wasn't a superhero show; it was a character study of a broken family trying to claw their way out of the mud.
The casting directors, Shaheen Baig and Libby Thompson, really leaned into actors who had "faces with stories." You look at someone like Packy Lee (Johnny Dogs) or Benjamin Zephaniah (Jeremiah Jesus), and you don't see actors—you see people who have lived in Birmingham their whole lives. That texture is what makes the first season so rewatchable.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you’re looking to analyze why this specific ensemble worked, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Contrast is King: Match a "still" actor (Murphy) with a "loud" actor (Anderson). The friction between their styles creates natural drama without needing extra dialogue.
- Historical Anchoring: Notice how Sam Neill uses a specific regional accent to ground his character's motivation. It’s not just "Irish"; it’s a specific kind of Unionist authority.
- The Matriarchal Pivot: Never underestimate the power of the "advisor" character. Polly Gray often drove the plot more than the brothers did, simply by being the voice of reason or consequence.
- Rewatch Value: Go back to the pilot. Watch the way the cast moves through the Garrison. It's choreographed like a dance, emphasizing who owns the space and who is just visiting.
The cast of Peaky Blinders season 1 didn't just play characters; they built a mythology. They took a script about 1920s gangsters and turned it into something that felt modern, dangerous, and oddly relatable. Even if you’ve seen the whole series, there’s something special about going back to the beginning when the stakes were smaller but the performances felt just as massive.
The next time you're scrolling through Netflix, skip the new releases for an hour. Put on the first episode of season 1. Watch Cillian Murphy blow that red powder into the air. It still hits just as hard as it did back in 2013. Only this time, you'll notice the subtle work the supporting cast is doing in the shadows.