Cillian Murphy has not only been gearing up for the release of Oppenheimer but also has the most iconic role of Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders. The actor has a range in acting not only as the hero but also as the villain. With so many other roles in his name, his getting the role of Shelby should have been a piece of cake. However, he was not the first choice.
There can be instances when the first choice of a movie or a television series says no only to regret it later. The same has happened with Leonardo DiCaprio quite a lot of times. From Boogie Nights to Hocus Pocus, there have been a lot of movies he turned down only to later see them succeed heavily. Something similar happened with Jason Statham after he rejected the role of Thomas Shelby.
Cillian Murphy Is Much Different From His Roles
Cillian Murphy was not the first in line to become Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders. The series is a massive hit and the iconic protagonist is one that can only be played by Murphy. Fans might not be able to imagine anyone else in the role. However, there was a slight chance that they would have gotten a completely different actor instead of him.
“Cillian, when you meet him, isn’t Tommy, obviously, but I was stupid enough not to understand that. He sent me a text [later] saying, ‘Remember, I’m an actor,’ which is absolutely the thing, because he can transform himself.”
Jason Statham was the first person who was selected to get the role and Steven Knight was leaning towards him as well. He had taken both of them out to have a chat and was in awe of seeing Statham in real life. He even thought that Murphy was perhaps not the ideal choice for the role because of how he looked. However, a text he got from the actor completely changed his mind.
Did Cillian Murphy Throw Shade At Jason Statham?
Cillian Murphy texted Steven Knight about how he is an actor and that it won’t be ideal for him to forget that. As an actor, he can easily get into any role put in front of him. However, what was more peculiar was the fact that he was standing in front of Jason Statham, who is just as much of an actor as he is.
“It’s a cool story. If I was that succinct, I’ll take it,” Murphy referred to the message he sent. “Remember I’m an actor … and Statham isn’t? They are entirely unconnected.”
In fact, this is something Murphy also addressed later on. He laughed about how it was a silly text and that it did not make sense because both of them were in the same profession.
Source: Digital Spy
