By Abby Robinson

Published: Monday, 21 February 2022 at 12:00 am

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It’s been confirmed that Peaky Blinders season 6 will arrive on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK on Sunday 27th February, with Cillian Murphy once again donning that infamous charcoal grey flat cap for the crime drama’s final TV instalment – a Peaky Blinders movie is in the works, but we’re a long way off that yet.

Murphy will be joined by a raft of returning characters in season 6, who will once again face a host of challenges that will push them all to their limits. But sadly Helen McCrory, who starred as Polly Gray, died back in April 2021, which means she will be noticeably absent.

Several new faces have also joined the fold, but who are they playing, and will they be friend or foe to Tommy?

Read on for the Peaky Blinders season 6 full cast rundown.

Peaky Blinders season 6 cast: Meet the characters of the BBC crime drama

Cillian Murphy plays Tommy Shelby

Who is Tommy Shelby? Tommy Shelby is the head of the Shelby crime family and the Labour MP for Birmingham. During the last batch of episodes, he attempted to bring down fascist Sir Oswald Mosley, but his plan was scuppered by an informant, which prompted his already fragile mental health to spiral out of control. In the final moments of season 5, Tommy held a gun to his own head and looked set to pull the trigger.

We know from the official Peaky Blinders season 6 trailer that he is still alive and remains committed to destroying Mosley, but will he succeed? And what will he have to sacrifice along the way?

Where have I seen Cillian Murphy before? Cillian Murphy has appeared in a number of well known titles including A Quiet Place Part II, Dunkirk, Inception, The Dark Knight trilogy, Girl with a Pearl Earring and 28 Days Later.

Paul Anderson plays Arthur Shelby

Who is Arthur Shelby? Arthur Shelby is another of the Shelby siblings. Like Tommy, he also suffers with mental illness, which is exacerbated by his drinking and drug use, and he is prone to violent outbursts.

His marriage to Linda is currently in tatters after he violently assaulted one of her male acquaintances in a jealous rage, which prompted his wife to pull a gun on him. But before she could do any damage, Polly pulled the trigger on her.

Where have I seen Paul Anderson before? Paul Anderson has appeared in films Legend, The Revenant and The Firm.

Sophie Rundle plays Ada Thorne (née Shelby)

Who is Ada Thorne? Ada Thorne is the lone female Shelby sibling who, after initially steering clear of her brothers’ illegal activities, began working on the legitimate side of their business, as well as doing her best to keep her brothers in check.

Where have I seen Sophie Rundle before? Sophie Rundle has starred in a number of well known dramas including Gentleman Jack, The Nest, Elizabeth Is Missing, Jamestown, Bodyguard, Happy Valley and The Bletchley Circle.

Finn Cole plays Michael Gray

Who is Michael Gray? Michael Gray is Polly’s son. He previously admired Tommy and strived to impress him at every opportunity but over time, he grew in confidence and now views himself as a worthy contender to the Shelby patriarch.

Where have I seen Finn Cole before? Peaky Blinders is Finn Cole’s biggest role to date. Prior to that, his most sizeable project was US drama Animal Kingdom, which also revolves around a crime family.

Natasha O’Keeffe plays Lizzie Shelby (née Stark)

Who is Lizzie Shelby? Lizzie Shelby is Tommy’s wife. They have one child together, Ruby, and Lizzie is also step-mother to Charles, Tommy’s child from his relationship with Grace (Annabelle Wallis). It’s fair to say that their marriage has had more downs than ups on account of Tommy’s erratic behaviour.

Where have I seen Natasha O’Keeffe before? In 2021, Natasha O’Keeffe appeared in sci-fi series Intergalactic. Other projects include Strike, Temple, Jekyll and Hyde and Misfits.

Anya Taylor-Joy plays Gina Gray

Who is Gina Gray? Gina Gray is Michael’s wife and the one who encouraged him to move against Tommy in a bid to usurp his control as head of the family. In the last season, she also revealed that she is pregnant with Michael’s baby, which is why the pair decided to get hitched.

Where have I seen Anya-Taylor Joy before? Anya Taylor-Joy stars in Netflix drama The Queen’s Gambit. Her other notable work includes Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho, The New Mutants, Emma and M Night Shyamalan’s Glass and Split.

Sam Claflin plays Sir Oswald Mosley

Who is Sir Oswald Mosley? Sir Oswald Mosley formed the British Union of Fascists in 1932. In Peaky Blinders, we witness his rise to prominence as he whips up right-wing tensions to further extend his support base and consolidate his power. Mosley made significant gains in the last season, successfully dodging Tommy’s efforts to destroy his movement, but will he experience the same success in season 6?

Where have I seen Sam Claflin before? Sam Claflin has appeared in Enola Holmes, Me Before You with Emilia Clarke and The Hunger Games franchise.

Tom Hardy plays Alfie Solomons

Who is Alfie Solomons? Alfie Solomons is a Jewish gangster who was running an illegal distillery. He was one of Tommy’s many, many enemies across the lifespan of the series, with their feud coming to a head when Alfie betrayed Tommy to help Italian mobster Luca Changretta. At the end of season 4, the pair engaged in a shootout on a beach, during which Alfie took a bullet to the face, which he miraculously managed to survive. 

Given that Tommy is now on a mission to take down Mosley, we can safely assume that he will be working with Alfie in season 6 to make that happen. 

Where have I seen Tom Hardy before? A better question would probably be, ‘Where haven’t we seen Tom Hardy before?’ His credits include the Venom films, Capone, Dunkirk, Taboo, The Revenant, Legend, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Inception, Bronson and much more.

Kate Phillips plays Linda Shelby

Who is Linda Shelby? Linda Shelby is Arthur’s wife, who tried and failed to use religion to put her husband on the straight and narrow. When we last saw her, their relationship was in an incredibly toxic place, with Linda also drinking heavily and using drugs. She pulled a gun on Arthur but was shot by Polly.

For a while, fans of the show believed that Linda was dead, but it’s since been confirmed that she is alive and set to feature in the final season.

Where have I seen Kate Phillips before? Viewers will recognise Kate Phillips from Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The English Game, Princess Mary in the Downton Abbey movie, Winston Churchill’s young secretary Venetia Scott in The Crown and Wolf Hall.

Harry Kirton plays Finn Shelby, Daryl McCormack plays Isaiah and Emmett J Scanlan plays Billy Grade

Who is Finn Shelby? Finn is part of the Shelby family and one of the Peaky Blinders.

Where have I seen Harry Kirton before? Peaky Blinders is Harry Kirton’s most notable role to date.

Who is Isaiah? Isaiah is also one of the Peaky Blinders and Jimmy Jesus’s son.

Where have I seen Daryl McCormack before? Daryl McCormack has featured in The Wheel of Time, I Am and Pixie, to name just a few.

Who is Billy Grade? Billy Grade was a professional footballer who turned his attention to singing. He first came into contact with the Peaky Blinders when they ask him to use his contacts to fix football matches and horse races.

Where have I seen Emmett J Scanlan before? Emmett J Scanlan has appeared in The Tower, Kin, The Deceived, Gangs of London, Butterfly, Safe, Hollyoaks and more.

Aimee-Ffion Edwards plays Esme Shelby

Who is Esme Shelby? Esme Shelby was married to John Shelby, who was killed in the first episode of season 4. The pair initially married to keep the peace between the Lee and Shelby families, but grew to care for one another.

Following John’s death, she turned her back completely on the Shelbys.

Where have I seen Aimee-Ffion Edwards before? Aimee-Ffion Edwards has appeared in War of the Worlds, Keeping Faith, Curfew, Detectorists and Luther, plus much more.

Charlene McKenna plays Captain Swing

Who is Captain Swing? Captain Swing is a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). She previously warned Tommy not to trust Michael after she claimed he was spotted liaising with the Billy Boys and men from the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force. She even offered to have Michael killed, but Tommy declined.

Swing also expressed an interest in working with Tommy following his pivot to socialism.

Where have I seen Charlene McKenna before? Charlene McKenna has appeared in Bloodlands, Vienna Blood, Death and Nightingales and Ripper Street.

Packy Lee plays Johnny Dogs

Who is Johnny Dogs? Johnny Dogs is one of Tommy’s closest allies. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if asked.

Where have I seen Packy Lee before? Packy Lee has enjoyed a number of minor roles in titles such as Pixie, The Witcher, The Bill, Murphy’s Law and more.

Benjamin Zephaniah plays Jeremiah “Jimmy” Jesus

Who is Jeremiah “Jimmy” Jesus? Jimmy Jesus is a street preacher and Isaiah’s father. He served alongside Tommy in the army and has remained a close companion ever since.

Where have I seen Benjamin Zephaniah before? Peaky Blinders is one of Benjamin Zephaniah’s few acting roles. He is a writer, poet and activist.

Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong

Who is Charlie Strong? Charlie Strong isn’t related to the Shelbys, but he’s one of Tommy’s most trusted men and is happy to lend a hand whenever asked.

Where have I seen Ned Dennehy before? Ned Dennehy has appeared in Outlander, Dublin Murders, Good Omens and Dickensian.

Stephen Graham as TBC

Amber Anderson as TBC

YouTube/BBC

As the above image illustrates, Amber Anderson’s character appears to be part of Mosley’s inner fascist circle, but perhaps there’s more to her than meets the eye. Will Peaky Blinders follow Ridley Road’s lead, in which Agnes O’Casey’s Vivien Epstein posed as a right-wing enthusiast to bring down leader of the British Movement Colin Jordan? Only time will tell…

Where have I seen Amber Anderson before? You can watch Amber Anderson in The Souvenir: Part II, Emma, Strike, Maigret, The Riot Club and Black Mirror’s The Waldo Moment.

James Frecheville as TBC

Where have I seen James Frecheville before? James Frecheville’s CV includes The Pursuit of Love, Requiem, The Stanford Prison Experiment and Animal Kingdom.

Conrad Khan as TBC

Relative newcomer Conrad Khan told RadioTimes.com that filming the series was “super enjoyable”, adding: “It was such an amazing experience. I met a lot of highly esteemed actors. It feels like a different world now because I’ve just been at home, working on my uni stuff and reading, so it does feel like a different world.”

Where have I seen Conrad Khan before? You can watch Conrad Khan in season 2 of Baptiste, County Lines and the Smithereens episode of Black Mirror.

Check out our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features or find something to watch with our TV guide.

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