If Ed Sheeran’s controversial Game of Thrones cameo taught us anything, it’s that the surprise appearance of A-list stars can often detract from a TV show’s integrity and distract its audience.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight understands this. That’s why he’s so picky when it comes to casting his much-loved BBC drama.
Speaking on the BBC’s Obsessed With… Peaky Blinders podcast, Knight said: “The amount of people who have come to us wanting to be in it is quite astonishing – and really good people. What I’ve tried to avoid before is turning it into a ‘spot the celebrity’, you know, because I think it’s quite distracting sometimes.”
“But someone like Adrien Brody is a great actor, obviously you want to put them in it, but I think now we’re coming to the final two series, I’m going to relax and open the gates a bit because there’s some amazing people who want to be in it, and I think ‘Why not?’”
Knight went on to confirm that This is England star Stephen Graham would make an appearance, but not in season 5, and definitely not as Al Capone. The legendary mob boss was referenced at the end of the last season, and as Graham had previously played him in Boardwalk Empire fans understandably put two and two together.
“We’re proceeding with that, but not this series,” Knight revealed. “Not Al Capone, I didn’t want to go west. Once you go into Chicago gangster…”
When pressed on what role he would be playing, Knight replied: “I’ve already got it and I’m not going to tell you.”
And as for the long running rumours that Julia Roberts has approached Knight for a role in the BBC drama? “I don’t know where that got out, but, yeah, fingers crossed on that.”
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