Stephen Graham is on a serious high right now - not only has he won acclaim for his portrayal of Joseph in Shane Meadows' harrowing series The Virtues, but he had a starring role in Line of Duty earlier this year.
But now he's turning his attention to everyone's favourite gangsters, and has signed up for Birmingham-based TV show Peaky Blinders! The series, led by Cillian Murphy, shows how a Brummy crime family have grown through the seasons from gang fights to politics, as Cillian's character Tommy Shelby was voted in as a Labour MP at the end of season 4.
As the fifth season approaches - with the first trailer being released yesterday - Stephen, who is also well-known for his role as Andrew 'Combo' Gascoigne in the This Is England franchise, has been confirmed to join the show very soon.
Blinders creator Steven Knight spoke out on the Obsessed with... Peaky Blinders podcast, referring to fan speculation that Stephen could once again portray Al Capone, who he played in Boardwalk Empire.
RADIO Peaky Blinders filming locations slider with cover pic
Swipe through to see all the filming locations for Peaky Blinders...
The Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country museum is home to many of the filming locations for Peaky Blinders, and if you take a trip around the museum for a day you'll be sure to recognise some past scenes of the show.Pictured here is Uncle Charlie's dockyard, home to many dodgy dealings between the Shelby brothers as well as allowing safe passage for who or whatever they need to get out of the Midlands. Have a look through the museum's other Peaky Blinders locations here.
Powis Street, Liverpool
Much of the filming for Peaky Blinders is done in and around Liverpool, and different companies host many tours in the city so that fans of the show can see where the magic happens. This particular street is used for the Shelby families homes in the first season, named Watery Lane on the show.
Formby Beach, Liverpool
Many heartbroken viewers will spot that Formby Beach in Liverpool was the spot where Alfie Solomons (played by Tom Hardy) admitted his betrayal to Tommy, and basically forced Tommy into shooting him dead after confessing that he had cancer. It was very emotional.
Port Sunlight, Wirral
Port Sunlight is a model village in the Wirral, Merseyside. Although the village and the homes within it were originally built for workers at the Lever Brothers Factory, it's now a tourist attraction. Eagle-eyed Peaky fans will recognise the timbered housing as Aunt Polly's home, which is 'in' Sutton Coldfield in the show.
Arley Hall, Cheshire
Once Tommy became as 'legit' as he could in season three, he and Grace moved themselves into an incredible country house. Sadly, Grace was shot dead at a party they hosted there, but Tommy continued to live there with their son Charlie as well as their staff.Arley Hall is situated in Northwich, Cheshire, and is often used as a wedding venue. Other shows to be filmed there include Coronation Street, Antiques Roadshow and Cold Feet.General Manager Steve Hamilton said, "It's been incredible to see the effort and attention to detail that goes into a production such as Peaky Blinders. There was a real buzz around Arley during the filming and it was great to work with the BBC on such a popular and critically acclaimed drama. The great thing now is that people will be able to visit us this summer and walk in the rooms where these amazing stars have filmed their scenes."
Manchester Town Hall
The town hall in Manchester was apparently used as a building front in a scene in one of the first two seasons where Sam Neill's character, Major Campbell, visits Winston Churchill, but Peaky Blinders' Production Designer Grant Montgomery told i News that "the interiors were done in another location." So cryptic!
Victoria Baths, Manchester
The Victoria Baths in Manchester were used for scenes in season two. After Polly's son Michael returned, having been raised in the countryside by adoptive parents, the Shelby brothers took him along to a horse fair where Tommy bought a filly and also met May Carleton. Of course, in true Peaky style, the day ends in a fight, but the filming for the fair took place at the baths. Montgomery told i, "I remember thinking Victoria Baths could give it a really good look. One of the baths had timber over it, so we put sawdust down on top."
Bolton
The centre of Bolton was used for various scenes in the show, but Le Mans crescent in Bolton was used for shots to capture the Shelby brothers' trip to London, and specifically the exterior of the Eden Club - the jazz den owned by Sabini, who becomes a nemesis to the family.Montgomery told i, "We were thinking how to do London in the 1920s, and Bolton has that wonderful crescent. So I said, 'Well, this is our London.' And the exterior to the Eden Club was all done in Bolton."Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/peaky-blinders-locations-uk/
Brooke’s Mill, Huddersfield
Producers used Brooke's Mill in Huddersfield as the location for the gypsy campsite, using traditional caravans and carts, as well as horses.
Leeds Town Hall
Many fans of the show were convinced that the scenes in which Campbell and Grace share information about the Shelby family in the art gallery were filmed at the Town Hall in Birmingham. However, the front was actually shot at the Town Hall in Leeds.
Newby Hall & Gardens, Ripon
However, the scenes on the inside of the art gallery where Campbell and Grace surreptitiously pass notes to each other were filmed at the Newby Hall & Gardens in Ripon, North Yorkshire.
Keighley and Worth Valley Steam Railway
Most of the Peaky moments that take place on a train or at a station happen on the Keighley and Worth Valley railway line. It's a 5-mile long rail line that runs through a small part of West Yorkshire, and many will recognise Keighley as the station where Grace shot Major Campbell in season one.
Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford
The shots in season one where Polly pays her respects at the cemetery and meets Freddie Thorne laying flowers for his mum is thought to have been shot in Bradford at the Undercliffe Cemetery.
Confirming that it would happen - but not for the upcoming fifth season - he said, "We're proceeding with that, but not for this series. Not Al Capone – I didn't want to go west. Because it's a minefield once you go into Chicago gangsters. I refer to him last series, but I didn't want to go into that.
"The amount of people who have come to us wanting to be in it is quite astonishing, and really good people. So 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."
He added, "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."
Why not indeed!
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