Cillian Murphy Was 'Alarmed' By The Style Of His Signature Peaky Blinders Haircut
Steven Knight's "Peaky Blinders" has given birth to a cultural phenomenon of its own, placing Birmingham into the minds of millions of admirers around the world. And while there's plenty to love about the period crime drama in terms of its acting and writing, the way its characters dress is, of course, a key part of its appeal. Star Cillian Murphy and his on-screen brothers wear three-piece tweed suits with flat caps that only grow more fashionable with every passing year — not to mention their haircuts, which have had fans going gaga ever since the show kicked off in 2013.
The "Peaky Blinders" haircut is historically accurate, too. It's been a popular look since the early 20th Century and was favored among street gangs and young working-class men at the peak of its popularity. The "disconnected undercut" sported by Murphy and other male cast members has become a symbol of the show — which is why it's a little surprising that Murphy, after wearing it year after year, still hates it so much.
Murphy is totally alarmed by it
Irish actor Cillian Murphy stars in "Peaky Blinders" as the suave, intelligent, and dangerous Tommy Shelby, whose ambition and influence continue to help the Shelby crime family rise to power in Birmingham. Murphy's startling blue eyes and his sharp three-piece suit are quite the combination — especially when you throw in that exceptional haircut, which makes his frame look all the more intimidating. Murphy wasn't big on it, though: the actor was initially "alarmed" by the haircut. It appears the star disagreed the haircut was as flattering as fans would later consider it to be, but he had no choice but to sport it season after season.
In a 2014 interview with Belfast Telegraph, the venerated actor (or, as we've declared him here at /Film, Christopher Nolan's secret weapon) didn't mince words when it came to his "Peaky Blinders" hairdo:
"I was alarmed by the haircut, I have to admit, but I'm contractually obliged to have it."
'I normally keep my hair long'
Unfortunately, Cillian Murphy's distaste for the haircut hasn't changed much. He later told Shortlist in 2017 that it seemed "crazy" to him how people liked his hair in "Peaky Blinders." He added:
"It's not grown on me in four years now. I normally keep my hair long."
Murphy's costume completely transforms him into Tommy Shelby, but his eccentric, distinctive hairstyle completes his image as the Shelby family's leading gangster. The actor wears the cut differently every other year. Sometimes, we get a more mature deviation: his hair appears to be a shade grayer, featured with longer sides in the later seasons.
This hairstyle has many names; some call it a "texturized crop," while some refer to it as "a closely-shaved fringed crop." Whatever you choose to call it, the "Peaky Blinders" hairstyle is arguably one of television's most distinguishing hairdos, and Murphy is well-aware of the world's obsession with it — even though he might not necessarily understand it.
Now that the show has come to an end, there's no reason for Murphy to continue wearing his hair like that. Still, here's hoping Steven Knight's future projects set in the "Peaky Blinders" universe lead to another opportunity for us to see Murphy sport the signature hairstyle.