Movies - TV
Tom Hardy's Skin Might Just Be Peaky Blinders' Biggest Mystery
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
Before Tom Hardy's "Peaky Blinders" character, Alfie Solomons was covered in gunshot scars he had an unexplained skin condition that got progressively worse throughout the series. Fans have wondered what caused the initial condition and if it had anything to do with the cancer diagnosis he had revealed to Tommy. Surprisingly, the answer might tie into the key character's ultimate fate.
According to the show’s makeup artist Loz Schiavo, the look was a reflection of Alfie’s rough work environment as a distillery owner. "I decided from the beginning to give him psoriasis," she explained, “to imitate what the conditions from being down in the cellar in his rum production company would have done to his skin."
Further clarifying the cancer claim Hardy’s character makes in the fourth season finale, Schiavo revealed that Alfie suffers from lung cancer. "From season 1, Solomon has lung cancer, but we wanted something else that showed physically on the exterior. Obviously, psoriasis isn't a sign of lung cancer, but it's not a sign of good health either."
From psoriasis to cancer to a gunshot wound and beyond, Alfie's face has always told his story, with makeup artist Loz Schiavo helping to bring it to life. He remains one of the most interesting characters in "Peaky Blinders," and he's almost certain to play a part in the story's feature film endgame – whether in corporeal form or not.