Alfie Solomons from Peaky Blinders is loosely based on Alfred Solomon, a real Jewish gangster in early 20th-century London who led a gang called the Yiddishers and was involved in protection rackets and clashes with other gangs, but the show's charismatic leader is largely fictionalized, with the real Solomon being less powerful and more tragic, eventually becoming a police informant.
Alfred "Alfie" Solomons is a fictionalized character in the British period crime drama television series Peaky Blinders, created by Steven Knight and portrayed by Tom Hardy. Based loosely on a London gangster born in the late 1880s, he is the leader of a Jewish gang based in Camden Town and was introduced in Series 2.
Firstly, Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, and most of the other main characters, are fictional. And, while Peaky Blinders is set in the years following the First World War, the real gang mainly operated from the late 19th century until the start of the war.
Jessie Eden (née Shrimpton; 24 February 1902 – 27 September 1986) was a British trade union leader and communist activist, most famous for leading between 40,000 and 50,000 households during the Birmingham rent-strike of 1939.
The Shelby family: Fictional! Cillian Murphy's Thomas Shelby tragically exists only in our dreams. Winston Churchill: Played by Andy Nyman, Richard McCabe and Neil Maskell, this future British prime minister was, in fact, a real guy. For more on this, see the first season of The Crown.
The Shelbys are specifically of Irish-Romani descent and refer to themselves as Gypsies, but their lifestyle differs from other Gypsy characters in the show.
Erasmus 'Duke' Shelby is the illegitimate firstborn son of Thomas Shelby and a woman called Zelda, as well as being the half-brother of Charles and Ruby Shelby.
McCrory, who starred as Shelby family matriarch Polly Gray in the BBC One crime drama, died from cancer last year at the age of 52. Gray's absence was written into the plotline in the opener, with news of her off-screen death having a huge impact on the gangster family.
Peaky Blinders, now a hit television programme, may be a fictional story of the Birmingham underworld but it is based on the very real existence of a gang by the same name based in the Midlands in the late nineteenth century.
Killed by the Changretta family - Season 4 Episode 1, “The Noose” John Shelby dies in Peaky Blinders season 4, and it's easily one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the show. Of all the Shelby brothers, John (Joe Cole) had the biggest family and took the best care of them.
WARNING: SEASON 6 FINALE SPOILERS WHAT HAPPENED TO FINN ON PEAKY BLINDERS? In the season 6 finale, Finn is ultimately kicked out of the Shelby family for his betrayal.
In the Peaky Blinders, Billy Kimber is shot dead by Tommy Shelby. In reality, William Kimber died in 1942 aged 63 at Mount Stuart Nursing Home after a long illness. Though born and raised in Birmingham's back streets, Kimber's funeral was attended by many as he was seen as a respected and legitimate businessman.
Cillian Murphy, who portrayed Tommy Shelby, was the show's highest-paid actor, reportedly earning around $200,000–$300,000 per episode by the final seasons, reflecting his central role and global recognition.
The Shelby family from the show Peaky Blinders has suffered many losses, with key members like John, Polly, Michael, Grace, and Arthur Sr. deceased by the series' end, but core surviving members include Tommy Shelby, Arthur Shelby, Ada Thorne, and younger relatives like Duke Shelby, with the final season ending ambiguously for Tommy but confirming many deaths. It's important to note the Shelbys are fictional, so their "aliveness" is within the show's narrative.
Grace Shelby
Although Grace is completely loyal to Tommy, she is distrusted by Polly and Arthur. His love for Grace makes Tommy stronger, but also more vulnerable. She is the only thing he still truly cares about and enemies can hurt him.
Billy Boys originated in the 1920s as the signature tune of the Billy Boys, who were a Protestant Glasgow razor gang in Bridgeton (an area of Glasgow historically associated with the city's Protestant population, and with Scottish unionism – Brigton is the Scots form of Bridgeton) led by Billy Fullerton.
Since the original series concluded in 2022, Murphy has also starred in Small Things Like These and won an Oscar for his leading role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Discussing the key to Peaky Blinders' success, Murphy said it is a sort of "magic". "Mostly the writing, I think, but also it was a moment in time."
Tommy Shelby
Tommy Shelby embodies everything I love about this show, memorable moments, badassery, character development, brilliance, intelligence.
Peaky Blinders is a crime drama centred on a family of mixed Irish Traveller and Romani origins based in Birmingham, England, starting in 1919, several months after the end of the First World War. It centres on the Peaky Blinders street gang and their ambitious, cunning crime boss Tommy Shelby.
Cillian Murphy expressed profound grief and admiration for his late Peaky Blinders co-star Helen McCrory, calling her the "beating heart" of the show and a dear friend, noting her passing made filming the final season incredibly difficult and bittersweet, describing the experience as "reeling" and "not a pleasant shooting experience," while praising her incredible talent, courage, and how she balanced work and family. He often spoke of her "magnificent" personality, kindness, and how she elevated every scene, struggling to comprehend her loss and missing her greatly, yet always deferring the spotlight to her family's grief.
Yes, several key Peaky Blinders cast members attended Helen McCrory's memorial service, including Joe Cole, Finn Cole, and Matthew Macfadyen, alongside other stars like Helena Bonham Carter and Benedict Cumberbatch, showing a strong bond with her and the show's family. While Cillian Murphy wasn't listed among the attendees in some reports, he paid a heartfelt tribute through an obituary, and the entire cast and crew honored her on-screen in the final season, reflecting their deep connection.
Ruby's physical cause of death is consumption, described “a wasting away of the body." Consumption was a common way to describe when someone died of a lung disease in the 19th century. It is likely but not confirmed that Ruby died of tuberculosis.
Shelby is a veteran of the First World War and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences during the war; something that is a recurring theme throughout the series.
Watch over your brother, and always let him win.