If you've ever noticed that Shelby never eats on the show, that's because it was an accidental choice that later turned into an intentional decision. Once fans noticed this quirk,
Tommy Shelby is never seen eating.
But besides the two times he tasted blackroot, the character has never eaten on-screen.
He is informed by Doctor Holford (Aneurin Barnard) that he has tuberculoma and has at best, a year and a half to live. He is certain now that his death is imminent.
Mint tastes good, makes your breath smell good, and sometimes it's just nice to have something to chew on. That would be my guess for why Tommy does it. As a gypsy he likely spent a lot of time in the wilderness, and probably grew up running around. In hot weather chewing on mint leaves can be rather refreshing.
However, he soon fell ill himself, staggering out of the doctor's office and throwing up. He hid his sudden sickness from Lizzie, simply saying that he was tired after barely sleeping. Tommy wasn't able to keep up the pretence for long though, as that evening he suffered from a seizure.
He had tuberculoma in his brain stem, a growth caused by the same bacteria as the lung disease, doubtless picked up from daughter Ruby (Orla McDonagh). It wasn't infectious but it was inoperable. The symptoms (seizures, dissociation, hallucinations, sharp cheekbones – I may have added the last one) chimed with Tommy's.
Polly finally does give in to the mutual attraction, and they have sex, during which he makes the mistake of placing his hand around her neck and unwittingly causes her to have flashbacks to the time Campbell raped her, understandably killing the moment somewhat.
The actor explained: "That comes from the fact that the cigarettes, we cut the filter off or do we leave the filter on I cannot recall, but anyway if you don't rub them across your lips initially, they will stick.
Thankfully, the actor himself has come out and revealed the exact reason behind this strangely seductive smoking habit. Murphy told to BBC that it's all to do with the filters, and getting sticky… “That comes from the fact that the cigarettes, we cut the filter off, or do we leave them on?
That whisper is the semi-public admission that Tommy is shaking his blood-stained hands with Duke, and expecting him to carry on his dark deeds.
Alas, the tests did reveal a growth in his brain stem that the doctor explains is called Tuberculoma. It is linked to tuberculosis but it is not infectious: this sure sounds like good news!
The untimely death of Helen McCrory, who played Polly, forced Peaky Blinders to reshape itself. “When we found out that she was ill, especially during COVID, Steve [Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders] had to choose a direction to make the plot make sense,” Peaky executive producer Caryn Mandabach tells Tudum.
Tommy's seven-year-old daughter Ruby died of tuberculosis, after hearing voices, seeing visions and speaking the Romani words for the devil. Ruby died from a curse laid in retaliation for Tommy having passed on an already-cursed sapphire to the Barwell family.
The whiskey that is drunk in Peaky Blinders is the Gallglennie Whiskey. However, this whiskey does not really exist but it was invented by the makers of the series. By the way, the actors do not drink real whiskey during the filming. Instead of whiskey they use tea.
Although Tommy's choice to drink water is solely based on him giving up alcohol, the other men see it as a betrayal of their values and a way of him laughing in their faces.
“There were these rose cigarettes that are herbal – Steve (Knight) would joke they're one of your five a day.” Talking about he came to know about ending up smoking 3000 cigarettes, Cillian said, “I asked the prop guys to count how many I smoked just out of interest, and they think it's something like 3,000.”
Paul Anderson (Arthur Shelby) doesn't smoke cigarettes and can only be seen smoking cigars in Peaky Blinders. I am unsure if Finn Cole (Micheal Gray) smokes as he is often seen smoking in Peaky Blinders but doesn't appear to pose often elsewhere with a cigarette in his hand. Was this worth your time?
Tommy Shelby has four tattoos that have appeared on screen. The most famous is the sunray design on his left breast. This was based on a real tattoo that had Jesus in the middle; but Tommy's not the religious type, so only the sunrays were used.
What drug is Tommy Shelby doing? While cocaine use is common among the characters, Tommy smokes brown opium at night in series one and two to minimize the stress and symptoms of his PTSD.
A traumatised Tommy breaks down in tears as he looks at the bodies of the dead - including Aunt Polly. The scene then cuts away to homemade funeral pyres in the woods.
There are many reasons why Thomas Shelby is so attractive. First, he is incredibly intelligent and knows how to get what he wants. Secondly, he is always well-dressed and looks like a million bucks. Finally, he has a great sense of humor and can make anyone laugh.
Yet the worst act he has ever committed is forcing Polly to sleep with him to keep her son from spending the rest of his life behind bars.
Born Elizabeth Shelby, Polly was aunt to Peaky Blinders gang leader Tommy Shelby, his brothers Arthur, John and Finn, and their sister Ada Thorne.
For five seasons, McCrory had brilliantly played the part of Polly Gray, the aunt of Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and ferocious matriarch of the Peaky Blinders. Heading into season 6 (now streaming on Netflix), the show had to figure out how to honor both McCrory and her character.