Paul Anderson

Paul Anderson plays Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Where Cillian Murphy's Tommy contains his reactions, Arthur often seems unable to keep anything inside. Anderson makes him frightening without losing the need for reassurance underneath. A scene can move from aggression to wounded affection with very little warning.

Arthur's relationship with his brother gives the performance more to work with than violence alone. He wants a place in the family's plans and Tommy's approval, sometimes with an urgency that makes both harder to obtain. Anderson's physical energy is a large part of the role, but the uncertain pauses matter too.

His film credits include The Revenant, Legend and In the Heart of the Sea. Peaky Blinders gives him the sustained space to make a volatile supporting character feel like a person rather than an interruption. Arthur can be exhausting company; he is rarely uninteresting company.