Sam Neill

Sam Neill plays Inspector Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders. His assurance gives the early series a forceful opponent for the Shelbys: Campbell expects his position to carry weight, and Neill makes that expectation uncomfortable to watch. The controlled delivery leaves plenty of room for spite.

Neill's screen career stretches well beyond men carrying a badge. His film roles include Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, alongside very different work in The Piano, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Event Horizon. He can make apparent reasonableness reassuring or deeply unsettling, depending on the part.

Among his television credits are the sheriff in Invasion and chief ranger Paul Souter in Untamed. Campbell belongs at the less comforting end of that range. It is an effective performance because Neill doesn't need to make him constantly demonstrative; the conviction that he is entitled to obedience is unpleasant enough.