We can all recognise a good actor, especially if they’re Irish.
Cillian Murphy has been a well-known acting figure for years, starring as Tommy Shelby in the Peaky Blinders universe. With the new movie, The Immortal Ma, being released, we all assumed Barry Keoghan was going to become the new leader of the gang.
The next, actually Irish, but playing British gangster to take over Birmingham city, turns out that doesn’t seem to be the case.
There are two new sequel series confirmed for development at the BBC and Netflix. The new seasons are to follow on from after the film, set in the 1950s, approximately 10 years after The Immortal Man.
The new era focuses on the next generation of the Shelby family in post-war Birmingham, yet Barry Keoghan is not returning to his role.
His role has been taken over by Jamie Bell, who is best known for his role as Billy Elliot in the film of the same name.
Fans of the series rushed to social media to share their concerns about how this is the third replacement for Duke Shelby. Questioning why Keoghan was even playing him in the movie, giving a false sense of hope.
Fans discussed how it could be age that’s the issue, as Keoghan is 33 and Bell is 40, they needed an older actor for a later period. Yet makeup professionals were able to age Cillian in the recent film as others pointed out.
View this post on Instagram
Some fans are happy with the recast, saying Bell is a great actor and they will give the show a chance. But it can be hard to replicate perfection. Peaky Blinders was loved by most as it featured intense family drama, historical and political intrigue and magnetic performances by our very own Cillian.
You also may have seen that Barry Keoghan is currently trending for other reasons. His appearance is getting intense online abuse, specifically on apps such as TikTok and Instagram. The Oscar-nominated star has said the hate has gotten so harsh that he feels the need to hide away from public life.
“There is a lot of hate online. It’s a lot of abuse of how I look… It made me really go inside myself. Not want to attend places, not want to go outside. And I say this being absolutely pure and honest to you. It’s becoming a problem,” he confessed.
This could also possibly have impacted the recasting of Duke Shelby, as Barry has said: “You don’t want to even be on screen anymore.”
Speaking on SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up, Keoghan expressed the damage the ‘nasty side’ of social media has caused. Claiming how hurtful it is for him, as well as when his son gets older to see these hateful words.
Words by Nia Hayden
