Which Peaky Blinders characters were real?

From Al Capone to Winston Churchill: Peaky Blinders' historical figures – ranked!
  • Al Capone.
  • Arthur Bigge.
  • Billy Kimber.
  • Michael Collins.
  • Brilliant Chang.
  • Diana Mitford.
  • Darby Sabini.
  • Jessie Eden.
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Is Tommy Shelby based on a real person?

Although many characters in the series are based on real-life historical figures, most of the Peaky Blinders are entirely fictional and were created by Knight. Tommy Shelby is from a Romani family based in Birmingham. Murphy spent time with Romani people to prepare himself for the role.
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Was Luca Changretta a real person?

Luca Changretta and his gang are entirely fictional and come from the mind of Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight.
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Who were the real peaky blinders and what did they do?

'The real peaky blinders are not just a 1920s gang,' said historian Professor Carl Chinn. 'The real Peaky Blinders are the men who belonged to numerous backstreet gangs in Birmingham in the 1890s and turn of the 20th century, but their roots go back much further'.
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Who was the real Billy Kimber?

William "Billy" Kimber, born 1882 in Summer Lane, Aston in Birmingham, a brass caster by trade, was head of the Birmingham Boys. With gangs in Uttoxeter and Leeds he controlled racecourses in the Midlands and the North. For several years Kimber was probably the biggest organised crime boss in the UK.
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Hidden Details You Missed In Peaky Blinders |⭐ OSSA Reviews



Was there a real Alfie Solomons?

The character is based on a real-life Jewish gangster called Alfred Solomon. Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight says, "We have portrayed him as funny but with an edgy character. The Jewish gangs of the East End would have been just as famous but for some reason history seems to have remembered Alfie Solomons.
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Was Aberama gold real?

Other key characters, like Tom Hardy's Alfie Solomons, Adrien Brody's Luca Changretta, and Aidan Gillen's Aberama Gold are also fictional, existing as figureheads that represent the kind of people that the real Peaky Blinders would probably have encountered.
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Is Polly Gray real?

Aunt Polly Gray (Helen McCrory) was a real person and she was terrifying – all the men were scared of her.
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Is Michael Gray a real person?

Biography. Michael Gray was born in Sheffield, England in 1903, the son of Polly Shelby and a river gypsy. His father drowned while drunk, and he and his sister Anna were taken from their mother by the parish after her mother was found to be using opium and getting drunk while having sole custody over her children.
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How much of Peaky Blinders is true?

Created by Steven Knight, Peaky Blinders is technically based on a true story but has also been heavily fictionalized for dramatic purposes. The BBC-Netflix crime drama focuses primarily on the Shelby family, a gang of outlaws who infiltrate high society in 1920s Birmingham, England.
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Did the real peaky blinders have razors in their hats?

Historian David Cross, of the West Midlands Police Museum in Sparkhill, is also confident that razor blades in caps is just an urban myth. "If you think of your grandfather's cap in those days, then it would have had a very hard peak," said Mr Cross. "They used their hats with razor blades sewn in to rob people.
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Who is Tom Shelby based on?

Thomas Shelby is a character on Peaky Blinders, who's played by actor Cillian Murphy. While not directly correlated to a real-life person, Shelby might have been inspired by former real-life Peaky Blinder Kevin Mooney, aka Thomas Gilbert.
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Did Polly sleep with her son?

Finally, Polly decides to come for him at night and sleeps with him. Polly trusts him, leading her to share the secret of her involvement in the murder of Campbell with him.
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Are Shelby family real?

The Shelby family themselves are a work of fiction, though the Birmingham Gang did come to be led by a man featured in the TV series, yet one presented quite differently to who he was in reality.
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Did Michael GREY betray Tommy?

Michael returns to England and is treated with contempt from the Shelby family as they believe he is a traitor, even his own mother Polly and especially Tommy. Throughout Series 5 Michael plots to replace Tommy as head of the company, likely due to the manipulation of Gina.
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Was Freddie Thorne real?

Freddie Thorne (1884-1921) was a British communist union convenor from Birmingham. He was affiliated with the Peaky Blinders gang.
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Why is Polly called Elizabeth?

Hoping to God I do Polly justice with this… My name is Polly. According to my mother, she named me Elizabeth at first, because the name means 'God's promise'.
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Are any of the actors in Peaky Blinders from Birmingham?

One of the few cast members to be born in Birmingham, Harry Kirton is the youngest actor on our list. His most notable work to date is The Peaky Blinders, with his other being the TV film, We Can Be Heroes.
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Who leaked Tommy's plan?

Billy Grade Informed The IRA About The Mosley Assassination

The finale of season 5 seemed to suggest that Billy Grade informed Mosley's people of Tommy Shelby's assassination plan. However, the opening of Peaky Blinders season 6 all but confirms that it was in fact the IRA who Grade called.
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Does Polly Love Aberama?

After the murder of his son, Aberama begins plotting his revenge on Bonnie's murderer, Jimmy McCavern. He and Polly eventually become engaged.
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Is Aberama Gold a traitor?

Johnny Dogs

After all, Aberama had accused him of treason before and ended up being murdered in the attempted coup. It makes sense because it would justify the return of Esme and the images of Tommy shooting and appearing surrounded by dead men in the trailer.
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What is wrong with Alfie's face in Peaky Blinders?

His face is badly scarred from Tommy's shot, leaving him blind in his left eye; however, after passing through his cheek, the bullet managed to miss his skull, spine and all major blood vessels, enabling Alfie to survive. After being unconscious for a few hours, Alfie had been woken by the tide coming in.
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Is the Peaky Blinders haircut historically accurate?

The Peaky Blinders haircut is historically accurate and has been a popular look since the 20th century, particularly amongst young working-class men. The hair cut originated in interwar Glasgow, when the Neds (petty criminals), had a haircut which was long on the top and short at the back and sides.
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What is Alfie Solomons accent?

Alfie Solomons, Peaky Blinders, 2014

And this is reflected in Hardy's accent, which sounds a bit like he got drunk, broke his jaw and stuffed marshmallows into his mouth to numb the pain. He's almost certainly a cockney, but perhaps he's got a Welsh grandparent or something.
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What did they take out of Tommy Shelby's mouth?

Their raid gains the attention of the other faction in London, the Jews, who invite him to a sit down. However, Thomas is set upon by Sabini and his thugs, who slice the inside of Thomas's mouth with the sharp end of a razor, while his sister Ada is also accosted.
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