Tim Roth made an important change to his Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man villain

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The TV show Peaky Blinders is known for its strong villains challenging Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), and the new film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man keeps that tradition going with a captivating performance by Tim Roth as the character Beckett.

Tommy first encounters Beckett when Beckett proposes a scheme to his son, Duke (Barry Keoghan), involving the distribution of fake money during World War II. This scheme is inspired by a true historical event: Operation Bernhard, a Nazi plan to destabilize the British economy and help Germany win the war.

As a big fan, I loved how Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man took inspiration from a real historical event, but then really ran with it creatively. It allowed them to build a fantastic story around how Beckett and the Peaky Blinders got tangled up in things. And get this – Roth actually suggested a key change to his own character that wasn’t in the original script, and it seriously made the movie even better!

Roth explained that when he initially encountered the character, he came across as upper-class and had a history in the military. He felt this created a distance between the character and the people he was supposed to be interacting with. Roth suggested changing the character’s background to working class, allowing him to connect with others on a more equal level rather than appearing superior.

Steve immediately agreed, so we moved forward with that approach. It’s much simpler when the writing is strong. I portrayed him as a genuinely good person – someone who wants to help others and bring the conflict to an end. He seems like a good guy… until circumstances change.

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This small change—making Beckett from a working-class background—actually creates a surprising connection between him and Tommy.

They’re essentially two sides of the same argument, but with completely opposing perspectives—and it’s far more interesting to observe than a simple fight between classes.

Having a talented and engaging actor like Roth definitely helps, but he also makes Beckett a much more interesting and believable villain than we might have expected.

I recently read an interview with Cillian Murphy where he talked to Digital Spy about getting back into character as Tommy Shelby for the movie. It’s amazing how he’s managed to really become Tommy over all six seasons of the show, and he said preparing for the movie wasn’t much different in that regard.

“I’d always go and watch a few of the episodes of the last series. When you start into it, by a certain point, I don’t remember when he started driving the car, genuinely,” he explained.

The new Peaky Blinders movie, ‘The Immortal Man,’ is currently playing in some theaters and will be available to stream on Netflix starting March 20th.

The latest issue of Living Legends, a vibrant 100-page magazine dedicated to Harry Styles, is now available! You can find it at newsstands or purchase it online.

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2026-03-18 15:50