"Why Does Tommy Shelby’s Cigarette Trick Have Fans Lighting Up with Curiosity?"
Added on March 19, 2026 inFree CelebrityNews
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As the cosmos aligns in a dramatic crescendo, we find ourselves witnessing the final chapter of a story that has captivated hearts and minds for nearly a decade. The much-anticipated Peaky Blinders movie is upon us, bringing an end to the tale of Tommy Shelby, played masterfully by Cillian Murphy. Since 2013, we’ve danced through the gritty streets of Birmingham alongside this enigmatic character, experiencing almost 40 hours of his trials and tribulations. The intrigue extends beyond plot points—did you know that Tommy’s signature act of rolling cigarettes on his lips stems from practical necessity? Yes, the prop department’s fake cigarettes posed a sticky challenge that led to an iconic quirk of our favorite gangster! So, as we bid farewell to this beloved saga, one can’t help but wonder—what secrets lie in the stars for Tommy’s next adventures? Will he find peace among the chaos? For those curious about the cosmic synchronicities, delve deeper into Tommy Shelby’s captivating journey and the unusual quirks of his character. LEARN MORE
With the release of the new Peaky Blinders movie, the story of Tommy Shelby is finally coming to an end after almost a decade.
Cillian Murphy has been playing the role since 2013 and, after six seasons and a movie, fans have experienced nearly 40 hours of his performance as Tommy Shelby.
Whether it be his accent, which Cillian learned from friends of Steven Knight in Birmingham, or his slightly unique style of speech, there are so many completely elements to his performance as Tommy.
One however that you may have not even noticed whilst watching is the fact that Tommy Shelby always rolls his cigarettes on his lips throughout Peaky Blinders.
The longer you think about it the more you can clearly picture Tommy rubbing a cigarette across his lips before smoking it and either betraying someone or berating one of his brothers.
Tommy’s smoking is a pretty iconic part of his character (BBC)
There is actually a good reason for it, and Cillian Murphy has actually explained it in the past.
Speaking to the BBC Radio Six ahead of the release of season six, Cillian said: “There was this thing where [Tommy] kind of rolls the cigarette on his lips before he lights it and that came from the prop guys. I’d take the cigarette and every time I’d put it in, it would stick to my lips because they’re these fake cigarettes.
“So in order to avoid that I rolled the cigarette on my lips and then it became a Tommy thing. That’s what happens when you play a character for a long time, these things just develop.”
It’s a good thing that Cillian figured out the solution to this too considering the huge amount of fake cigarettes that the Irish actor ended up smoking over the course of the series.
Speaking about the amount he had to smoke for the role, the actor told Birmingham Live: “I don’t smoke but people did smoke all day and night then.
It’s been over 13 years since we first saw Murphy as Tommy Shelby. (BBC)
“I use herbal rose things, they’re like my five a day. I asked the prop guys to count how many we use during a series and it’s 3,000.
“The nature of the character is immersive. It’s an incredibly exhausting character to play.
“Tommy is always on, he never seems to sleep or eat. He’s so resourceful and clever and dynamic, all the things I wish I could be.”
The Immortal Man marks the end of Tommy Shelby’s story, with Cillian having spoken to LADbible in the past about how he had spent a ‘quarter of his lifetime’ in the role.
He added that it had been a rollercoaster to spend the last decade playin a ‘young man into middle age, into sort of an older man’.
He added: “It’s quite novelistic to have 36 hours of television and to really shine torches into the real recesses of personality.”
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is available to stream on Netflix now.
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