Peaky Blinders star blames “intense” character role for drug charges

Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson cited his “intense” character role on the show when pleading guilty to drug charges.

In the era of prestige TV, a few drama series ruled the land – though one of those shows happened to be the BBC’s own Peaky Blinders.

Set in 1919, the show followed the Peaky Blinders street gang, led by their dangerous and ruthless boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), as they engaged in various criminal activities such as arms dealing and selling drugs.

It seems like the lifestyle of the show has seemed to bleed into real life as Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson cited his work on the series while pleading guilty to various drug charges.

Anderson claims Peaky Blinders fueled his drug addiction

The actor played Arthur Shelby Jr., Tommy’s older brother and deputy vice president of the Shelby Company Limited, for all six seasons of Peaky Blinders.

However, he’s currently in the news – not for his portrayal of the complicated yet sympathetic adjacent gang leader, but because Anderson recently pleaded guilty to four charges of drug possession, which resulted in him having to pay £1,345 (around $1,500) in fines.

Anderson was arrested on Boxing Day (December 26th) after he was seen leaving a bar bathroom where [via the Daily Mail] “crack cocaine fumes [were] coming from.”

Despite pleading guilty to the charges, Anderson’s lawyer cited that the actor is not a regular drug user and stated, “You will recognize the defendant from a very intense part that he has played in a recent television program. He is often recognized and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character.”

BBC

The actor’s lawyer continued saying, “[Anderson] tried to play up for these people. And because of the lifestyle he leads people often give him inducements. He has found himself in an unfortunate position and should have had the strength to say no.”

Anderson’s Peaky Blinders character was known to have a pretty severe cocaine and opium addiction; an addiction that led Arthur to do terrible things like murder, hurt the people he loved most, and have consistent suicidal thoughts.

In the same Daily Mail report, sources also cited how Andersons’s plea could affect the production of a feature-length film going forward.

“[Screenwriter] Steven Knight is still writing the script,’ the source explained. “But this conviction will create huge problems as it will be so hard to have a Peaky Blinders film without such a pivotal character, while it will be tough having him reprise the role as if nothing has happened.”