The Gentlemen’s Edward takes inspiration from the greatest gangster of all time

Theo James leads an all-star cast in Netflix’s The Gentlemen, with his character Edward inspired by one of the greatest gangsters of them all.

When it comes to all-out criminals and gangsters, it doesn’t get much better than a Guy Ritchie story. Known for classics including Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the director is now turning his attention to streamable TV via Netflix‘s The Gentlemen.

The series follows Eddie Halstead, who inherits the family estate and discovers that it’s home to an enormous weed empire, and its proprietors aren’t going anywhere.

The White Lotus‘ Theo James takes on the leading role, revealing that his criminal prodigy is loosely based on one of the greatest fictional gangsters of all time.

The Gentlemen’s Edward takes inspiration from the greatest gangster of all time

Speaking to Dexerto, The Gentlemen star Theo James revealed that his character Edward is loosely based on The Godfather’s Michael Corleone.

Just as Eddie has to take over the family business after his father dies in the Netflix series, Michael also originally wanted nothing to do with his next of kin’s business.

“He’s a bit like Michael Corleone in that he’s sensitive, he’s very controlled, but the idea is that behind the scenes, he’s kind of very tactical with how he plans things,” James explained.

“I think definitely he’s got to be shown the ropes by Suzy who is kind of King of this particular piece of underworld. So he’s very much kind of on her staff at the beginning and what happens is he becomes seduced by the power of it, and he’s a tactician.”

However, Michael Corleone isn’t the only source of inspiration for Eddie Halstead, with a fellow cast member serving up the ultimate Guy Ritchie performance.

“I think Vinnie [Jones] in Snatch is possibly one of my favorite pieces of Guy Ritchie,” James explained. “I mean, just that character, the scene in the pub when he’s sipping a beer and he gets confronted. That’s one of my favorite pieces of cinema. So to do that and work with Vinnie, who’s such a down-to-earth lovely guy was a joy.”

The Gentlemen is streaming on Netflix now. You can check out our review, our breakdown of the cast, and find out what other TV shows you should be streaming in March.