Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Gemma Jones

BBC's Peaky Blinders' Stephen Graham on being star struck working with Cillian Murphy

One of Liverpool's most successful actors appeared in a recent episode of BBC's Peaky Blinders.

Stephen Graham has landed the role of Haydn Stagg, a worker at Liverpool docks, in the latest season of the dramatic show. He has spoken out about how he couldn't believe that he was working alongside the 'amazing' Cillian Murphy since he made his big debut on the weekend.

Creator Steven Knight described the Liverpudlian star as one of the show's shining lights, adding: "I really wanted to use him as a character and there was a particular Scouse character that becomes part of the story - and who else would you cast?"

READ MORE: Peaky Blinders recap as Stephen Graham to appear in next episode

In a clip from the show, Stephen's character Haydn could be seen squaring off with Arthur Shelby, played by Paul Anderson, as he went face to face with Tommy's brother. He could be heard saying: "I hear there are some men here from Birmingham looking for me."

Fans are expecting him to go face to face with Cillian Murphy's Tommy at some point too.

But Stephen, who has previously starred in This is England, Boiling Point and Time, seemed somewhat star struck about getting to meet the main star of the show. Speaking to Chris Moyles on Radio X all about it he explained: “Cillian’s such a wonderful actor, he’s amazing and what a lovely, lovely, lovely fella."

He added: "To the extent, Chris, where there was a couple of moments I had to pinch myself a couple of times because I was sat there in a scene with him, doing a rehearsal and stuff and I’ve kinda gone, ‘Ahh that’s Tommy Shelby!'

"He’s just an absolutely lovely fella and a phenomenal actor. Well, what I managed to do was I managed to do that before they said action. I had a proper look round and then it was like, ‘Alright lad, best put your footy boots on here and your shin pads, let’s get ready, here we go, on the pitch!’. But at first [it was like], ‘Ok, oh wow!’"

Peaky Blinders continues on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Receive newsletters with the biggest and breaking TV and showbiz news by signing up here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.