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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Nick Bramhill

Cillian Murphy lookalike raking it in as Peaky Blinders' Tommy Shelby double despite 'cheesy' events

A Cillian Murphy lookalike has told how his close resemblance to the Peaky Blinders star has helped him make a lucrative living as a Tommy Shelby double.

Shannon Clayton, 30, admits he never had any desire to work as an impersonator of the Cork-born actor’s lead character - describing his work at Peaky Blinders-themed events as “a bit cheesy”.

However, he concedes that being doppelgänger for Cillian Murphy has helped him earn a good living, with offers of work coming in from as far away as the US.

Clayton had been regularly combining his day job as mechanical engineer with weekend work as a Tommy Shelby double since 2018, until demand for his services completely dried up during the pandemic.

The actor said: “People ask for a Peaky cut. It's crazy that people like it - it hasn't grown on me.” (BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd 2019/Robert Viglasky)

However, since the premiere of the new and final series of the Shelby family TV saga, coupled with the lifting of Covid-related restrictions, Clayton, who lives near Birmingham, said bookings have started to flood in once again.

He said: “Things were very quiet during Covid, but it’s now getting busy once more. The bookings have started to come in, and I think it’s going to get even busier now that the new series has started.

“The kind of work I do is a bit cheesy, to be honest. It was never an ambition of mine to work as a Tommy Shelby double. It was my mother’s idea. She loves the show and really pushed it, telling everyone, ‘My son’s going to be famous.’ If it wasn’t for her, I really don’t think I’d be doing for it.

“I just happen to look a bit like Cillian Murphy, and there’s a lot of events out there that people want me to turn up at. I do a good few Peaky Blinders-themed weddings, parties and other events, and the money’s really good. I’m even being flown out to Memphis in the US in a few weeks to spend the weekend at a Peaky Blinders-themed bachelor party.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the show. But I don’t take a great deal of pride in what I do. I wish I loved doing it more, but it’s a bit cringey, if the truth be told.”

Although an admirer of Murphy’s portrayal of gang leader Shelby, Clayton claimed there’s one area in which he outperforms the Irish A-lister - namely, the distinctive Brummie accent.

He added: “I’m from Telford, which is near Birmingham, so I’ve already got the accent nailed. I think Cillian does a pretty good job, but I can hear a mixture of Irish and Brummie in him when he talks.”

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