Cillian Murphy's Peaky Blinders Accent Praised but Not Perfect
Cillian Murphy has achieved global fame for his portrayal of Tommy Shelby in the hit BBC series Peaky Blinders, a role he has embodied since the show's debut in 2013. The Irish actor, originally from Cork, recently returned to the character in the 2026 film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, which premiered in cinemas and on Netflix this month. While Murphy's performance has been widely acclaimed for its authenticity, an accent coach has identified a telling mistake that prevents his accent from being entirely flawless.
Expert Analysis of Murphy's Brummie Accent
Accent coach Alix Dunmore, speaking to Heart Bingo Online, acknowledged that Murphy's accent is one of the best in the industry, stating, "Cillian Murphy does it well. He's one of the best." However, she pointed out that despite improvements over the years, he still makes errors in specific areas. Dunmore explained that Murphy omits a final "E" sound characteristic of the Brummie accent, such as saying "money" instead of "mon-eh" or "Freddie" instead of "Fred-eh." This refinement, she noted, makes his accent slightly less authentic to the true Birmingham dialect.
Dunmore, who describes herself as "very, very picky" when evaluating accents, highlighted that Murphy's recognisable status as an actor makes her ears extra alert for inconsistencies. She added, "Overall, though, he does a really good job." The expert also suggested that the producers of Peaky Blinders may have intentionally tweaked the accent to give it a period feel, creating their own rules for the character's speech patterns.
Irish Actors and the Brummie Accent
Interestingly, Dunmore proposed that Irish actors like Murphy and his co-star Barry Keoghan might find it easier to adopt the Brummie accent compared to English performers. She remarked, "I actually think it's easier for Irish people to do a Brummie accent. Once you're used to dropping your Rs, it becomes quite simple. I know a lot of Irish people who are better at the Brummie accent than English people." This insight sheds light on the linguistic similarities between the Cork accent and the Birmingham dialect, which could have influenced Murphy's approach to the role.
Success of Peaky Blinders and Future Projects
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man has proven to be a massive success for Netflix, debuting with an impressive 25.3 million views in just three days, according to reports from Variety. Fans of the franchise can look forward to more content, as a sequel series is in development, set in the 1950s and following a new generation of Shelbys in post-blitz Birmingham. This continuation promises to explore fresh narratives while maintaining the gritty atmosphere that has defined the series.
The film is currently available for streaming on Netflix, and the original Peaky Blinders series can be watched on both Netflix and BBC iPlayer. Murphy's portrayal of Tommy Shelby remains a cornerstone of the show's enduring popularity, despite the minor accent flaw identified by experts.
