Tom Brittney has revealed that leaving the ITV drama Grantchester in 2023 was a leap of faith that backfired when the Hollywood strike hit, leaving him unemployed for months. The actor, who played clergyman Will Davenport alongside Robson Green’s Geordie Keating, admitted he questioned his decision as he sat idle.
A Costly Exit
“I actually left, funny enough, at the time when the Hollywood strike happened,” Brittney told Metro. “I left thinking I was going to go off to another job, and no one could work, so that really made a sad decision even sadder. I was just sat there unemployed for months and months, going, ‘What have I done?’”
His departure mirrored that of his predecessor James Norton, who left Grantchester to become a celebrated Hollywood actor. But unlike Norton, Brittney’s timing coincided with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which halted film and television production across the industry.
Rise from the Ashes
By summer 2026, Brittney has landed his biggest role to date in The Westies, an MGM+ gangster series opposite Oscar winner JK Simmons. He plays Jimmy Roarke, right-hand man to Simmons’ Eamon Sweeney, head of the Irish mob that terrorized New York’s Hell’s Kitchen from the 1960s onward.
The series has been compared to Peaky Blinders, but Brittney insists the shows are different. “We’re a very different show,” he said. “I think the only comparison is that we’re both based on real-life gangs. The families themselves aren’t real; the Shelbys weren’t a real gang, and Sweeney wasn’t a real Westie, but the Westies were real.”
Historical Grounding
The Westies is grounded in historical fact, following the gang’s partnership with the Gambino crime family during the construction of the Javits Center. Brittney admitted he knew nothing about the gang before auditioning. “When I saw the audition come through and it was based on a real-life gang, I Googled everything about them, and I was completely blown away that no one had done anything about them before.”
The series portrays the Westies as ruthless killers, but Brittney’s character Jimmy Roarke has a charm that makes him likeable despite his violent nature. His relationship with Sweeney is a central tension, with shifting power dynamics driving the plot.
Working with JK Simmons
Brittney praised Simmons for making the set comfortable. “He’s such a presence. He has this terrifying aura because we’ve seen him do some really scary roles, but he makes the set the most comfortable place to be and shows you how to lead. It was life imitating art — he’s the leader of the gang and the leader on set.”
He added that Simmons likes to wear comfortable shoes when the camera is only on his face. “Before our first read-through, he texted me, which was such a surreal thing. It was like, ‘Hey, it’s JK Simmons here.’ Then I met him, and he looked completely different. He had this massive beard because he’d grown it for another role. He was just the warmest guy – ‘Hey, man, we’re going to have to play this very close relationship’ – and he made me feel at ease almost immediately.”
Future Aspirations
Brittney hinted at a desire to play a certain martini-drinking character, suggesting either wishful thinking or insider knowledge. He also revealed he came close to playing Superman, making it to the final three before losing to David Corenswet. “You hope you’re competing at that level, and when it actually happens you can’t quite comprehend it. James Gunn is such a wonderful director; he makes what should be a terrifying experience so much fun.”
If the James Bond role doesn’t materialize, Brittney dreams of becoming an investigative journalist like Louis Theroux. “I’d really like to be an investigative journalist. I’ve watched so many documentaries. I’m listening to Serial again at the moment – they’ve got a new one.” He joked he might follow in Ross Kemp’s footsteps.
The Westies is available to stream on MGM+ from July 12.
