Cillian Murphy set for two more series of ‘Peaky Blinders’

Cillian Murphy will reprise his lead role in Peaky Blinders for at least two further seasons, it has been confirmed.

The Cork actor is currently starring as ruthless mob boss Thomas Shelby in the third series of the award-winning period drama, which draws to a climax on Thursday.

But the 40-year-old will return for two further seasons of the Birmingham-based period drama, after the BBC gave the green light for a fourth and fifth season.

The gritty 1920s drama, created and written by Steven Knight, kicked off on BBC2 in 2013 and has since gone on to become a global hit after Netflix bought it two years ago.

The hugely-popular series has also transformed the fortunes of unfashionable Birmingham, with tourist chiefs reporting that the show has helped revitalise the city’s fortunes, with the number of tourists surpassing the one million mark for the first time last year.

The show has also been credited with a surge in the sales of old-fashioned flat caps, as worn by Murphy and his cronies in the drama.

Father-of-two Murphy has admitted in the past that the physical demands of his most famous TV role have taken their toll on his body.

And despite attracting overwhelmingly positive reviews for his portrayal of the gang leader, he recently admitted he almost missed out on the role because casting directors thought he was too skinny.

The final episode of the third season of Peaky Blinders airs at 9pm this Thursday on BBC2.