Peaky Blinders’ Luca Changretta Was A Dream Role For Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody opens up about why playing Luca Changretta in Peaky Blinders was a dream come true. Premiering in 2013, Peaky Blinders centers on the gang named in the title of the series. Giving particular focus to the extremely ambitious Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), the crime drama explores what happens when Shelby’s gang gets the attention of a Detective Chief Inspector, played by Sam Neill, and how it carries over into events that would define the show over the course of its run. Blending fact with fiction, as it is loosely based on an urban youth gang of the same name, Peaky Blinders has garnered widespread praise.
In preparation for Peaky Blinders season 6, which is slated to be its last, both fans and critics have been looking back at the crime drama. And although some of the show’s storylines and depictions have caused debate, the cast has been consistently lauded for their performances. Notable actors of both the big and the small screen, from Anya Taylor-Joy to Aidan Gillen and Tom Hardy, have joined the series in prominent recurring roles. Brody, who portrayed Luca in Peaky Blinders season 4, even had the role specifically written with him in mind.
Speaking with THR to promote a number of projects, including the mystery drama Clean, Brody looked back on his time with Peaky Blinders. Asked about how it feels to know the character of Luca was written specifically for him by series creator Steven Knight, Brody explained why it was a dream come true and noted that he’d always wanted to play a character like Luca. Brody also said the experience helped him when it came to working on Clean, a film that he scored and co-wrote. Brody’s quote is included below.
“I guess it doesn’t get much better than that, especially when it’s someone as accomplished and talented as Steve Knight, who wrote a role that rivals most gangster characters that you’ve seen. I’ve dreamt of playing that character as well. I wouldn’t have necessarily dreamt of writing that, so to speak, but I dreamt of finding, tonally, a role that was just like Luca Changretta. And it was such a fun thing to do. I felt welcomed. To jump on a show that you love with great writing and so many prime actors involved is exciting. It basically led to Clean because I was very inspired and in a zone. It bolstered a degree of confidence that it took for me to be decisive and to engage Paul, and say, “Let’s do this. Let’s go and build this because it’s not just coming.” So the writing process started right at that time [while shooting Peaky Blinders season four]. So there you have it.”
Introduced in the opening episode of Peaky Blinders season 4, Brody’s Luca Changretta is the main antagonist for the remainder of the installment. A mobster from New York with a vendetta against the show’s central group, Luca proved to be a significant threat and Brody was lauded for a scene-stealing and often scenery-chewing portrayal that elevated the crime to new heights. In his first regular, long-running television role, the Oscar winner fit right into the gleeful violence and carefully created world of Peaky Blinders.
In previewing Peaky Blinders season 6, star Cillian Murphy recently teased that the upcoming batch of episodes are quite dark. Murphy also noted that redemption was possible for Tommy Shelby, though he added that he’s not sure if the character ever quite reaches that point successfully. That kind of complex role is the kind that many performers dream of getting and, in its own way, Brody’s stint as Luca was even more of a milestone because it was tailor-made for his strengths.
Source: THR