Peaky Blinders Series 6: Sophie Rundle On Filming Without Helen McCrory

To say the new season of Peaky Blinders has been a long time coming is something of an understatement; filming delays caused by the pandemic, coupled with the death of a beloved cast member, has had fans waiting for what seems like a lifetime for the sixth and final series of the Brummie gangster drama.

It’s something Sophie Rundle (Ada Thorne) is all too aware of; the 33-year-old British actor, who has been a fan favourite since season one, says it’s a relief to finally be able talk about the long-awaited finale which hits screens two-and-a-half years after season 5 aired.

Speaking to Tyla ahead of the series premiere, Sophie says we find her character – now a mother-of-two raising her brood “on the eve of fascism” – finally ready to accept her place in the family enterprise.

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We pick up in 1934, with the Shelby clan reeling from a devastating betrayal as they blaze a trail in the messy worlds of business and politics.

“In this final season Ada has money, she’s got confidence,” Sophie explains. “Ada’s journey from season one has been this experience of trying to grapple, and come to peace with, who she is and where she’s from.

“She’s always tried to reject her background and tried to move herself away from it, and we’ve seen her go back and forth with being involved [in the family business].

“[But] you can’t escape where you come from and who you are. The best thing you can do is embrace it and turn it into an asset. That’s where your strength comes from and that’s Ada’s trajectory.”

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Fans are equally desperate to learn the fate of Shelby matriarch Polly ‘Aunt Pol’ Gray after the death of actor Helen McCrory last year aged 52. The screen icon kept her battle with breast cancer private and her loss was felt throughout the industry and fandom alike.

While viewers will have to wait until the series premiere to find out whether her death is addressed in the script, we can reveal that episode one includes a poignant tribute to the late actor.

Sophie says that Helen’s absence on set left a chasm among the cast and crew: “Helen was really loved by people as well as her character. It’s heartbreaking, really, what happened. But she stays a fundamental part of the show and she helped make the show what it was.”

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So what was it like being back on set after a three-year hiatus? “It’s always strange,” Sophie confesses. “[Because] it’s often a long time between shooting; you’ve changed, everybody’s changed, and the characters change.

“But at the end of the day it feels very familiar, especially when we do a group scene. You pop a little dark head wig on and I’m like, Oh! There’s Ada.”

Peaky Blinders season 6 premieres at 9pm on Sunday 27^th February, BBC One