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Tommy Shelby is almost never without a cigarette in hand in Peaky Blinders , puffing away pensively as he devises ways to outmanoeuvre his rivals.
“People did smoke all day [back then] and it just became a Tommy thing,” Cillian explained of his character’s habit.
Actors have long since stopped smoking actual cigarettes for filming, but Murphy said he had put away a ton of the (much less harmful) herbal ones now preferred by the industry.
“There were these rose cigarettes that are herbal - Steve [Knight, the creator] would joke they're one of your five a day.
“I asked the prop guys to count how many I smoked just out of interest, and they think it's something like 3,000.”
Peaky Blinders series 3 in picturesShow all 30 1 /30Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Peaky Blinders mob boss Tommy Shelby
BBC
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Peaky Blinders is acclaimed for its stunning cinematography
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Annabelle Wallis as Tommy's new wife Grace Shelby
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory as the fearsome yet complicated Aunt Polly
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures The Peaky Blinders, always meaning business
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby dances with his new wife Grace in the series three premiere
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby and his young son
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy looking dapper as Tommy Shelby at his wedding to Grace Burgess
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy's bride was finally revealed in episode one of series three
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory returns as Aunt Polly Gray
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Alexander Siddig plays Polly's potential new suitor Ruben Oliver
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Oh to own one of these beautiful 1920s cars
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby meeting Gaite Jansen as Duchess Tatania Petrovna
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby has moved into the higher echelons of society but the corruption continues
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Harry Kirton as Finn Shelby
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Gaite Jansen as Duchess Tatania Petrovna
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby with Cillian Murphy as his younger mob boss brother Tommy
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson and Cillian Murphy as Arthur and Tommy Shelby
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy struggles to keep Arthur under control in the first episode of Peaky Blinders series three
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Ian Peck as Curley and Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Benjamin Zephaniah as Jeremiah Jesus and Jordan Bolger as Isiah
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby at Tommy's wedding
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Helen McCrory battles with self-loathing as Polly Gray
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Richard Brake as intimidating new character Anton Kaledin
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Alexander Siddig as the charming Ruben Oliver
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby orders the Peaky Blinders to behave themselves on his wedding day
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Tommy Shelby's mind is elsewhere at his wedding breakfast
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Jordan Bolger as Isiah at Tommy's wedding
Peaky Blinders series 3 in pictures Sophie Rundle as the strong-willed Ada Shelby
Prop departments have a number of tricks up their sleeves when it comes to depicting drugs , switching out alcohol for coloured water and cocaine for powdered milk, baking soda or vitamin B powder, the latter of which is often used as by dealers as a cutting agent in actual cocaine.
Peaky Blinders returns for its third season next month, the first full-length trailer having dropped over the weekend .
Look out for our interview with the creator Steven Knight later in the week.
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