There is no slacking on Peaky Blinders for Cillian, he has an athlete's approach to it... He is such a legend

Dedicated actor has stopped boxing to play Beatles drummer

- BY SIOBHAN MCNALLY and MARC BAKER

There's no taking it easy on the set of the new Peaky Blinders film, by order of Cillian Murphy, according to Barry Keoghan.

Barry says of his co-star and fellow Irishman: "There is no slacking for him. It's not intimidating. He does not settle for less. He has an athlete's approach to it. Cillian is such a legend."

The Netflix film, The Immortal Man, which continues the story of Tommy Shelby and his notorious family of cut-throat gangsters in Birmingham, is due out this year.

It is set in the Second World War and also stars Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth and returning cast from the hit BBC crime series.

Barry, 32, who plays Duke, is highly impressed by Cillian's acting talent and points out: "He does not say anything. but you feel it."

Barry has clearly taken Cillian's work ethic to heart and gives it all in his latest role as Ringo Starr in the new Beatles movies. He has sacrificed his other great love after acting, boxing, to play the part.

Playing drummer Ringo, alongside Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney in the new Sam Mendes biopic, he says: "I have boxed for years now. But they will kill me if I go and break my hand. Obviously I can't miss the drumming"

Known for his unsettling performances in Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin, with Colin Farrell, Barry overcame a tragic childhood to find success as an actor, after his mother died of a heroin overdose when he was just 12. He and his siblings spent many years in foster care, before being brought up by his gran.

He has spoken movingly about losing many members of his family to drugs - which became the scourge of his home city of Dublin - saying: "My father passed away as a result of similar and I lost my mum to it. I've lost two uncles and a cousin to drugs."