Over the past decade, Finn Cole has starred in projects with some of Hollywood’s most illustrious stars. He has worked alongside Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie,Travis Fimmel, Sophie Rundle, Emmy nominee Anya Taylor-Joy, and his elder brother Joe Cole on a number of projects. Cole scored his first television credit withPeaky Blinders,where he starred alongside Rundle, Taylor-Joy, and his older brother. In 2016, Cole landed his second television with a main cast credit in the American crime dramaAnimal Kingdom.
English audiences are most likely to recognize Cole fromPeaky Blinders,while American audiences may find Cole familiar from his role inAnimal Kingdom. More so than his film credits, Cole’s rolesin these family crime dramashave certainly gained the most attention. Despite the differences in the era in which they are set, both the British and American television shows place Cole in oddly similar roles. From the qualities that make up Michael Gray and Joshua Cody, to their relationships with their family, their interactions with the family business, and the way they conduct their romantic relationships, the two characters truly aren’t that different.
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Cole’scharacter inPeaky Blinders, Michael Gray, is brought into the Shelby organization after living most of his life under the name of Henry, which was given to him by the family that adopted him. One visit from Thomas (Cillian Murphy) is all it takes for his interest to be piqued, and he arrives in Small Heath looking for his mother Polly (Helen McCrory). Despite his mother’s wishes for him to remain outside the illegal and violent side of the Shelby business, Michael becomes involved anyway. He kills a priest and begins drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and taking hard drugs, all while attempting to fulfill his task to turn the Shelby business legitimate.
Cole’sAnimal Kingdomcharacterfeatures a similar introduction to the series. After his mother dies of a drug overdose, J is forced to call upon his estranged grandmother, Smurf (Ellen Barkin). Through her, J is brought to Smurf’s Oceanside home where she and her children base their heists. As the matriarch of the Cody family, Smurf has taught Baz (Scott Speedman), Pope (Shawn Hatosy), Craig (Ben Robson), and Deran (Jake Weary) how to scout their jobs, and slowly acclimates J to do the same. Smurf’s authority over the boys and deceptive tactics areas effective as Thomas' inPeaky Blinders.However, a more fitting comparison is between Smurf and Polly, who are also responsible for dispelling issues between the family, as well as instigating them.
As both Michael and J, Cole’s characters make an effort to rise through the ranks. Both characters are rather silent and stoic, often seen observing the room and its occupants. They both have a silent but lethal presence that allows them to become a threat without others initially realizing it. Michael does this inPeaky Blinders,and with access to the Shelby’s books, he becomes a formidable threat to Thomas' leadership. The rivalry between Michael and Thomas isthe focus ofPeaky Blinders’final season. InAnimal Kingdom,Smurf grooms J to take over the Cody operation, and even goes as far as to make J her power of attorney. While acting on Smurf’s behalf, J endures a new level of commitment to the Cody family’s organization, and it gives him the confidence to challenge his uncles for the crown.
Even with the illegal activities the Shelbys and Codys get into, both Michael and J also have goals of making the businesses legitimate. J attempts to keep his buildings clean of laundering cash, though itdoesn’t pan out that way in the end. He also makes efforts to convince his uncles to invest their money in legal ventures to avoid future issues with law enforcement. His vision would allow the Codys to avoid living in paranoia that they will one day be caught for a crime involved with a job that went sideways. Michael’s intentions are quite similar, as the Shelbys simply ask Michael to manage the accounts. Michael begins to stray from this and forges his own bonds with dangerous individuals. He gets his hands dirty by assisting the Shelbys with some of their violent crimes, and its costs him dearly in the end.
The corruption of both these characters happens gradually over the course of their respective programs, but their skill sets are what make them ideal candidates for this line of business. On a basic level, even the personalities of Michael and J are the same. Michael’s job as theChief Accountant for Shelby Company Limitedgave him the ability to offer insight on turning the business legitimate and demonstrate his craftiness with numbers. On the other hand, J is incredibly gifted in academics. His success in school allows him to understand the fine tunings of the Cody business more than his uncles, and it is this knowledge that allows him to pull schemes behind their backs from time to time.
As a child, neither of them had much growing up.Michael was abused in foster careand grew up in a small town that frustrated him. J was forced to be his mother’s caregiver as she dealt with her drug addiction, and he sparingly discusses the countless times she overdosed and spent long stints in the hospital. With the weight of where they came from, their ability to rise through the ranks and challenge for a position of leadership that allows them to live a lifestyle they could have only dreamed of, gives each of their characters a necessary humanizing attribute. Otherwise, for those rooting for characters other than Michael and J, their presences become an overly confident nuisance.
Peaky Blindersis now streaming on Netflix.Animal Kingdomis now streaming on Amazon Prime.
