"What do you like about your partner's characters or the way they portray them?"
TOMMY
"The kingpin of Birmingham, the cursed gangster who is afraid to lose the woman he loves."
Me: "I think that discovering that we both watched and loved Peaky Blinders totally wrecked my world but in a good way. I didn't expect it and all the time spent watching the show, all I could think of was: "Oh N. would love it so much. He would love Tommy Shelby. He's right up his alley!" Color me surprised when we talked about it at the start of season 6 and we realized that we both loved the show! I was so happy, so damn happy! And I knew N could pull him off. How could he not? At this point in our writing partnership, I knew him pretty well actually and I knew that he was capable of doing a lot of great things and he didn't disappoint. You know, I am such a slut for Tommy Shelby! (I can't help myself, look at his face! look at this charisma! look at this broken older man. I can't help it!). Like with all of our boys, he really respects Tom. He is faithful to his personality and we wouldn't see him act out of line or out of character because it's not N's style. This storyline is something I really love because we have broken characters who love each other fiercely and who are facing the worst thing possible. We know that Tom is a gangster and this type of life rarely leaves you unscathed.
We know he has enemies everywhere and very few allies. (and even his allies betray him! Hell, even his family betray him!). We know he's very closed off and rarely speaks his mind or heart unless there is drama and he has no other choice but to spit it out. We know he's cautious and hurt and he's been through the worst Life could offer. I love it! I love him so much! Ugh! So so much! I love the way N makes sure that we know what's going on in his mind because our boy Tommy isn't really a talkative guy. He speaks in gestures. He is calculated and rather cold for those who don't know him. Mary does. and you know, they're both messed up in a way but they both make it work somehow.
Mary isn't possessive of Tom in the common use of that word. She isn't trying to keep him to herself. What she wants and what she will always do her best to achieve is his happiness. She wants him happy. She wants him to have a life with his child. She wants him to give his family what his father couldn't give them. She wants him to feel that he deserves to have a life and he deserves to be happy too. She knows that it wouldn't be enough, because he needs to be a gangster and he needs to fight people above him but Mary also knows that he needs to have something to anchor him to this life. Something to fight for, something for himself. So she works hard for this. She works hard to make sure he is still healthy and that he doesn't end up wounded or worse.... dead. She's possessive of this. I love that he knows what Mary needs and he is always soft with her, even when they argue, he never raises his hand against her because he knows her first husband was like that and he doesn't want to hurt Mary. He's soft when it matters. He speaks when it matters and he is also so possessive! It's a trait of Tommy I really love. I love when he's possessive like that and he can't help but want more and want her around and want her attention to be on him and no one else. Just the mention of another man possibly sweeping her off of her feet and away from him is enough to make him lose his mind. It's enough to worry him because he knows he can't lose her.
I am honestly in awe when I look at N's portrayal of Tommy. It's so visceral, so deep, so good that I can't help but smile when something good happens or weep when something awful happens. I want / this version/ of Tommy to go through everything, from shit to pure happiness. I want his Tommy to experience all of it and to be honest, I love him so much that I'm mostly drawn to N's version of the character now XD I mean.. yeah of course, there will always be a lot of love for Tommy as portrayed by the actor. (I'm a simp, I confess) but you can't tell me that I would snub N's version of the character! He's everything Tommy is, even sexier!!! yes, I said it! (lmao Oh my god, you'll end up thinking I'm a thirsty bitch.. wait... I am thirsty!) but he's phenomenal and I am so invested in their storylines. You know... N's fantastic and so is the way he writes his characters! I can't get enough of them. I can't get enough of his Tom. I can't get enough of all the other boys and I hope that he would still want to write with me wherever we decide to go :D
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