It’s Pretty Sad

Joe Cole, 36, has played a lot of tough customers.

He was a Brummie gangster in Peaky Blinders, a Scouse boxer in A Prayer Before Dawn (for which he won a British Independent Film Award) and a heroic former Met cop in Nightsleeper.

In the action-packed series “Gangs of London,” he takes on a new gangster role as it begins its third installment.

You’ve made a name for yourself as a bit of a tough man. Is that what you’re like in real life?

I can certainly handle myself, to give a simple answer! But it’s a difficult question. Have you seen A Small Light?! [Cole starred as a real-life Dutch resistance member who helped his wife shelter Anne Frank’s family.] “Tough” covers many different facets.

How do you choose your roles?

It’s not by choice that I’ve done two action shows, two gangster shows and prison films – it’s because the roles I’m offered within them are great. I played a boxer from Liverpool who got locked up in a Thai prison in A Prayer before Dawn. An incredible experience. But a lot of this industry is out of an actor’s control; you’re at the mercy of casting agents, producers, directors.

How come your character, Sean Wallace, keeps coming back to life after being killed in Gangs of London? What’s the explanation behind this phenomenon?

Ha-ha! It’s in his genetic makeup! He seems to have nine lives, and he’s now been given one more chance. He started as an adolescent figure making rash decisions, developed into someone a little more calculated, cut-throat, almost a proper gangster, and now he has a new life to adapt to.

Is the filming of Gangs of London as action-packed and relentless as the intense fight scenes we see on screen?

Yes! It can be quite gruelling, especially when you have to do a fight 100 times in a row, but the stunts are choreographed and there’s always a buzz on set. Action sequences on TV are being elevated. These are film-makers trying to punch bigger than the budget in high-level action series.

Is it perhaps too violent?

It’s the USP of the show. These days people are exposed to all sorts of graphic content so we’re quite desensitised. Video games are more violent than Gangs of London. But it’s not my decision to make. Violence for violence’s sake isn’t my cup of tea. It needs to serve the story: if you’ve got high stakes, interesting characters and strong story arcs, then it’s justified.

How do you switch off from that?

I love a dip in cold water followed by a sauna. It’s the easiest way to change your state in a matter of minutes. I recommend everybody gives it a go. I’m in the gym at least four times a week, lifting weights. And I love hiking, getting out into nature and clearing my head.

Are you recognised for your roles?

Peaky Blinders, because it was sold worldwide. I was in Costa Rica recently and a woman washing sheets recognised me. The show resonated with a working-class audience, so it’s lovely when people ask me about it. But Gangs of London is hot on its heels. I get recognised for that all the time now. I’m tired of being recognised, to be honest, and having the same conversation 20 times a day, but I understand it’s part of the job. I can’t complain!

Are you sad not to be in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, or are you glad not to have that haircut again?

Oh, I had a fantastic experience on that program, though it’s been quite some time. I have quite a few buddies involved in the film industry, and I’ve picked up a few tales from the set – it all seems incredibly thrilling! Can’t wait to watch it unfold.

Your younger brother Finn acted alongside you in Peaky Blinders. Are you competitive with him?

* To my understanding, I really enjoyed it on its own. The train needs to go from point A to point B and once it does, that’s all there is to it. I would say the train has definitely departed!

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2025-03-18 05:09