"One of the characters I've enjoyed most": When Sophie Rundle talked about how her Peaky Blinders role made her remain "loyal to the show"

English actress Sophie Rundle's debut as Ada Shelby in Steven Knight's Peaky Blinders is now one of her breakthrough roles.

The only sister of her three Shelby Brothers (Tommy, Arthur and John), Ada Shelby is one of the strongest characters on the show, who had the best evolution throughout the six seasons.

While she initially despised her brothers' criminal business, she later assumed a leading position in Shelby Limited's US branch and oversaw their legal operations.

Peaky Blinders was certainly the biggest project in Rundle's life and discussing the importance of Ada Shelby in her life, the actress reflected with Radio Times:

“I feel like I've changed, and it's been one of the characters I've enjoyed most, because Ada has changed so much from the first series to who she is now, and I love that.''

More on this in our story.

When Sophie Rundle reflected on her character in Peaky Blinders

While Sophie Rundle had many main roles before the hit 2013 BBC series, Ada Shelby was a turning point in her career. The character grew with each season, with the actress adding her own flair to the role with each episode.

From a silly little girl in love in Season 1, Ada eventually got involved in the Shelby business and evolved into a strong and mature woman till Peaky Blinders Season 6.

Talking about her learning experience on the show's set, Rundle said with Radio Times:

“I feel incredibly loyal to the show and I feel it has definitely occupied this special place for me. I grew up on it. I learned so much. I was such a kid when I started and I didn't have a clue what I was doing – and I still don’t!”

Ada's love story with Freddie Thorne was a key subplot in Season 1 and like her Shelby brothers, she proves that she is also daring enough and falls in love with the enemy. While the couple had their fair share of ups and downs, they finally married in the Peaky Blinders Season 1 finale and Ada also gave birth to their son.

However, the couple's story was marked by tragedy as Freddie dies in the Season 2 premiere and Ada is left alone to fend for herself and her baby. While she shared a complicated relationship with Tommy and her other Shelby Brothers, she was later welcomed back into the family and eventually handled the legal side of the business.

Vocalising her love for the character, Rundle added:

''I love that I've been able to keep going back to it, each series adding another layer, these characters becoming fully realised, because they've got history, and the audience knows your history. So, I do feel really fond of it...''

Sophie Rundle will reprise her character in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie

While Peaky Blinders Season 6 was initially announced as the final outing for Tommy and his Shelby family, the gangster will return in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, The Immortal Man.

Alongside Cillian Murphy, many of the original cast will reprise their respective characters, including Rundle, Stephen Graham and Ned Dennehy. With the tragic passing of actress Helen McCrory (Aunt Polly) and Grace Shelby's death in Season 2, Ada is likely one of the only female characters who will return in the movie.

While the crime genre has been marked primarily by male protagonists, Knight broke this norm with equally strong and badass female characters like Aunt Polly and Ada Shelby. Two strong pillars of the family, Polly and Ada's relationship was one of the most heartwarming on the show and Rundle will reprise her character in the Peaky Blinders movie.

Discussing Knight's strong female characters with Radio Times, Rundle added:

“It was such a rare opportunity to get to play someone like [Ada Shelby]. The fun and the swagger that Steven Knight puts in his scripts, that's really rare to come across, especially as a woman...they're the kind of characters that I want to play. They're the ones I want to see reflected on TV, in films that we watch.”

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