Josh O’Connor may now be best known for his Emmy-winning turn in The Crown but long before global acclaim, he made a quiet appearance in Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight's popular 2013 crime series starring Cillian Murphy. However, his role is easy to miss if you’re only familiar with his later stardom.If you are also captured by the actor's scene-stealing presence in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, you might want to check out his brief cameo in Peaky Blinders, where he shared the screen with Murphy's Tommy Shelby. Appearing in the show's early days, Josh O’Connor played a minor yet intriguing character that offered an early glimpse of the nuanced performances he would later become known for.Revisiting O’Connor’s early role today feels like uncovering a hidden chapter in his journey, one that connects his early BBC work to the critically acclaimed performances that followed.More on this in our story.All about Josh O' Connor's role in Peaky Blinders View this post on Instagram Instagram PostBefore Josh O' Connor debuted in his breakout role of Charles, Prince of Wales, in Netflix's The Crown, he appeared as James in three episodes of Peaky Blinders Season 2. O'Connor's James was Ada Thorne's (Tommy's sister) roommate and a closeted gay man, living in Birmingham in the early 20th century.James debuted in the third episode of Season 2, when Tommy visits his sister Ada at her house and mistakes James for her boyfriend. When Tommy suspiciously inquires about James, Ada reveals he is an aspiring writer, renting one of the rooms in the house. While the show does not explicitly mention James' sexuality, Ada says:''Before you start sizing him up for a wedding suit, he's not interested in me or in girls of any kind...''While Tommy does not seem to mind James' homosexuality, which was illegal at the time, he used him to cut a deal with Alfie Solomons, the Jewish gangster played by Tom Hardy in Peaky Blinders. When Tommy visited Camden Town to meet with Alfie, he ordered James to stand outside the building. Inside, Tommy threatened Alfie that James is an anarchist from Kentish Town who will blow up the building with a hand grenade, a threat that worked in his favour and Alfie agreed to take over only 30% of Tommy's business.While Josh O' Connor's James made a brief cameo in the Peaky Blinders Season 2 finale, where he traveled back to Birmingham with Tommy, he was never mentioned again in the series.Josh O’Connor evolved on screen after Peaky Blinders View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWhile Josh O' Connor shared the sooty streets of Birmingham with Murphy in only three episodes of Peaky Blinders, his career took flight. Following his James character, O' Connor appeared in the starring roles as PC Bobby Grace in BBC mystery drama series Ripper Street and as Lawrence Durrell in ITV's comedy-drama series The Durrells.His breakout role came in Netflix's historical drama series The Crown, where he played the role of Charles, Prince of Wales, in Seasons 3 and 4, alongside Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies.While the Peaky Blinders breakout star continued to shine on the small screen, he also appeared in impressive film titles, namely the 2017 romantic film God's Own Country, the 2020 period drama film Emma and the 2024 romantic sports film Challengers. Recently, Josh O’Connor starred in Oliver Hermanus' period romantic film The History of Sound, opposite Paul Mescal.The actor is currently gaining attention on social media for his Rev. Jud Duplenticy character in Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man, the third entry in the popular Knives Out franchise, alongside Daniel Craig and Josh Brolin.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.