Though he has risen to another level of fame thanks to his standout role onShōgun, Cosmo Jarvis’Peaky Blindersrole is still memorable for delivering such a devastating character. While Jarvis started out with a music career, he moved on to acting, where he found some notable roles alongside big stars, likeLady Macbethstarring Florence Pugh,Calm with Horseswith Barry Keoghan, andPersuasionstarring Dakota Johnson. However, he is now best known as John Blackthorne in the highly acclaimed seriesShōgun.
Even beforeShōgun, Jarvis earned plenty of fans with his short-lived but highly memorable appearance in the crime seriesPeaky Blinders. Starring Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby,Peaky Blindersexplores the titular gang on the streets of Birmingham in the 1920s as Shelby attempts to use force to rise in power. The show has featured some incredible actors, such as Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody, and Stephen Graham, but while Jarvis might not have been known to fans at the time, he made his character onPeaky Blindersstand out.
Cosmo Jarvis Played The Ill-Fated Barney Thompson In Peaky Blinders
Barney Was Introduced In Peaky Blinders Season 5
Cosmo Jarvis’Peaky Blinderscharacter, Barney Thompson, was introduced in season 5.Barney was a sniper in the army who served under Thomas Shelby and was known for being a particularly deadly shot. However, while Shelby and his brother Arthur both battle trauma from their time in the war, Barney is particularly affected as a result and suffers from PTSD at a time when it was not really talked about nor addressed in any helpful way.
When the audience meets Barney, he is in a mental health facility, having been deemed “insane” following some unidentified crime he took part in. Tommy and the rest of the Peaky Blinders break Barney out in order to help them carry outthe assassination of Oswald Mosley, a fascist politician who has been gaining power in England. Indeed, Winston Churchill himself sees Mosley as a threat that needs to be eliminated and recruits Tommy for the job.
Leading up to the assassination, it is obvious the terrible pain and suffering Barney is in, with his fits of screaming and hearing voices that aren’t there. He is prone to manic states, and the only one who is able to calm him down is Tommy, his commanding officer. That loyalty Barney feels towards Tommy is what spurs him to carry out the job, but it only ends withBarney himself being killed as Mosley gets wind of the plot.
Despite all of his torment, Barney did not want to give up on his life. However, as soon as Tommy came back into it, he was doomed.
Though a short-lived character onPeaky Blinders, Barney has stood out as a favorite among fans and is often regarded as one of the most tragic characters on the show, which is quite a feat when it comes toPeaky Blinders. It is telling that season 5 is the first time Barney is introduced as Tommy only seems to concern himself with his old comrade when he needs something from him. However, Tommy does first come to Barney offering help, in Tommy’s own dark way, providing him with a cyanide pill that Barney could use to kill himself.
It is this scene that makes Barney’s story so heartbreaking. Tommy examines his life in the prison cell with his arms bound, living underground with no glimpse of sunlight, bringing to mind the tunnels they crawled through during the war. However,Barney refuses the pill despite his suffering as he maintains “one day things might change.”
For Barney, Tommy showing up and proposing to break him out of the facility would have seemed like the change he was hoping for. However, Tommy freeing him from his prison did not erase the demons that had been plaguing Barney for years, and as it turns out, freedom was a change for Barney, but not necessarily a good one. Despite all of his torment, Barney did not want to give up on his life. However, as soon as Tommy came back into it, he was doomed.
Peaky Blinders' Creator Regrets Cosmo Jarvis' Early Exit
Barney Could Have Been In The Movie If He Lived
Cosmo Jarvis' Barney Thompson was introduced during a particularly deadly time inPeaky Blinders. Season 6 of the show opens with the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on Oswald Mosley and Tommy learning of the deaths of Barney, Aberama Gold, and Polly Gray — the latter being due to the death of actress Helen McCrory. However, as it turns out,the death of Barney was one of the things thatPeaky Blinders' creator Steven Knight wishes he could have undone(viaThe Guardian):
“[He’s] just brilliant and I really wish I’d kept him alive now.”
There were certainly a lot of fans who were looking forward to seeing Barney continue on in the series, and had McKnight avoided killing him in season 5, Jarvis could have returned for theupcomingPeaky Blindersmovie. However, Barney’s death is one of the reasons his character works so well. The whole audience was rooting for him to find some peace after so much suffering, only for that prospect to be undone in an instant. It is a heartbreaking end for the character, which is fitting for the show overall.
What’s Next For Cosmo Jarvis
Jarvis Has Some Big Projects Lined Up
While Cosmo Jarvis’Peaky Blindersrole was a brief one, the actor’s career has done just fine since then.Shōgunhas launched him to a new level of stardom while also earning him considerable acclaim. Season 2 of the show has been confirmed, and while Hiroyuki Sanada is the only cast member announced so far, John Blackthorne’s ending in season 1 certainly makes it possible for Jarvis to return. However, due to the success ofShōgun, Jarvis has some bigger opportunities coming his way, working alongside some big-name stars and accomplished directors.
Shōgun Season 2: Confirmation, Cast & Everything We Know
The historical epic Shōgun was originally billed as a limited series on FX, but the popular show is returning for seasons 2 & 3.
Jarvis is part of the cast of the modern war movieWarfare, directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza. He is part of an ensemble of other up-and-coming actors, including Will Poulter, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Joseph Quinn.Warfarearrives in theaters on July 08, 2025. Jarvis will also star in one of Guy Ritchie’s several upcoming projects withWife and Dog. The new thriller deals with the backstabbing in the high society of the British upper class and features an incredible cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike, Paddy Considine, and Anthony Hopkins.
Of course,the most anticipated of Jarvis’upcoming projects isThe Odyssey. The formerPeaky Blindersactor joins Christopher Nolan’s epic blockbuster based on Homer’s poem, which stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, a brave warrior who sets out on his long and dangerous voyage home after the end of the Trojan War. Jarvis joins an ensemble that includes Oscar winners like Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, and Anne Hathaway, as well as young stars like Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson.
