PLAYING THE PART?

‘Peaky Blinders’ Actor Hit With Drug Charges in U.K.

His lawyer said the actor “is often recognized and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character.”

Paul Anderson, a British actor most known for playing the tortured addict Arthur Shelby on “Peaky Blinders,” was fined a total of £1,345 ($1,700) on Thursday after being caught in possession of a myriad of drugs including crack cocaine and amphetamines last month. Anderson’s defense lawyer told the court that his offense was a regrettable mistake done to please fans, “who often give him inducements” to reenact the part of hard-partying TV gangster Arthur Shelby, The Guardian reports. He said the actor “is often recognized and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character.” “He found himself in an unfortunate position and should have had the strength to say no,” the attorney said. Anderson was busted on Dec. 26–Boxing Day in the U.K.–at a pub where he says he was recognized by eager fans.