In late 2013, a show was launched on the BBC that captured the imagination of audiences everywhere with its combination of brilliant writing, compelling storylines, and highly acclaimed and impressive acting talent.
I am talking, of course, about Peaky Blinders, a show that ran for six seasons and starred the recent Oscar winner, Cillian Murphy, alongside a host of fantastic co-stars including legends such as Helen McCrory and Sam Neil, and relatively unknown actors (at the time) such as Sophie Rundle and Joe Cole.
When Joe Cole heard about a young character being introduced in season 2, Michael Gray, he immediately thought his brother Finn would be perfect for the role. He got Finn – who had never acted professionally before – to do an audition to smartphone camera, and sent it off to his agent; and this is how the rising star that is Finn Cole, came to be a principal character in one of the biggest British shows of the past decade.
Finn’s success in PB led to him simultaneously – from 2016 – playing the lead role in American tv show Animal Kingdom, a crime drama with a lot of thematic crossovers with PB. His roles in both shows earned him a huge fan base on both sides of the globe, and since they both ended in 2022, he has starred in the Netflix film Locked In, with X-Men veteran and James Bond femme fatale, Famke Janssen, and he has recently finished work on Last Breath (Feb 2025), with Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu, where he stars as Chris Lemons, a diver who becomes untethered 100 meters below the North Sea and must survive with limited oxygen – based on a true story.
Having so much great film and TV under his belt, Finn was after a new challenge. One he had never faced before – performing in live theatre! He is currently starring in Red Speedo, a play by American playwright Lucas Hnath and directed by Matthew Dunster, which explores the complex moral and ethical dilemmas faced by athletes in the competitive world of Olympic swimming, performed in the round at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond.
I sat down with Finn to discuss Red Speedo, Peaky Blinders, adapting his acting style from screen to stage, and of course his new bff: Woody “he’s my dude” Harrelson.
Hey, Finn, how you doing?
I’m good, how are you?
Yeah, really good. Good to meet you. So this is day four of Red Speedo, right? How’s it been so far?
It’s been incredible. The journey to get here has been eye-opening, to say the least. A lot of fun, exhausting, but in all the right ways. I’m sleeping better than I’ve slept in years because I’ve just been getting home and crashing, which is one of the nicest feelings mentally and physically. I’m pushing it, and I’ve really enjoyed the process and working with the team. Everyone involved at the Orange Tree is just fabulous. Our company, the people in the rehearsal room, as well as the extended team, have all been great. It’s all been very new to me since I’ve not done this before, and I’ve been enjoying every step. It’s challenging, but I’ve learned so much already and continue to learn. Every day, although we’re supposed to be doing the same thing every night, it feels different, and you hear it differently every performance. You don’t get that luxury with film and TV, and that’s something I’m really able to use, learn from, and grow with. So yeah, the process has been amazing.
It sounds it. I understand this is your professional stage debut, but have you done any theatre at all previously, at school or anything?
Yes, so I did a couple of shows at school, musicals when I was really, really young in secondary school. Then I studied theatre studies at A-level, and we had a piece at the end of the year. I don’t remember it being very long, maybe about 15 minutes. It wasn’t a proper piece, just something to show the examiner that we can act. That was obviously the most fun part of the whole course for me and for a lot of us. I was in the National Youth Theatre, although I never ended up going to the reps. I’ve done bits and pieces that are shows, but they were short, and I’ve never really had to learn that discipline. Now, I’m sort of going in at the deep end…
Ha, a swimming metaphor
Yeah, exactly. I’ve got a few of them, like ‘making a splash at the Orange Tree.’
The fascinating thing has been changing that discipline, finding a process. I was saying this to a friend last night actually after the show; we’ve done three shows now, and there was one show where I felt like it didn’t go as well as the others for me. I came off stage, and my castmates were like, ‘That was the best one you’ve done.’ So figuring out and placing where the performances are, where I’m feeling good, and where the audience is feeling good, is something that I’m continuing to learn. That’s been a big part of it. But yeah, in terms of experience, it’s all so new and alien to me, but it’s great.
So what do you think was going on that night, because apparently your castmates thought you were brilliant?
It’s interesting because they’re super supportive, so they might just be saying it, but it’s more about the fact that we can be in our own heads and focus on things that aren’t showing. You can feel uncomfortable on certain nights and still find ways through. That’s something I’m learning and getting better at. In that situation, I didn’t feel like it was good, but other people and audience members didn’t notice. That’s a skill I’ll continue to grow.
It’s about finding a process. I have a process for film and TV that I’ve had for years, and I know if I have an off day, I can usually put my finger on why. It’s usually something to do with rest, diet, or lack of exercise. This is totally different. There’s a process for theatre that I’m learning and figuring out what works for me, like when I eat, when I have a coffee, and all these little things that are crucial for peak performance. Performing in the evening is a new experience for me, and all these shifts and changes are something I’m still getting used to. But by the time we come to press night tomorrow night, I think we’re going to be ready to go.
I’m coming, I can’t wait!
So you’re playing a character who is a swimmer, but on stage. Did you have to start swimming? How did you prepare for that? How did you get into the mind of Ray?
Yeah, well, I’ve done a fair amount of swimming before. I’m not a swimmer, but I like to keep fit. So those two aspects of the athleticism of the character were already something I was aware of.
The play is about swimming, but it doesn’t feel like it covers the actual swimming aspect of it. It covers relationships and how we handle pressure and decision-making. It’s also kind of a dark comedy. There are loads of different elements going on, so it felt like the actual sport wasn’t the main focus. We didn’t really have many discussions about the sport itself.
I did a lot of research beforehand, but it’s not necessarily coming into use because working on the show with the team, we found so much more to this play and these characters in terms of their history. That’s really what the play is about.
Sounds a bit like how Ted Lasso isn’t about football.
Yeah, exactly. You’re not watching Ted Lasso for the football, and you’re not watching Red Speedo for swimming. It’s about the relationships and the drama.
The play deals with issues of ambition and integrity. Are these themes that have been interesting to explore?
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, on first read, you pick up on all of those things, but what’s been interesting is finding this process and seeing how it’s growing, changing, and evolving. Every night, there are new things to discuss and new things for these characters to think about. Small, nuanced changes, and their relationships are evolving as the show goes on.
There are moments we’ve been able to pull out and adjust depending on what feels right for the audience. It covers all of those things, but for me, it’s playing well because there’s this instinct to survive in this competitive world. All the things he’s been taught and has learned over the years of being a swimmer are playing out in these conversations about whether or not he’s going to get caught or if this thing, his drug use, is going to get him.
Playing the integrity and moral compass of these characters, and how that changes depending on what you need to do to survive, has been interesting. Figuring out how to like this character and want to be on his side has been an important part of the journey for me. There are downfalls in him, but at the end of the day, I start to feel sorry for him and want to care for him because he hasn’t been cared for in the right way and hasn’t looked after himself properly.
There’s loads to it, and we’re still learning and finding things. Noticing moments where he gets angry or upset, and they’re quick, fleeting moments, has been really interesting to figure out.
Did you find any parallels with Michael in Peaky Blinders, due to the moral ambiguity of the role?
Yeah, in a way. But I think I’d say I found a parallel in accepting and understanding the way that each of the characters think, even though it’s very unlike how I would think. There are similarities with every character I play since they are just extensions of myself. There is a world where I would have handled situations like Ray does, and there’s a world where I could see myself handling things like Michael. That’s necessary for it to feel natural.
But they are two very different people. Michael is more sociopathic than Ray, but they both can convince themselves that what they’re doing is right. That moral ambiguity is present, though I haven’t really drawn comparisons in that specific way.
Actually, there’s a character I played on Animal Kingdom who has more similarities to Ray in terms of manipulating people and using certain personality traits. Both characters can manipulate others.
Ray is not a very intellectual character; in the opening scene, it’s explained that he’s not very smart. Matthew and I have discussed how Ray uses being called stupid his whole life to his advantage. It’s quite an intelligent thing to do, to use perceived stupidity to get to people and get away with things. Lucas mentioned that Ray knows he’s not smart, so he uses this perception to manipulate others and get away with things he shouldn’t. That was a really interesting note to take forward and use in his character development.
What is interesting about that note is that the more we play it and the more we try things, and this week of previews has really been about trying things and testing things, the more that note has come out in places I wasn’t expecting. The adrenaline of an audience and people reacting has allowed me to, in the moment, react in a way that’s unexpected.
I can’t think of any examples right now, and I wouldn’t want to spoil them for you anyway, but that’s been a really interesting part of it. It’s a luxury you don’t get in film when you only get a couple of takes. When you’re in an argument with someone and you get home or you’re leaving and you’re like, “I wish I should have said this” or “I should have said that,” that’s what film feels like. But in theatre, you get another opportunity to try it out.
You realise that something might not work, and that’s fine. The audience isn’t going to know, but you know in your heart that maybe yesterday landed a bit better, so you try to find a place between the two. That kind of journey has been really, really interesting.
You mentioned Matthew Dunster. How has working with him been? Has his directing style changed the way you approach your acting, especially since this is your first theatre role?
Yeah, I mean, he’s been absolutely fantastic, to be honest. He’s been really supportive. He’s tempered his expectations nicely, and he’s been very clever about when and what he’s asking me to do and think about. This has alleviated some of the pressure I’m putting on myself as a first-time theatre actor while still getting what he needs.
Matthew immediately figured out a way of communicating with me and the other cast members, getting notes across in a way that isn’t just telling us what to do. Instead, he allows us to come to decisions together, making us feel like we’re coming up with and understanding them ourselves. This approach has been really beneficial, and I’ve always appreciated directors who work this way.
There’s been a great connection, and he’s been so supportive and proud. It’s interesting working with him because he has ideas that you might initially disagree with, but through osmosis, these ideas and thoughts slowly creep in, and you realise they actually make a lot of sense.
For example, a small change to a specific line might be tough initially, but it then makes the next few pages of dialogue and scenes flow better and make more sense. His approach is always thinking about the bigger picture, the flow, and the pace, which is crucial in theatre since we don’t have the luxury of an editor.
It’s been really cool to have someone so experienced and detail-oriented. His memory is fascinating, as he can give very specific notes after a show about tiny things, yet not make you overthink them. These notes just land on you naturally when you come to that moment in the performance. I’m envious of his ability to communicate so effectively.
It sounds like a really collaborative process.
Yeah, I think it is absolutely collaborative. I think that I was apprehensive about how disciplined and how structured it would be. I thought I might just be told what to do because it’s not about what I’m feeling; it’s about what the audience is seeing. If the audience isn’t seeing and feeling what I think I’m doing, then what I’m doing is irrelevant and pointless. I need to change it. I thought there was going to be a lot of that.
But actually, yes, it’s bigger and we have to go a little bit bigger with all of these things as opposed to kind of condensing it and bringing it behind the eyes like we do for film. But that all kind of came naturally. I think that has something to do with the space, and something to do with the confidence that the other actors and Matthew have instilled in me.
I’ve actually found it’s gone very easily for me, and that’s a credit to them. It works.
How has playing Michael in Peaky Blinders shaped your career and influenced your approach to acting?
I think that Michael’s character has had a significant impact on me. To sort of connect it to the point of theatre, there was something crucial that happened during my first ever audition for Michael. I did it with my older brother Joe, who is also in Peaky Blinders. He filmed it on his iPhone, and sent it off to his agent or someone. I didn’t hear back for ages, but I remember Joe giving me a note to make the performance very calm and focused, doing as little as possible while still feeling everything.
There were two ways we could have played that scene: one very enthusiastic and excited, and the other very calm and restrained. We chose the latter. That note was crucial to the character, and that inscrutable characteristic was something I carried forward into all the work I did.
In theatre, things have to be bigger because you’re playing to an audience, but the same rule applies: it’s all about listening and taking it in. If you’re truly listening, your reactions are there. You don’t have to act; just paying attention is enough.
Playing Michael year after year and seeing his evolution, along with the foundational guidelines I started with, gave me confidence. Working with Steven Knight’s writing and the calibre of actors on that show set a standard for me. It made me realise the kind of people I want to work with and the level I should aim for.
There were many aspects of Peaky Blinders that I take forward, and they’ve been very important to me. The show has helped me grow and evolve, and I hold those experiences dearly.
That’s brilliant. You were what, 18 when you started on Peaky Blinders? What was it like basically growing up on the set with this second family around you?
Yeah, it was incredible. It was amazing. I was working with two of the best actors of their generations, Helen and Cillian. I learned so much from both of them, and from everyone. It was like a constant education on how to do things, both on set and off set. It was incredible. I hold working on that show very dearly. It was a really special experience.
It set a standard for writing and performance that most people don’t get the opportunity to have early on in their career.
I was really sorry to hear about your onscreen mum, Helen, passing in 2021. What was it like having such a legendary actress playing your mum? Did she impart any specific pearls of acting wisdom?
I think, as I say, everyone on that show had so much wisdom. It was a discipline that I wasn’t aware of that they instilled in me, and a standard to hold myself to. No one else is going to hold you to that standard apart from yourself. And it was just fun. Particularly from working with Helen, something that I took from it was just how fun she was.
She taught me that this is fun. We’re playing here. She gave me this confidence that you don’t get on all film sets because it’s a very intense environment. But I felt safe working with her and with Cillian. The most amazing thing I have with this show, and it’s not rare, is that a lot of people get to the top because they deserve to be there.
Especially early on, knowing that you’re in a scene with someone who can carry the scene is incredible. People ask if it was nerve-wracking working with Cillian Murphy. Working with Cillian Murphy is the least nerve-wracking thing on the planet because he’s so good. You know the scene is gonna be brilliant, no matter how you are. The same with Helen, and the same with a lot of actors I’ve worked with.
It’s the same with this play, Red Speedo. I know this play is gonna be good, and it’s not because of me; it’s because of everyone involved. It gives me a lot of confidence, and I was so lucky to have that early on. If I can be like that to anyone on a film set when they’re starting out, that would be the dream. That’s where I’m aiming for.
They led by example, and they’re so inspirational. I can think of times since then when I’ve been struggling to find inspiration for certain scenes and figuring things out, and I’ve thought about those experiences – working with those great actors that I’ve had the luxury of working with over the years – and it helped me get past it. Their energy will always live on.
I hear that you have a love of the sea and being in water, since childhood, and you got to spend a lot of time in it recently filming Last Breath, which is coming out next year? Can you tell me about that?
It’s a true story about Chris Lemons, a SAT diver who got stranded on the seabed for about 40 minutes without air after his ship was blown off course. Miraculously, he survived without brain damage. We filmed in a massive tank, and I played Chris. It was a very intense film.
What was it like working with Woody Harrelson? Another acting legend, you work with a lot of legends!
Ah, he’s my dude, man. He’s such an angel. We just immediately got on like a house on fire. We still chat all the time. Anytime I’m in LA or he’s in London, we play padel. It’s like tennis but in a glass box, a mix between tennis and squash. We played a lot in Malta with Simu and others. When he was in London for a play, we played some more.
He’s just amazing to work with. Anything you put down, he picks up, making every scene so much better. Our characters had an early connection in the film, which needed to feel real, and he nailed it. The connection we had in real life made it all work perfectly. It was a luxury to rely on someone as experienced and brilliant as him. It was great fun.
It sounds it! The way you light up when you speak about your work is fabulous, it’s a pleasure talking to someone so open and passionate. Your passion just shines through.
I can’t wait to see the play tomorrow night.
Yeah, it feels like just yesterday we were walking into that rehearsal room and I was trying to figure out how the hell I’m gonna learn all of these lines, and then tomorrow night is press night!
I’m so excited for you to see it. Everyone involved has worked so hard and is so passionate about it. I’m really excited to see what you think.
Break a leg for tonight, and see you tomorrow.
Red Speedo is on at Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. To book tickets visit www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk
Interview Nick Barr
Photography Johan Persson
