Finn Cole

Intro

Finn Cole became widely known through two television crime dramas: Peaky Blinders, in which he plays Michael Gray, and Animal Kingdom, in which he plays Joshua 'J' Cody. The roles place a younger man inside a powerful family, but their settings and relationships differ. His film work includes An Inspector Calls, Dreamland and In the Shadows. A useful introduction to his career follows those individual projects, separating the continuing development possible in a television series from the more concentrated dramatic arc of a feature film.

Career snapshot

Cole joined Peaky Blinders in its second series. The BBC's production material identifies him as Michael Gray, and Warner Bros. Discovery's cast biography places that work alongside Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory and Tom Hardy. His former college, Esher, later welcomed him back and discussed a career that had developed across British and American productions. That institutional record is useful context for the transition from early professional work into sustained television roles without relying on speculation about private life or future plans.

The entry point

Michael Gray provides an entry into Peaky Blinders through a character whose relationship with the Shelby family develops over time. The BBC's third-series interview discusses the thresholds involved in becoming part of that criminal world. For a rewatch, watch the difference between appearing confident and understanding the consequences of a decision. Cole's position within an established ensemble allows the viewer to follow how a younger character responds to people who already possess influence. The historical setting shapes those encounters and should remain distinct from the modern setting of Animal Kingdom.

Screen identity and style

In Animal Kingdom, Cole plays Joshua 'J' Cody within a Southern California crime family. The television production's official materials describe a household in which family connections and criminal enterprise are closely linked. The role offers a different kind of outsider's perspective from Michael Gray's. Comparing the two performances can focus on how a character observes a group before acting within it: who speaks, who watches, and who seems able to refuse a demand. The comparison is most useful when it respects the separate histories of the two fictional families.

Collaborations and patterns

The official Animal Kingdom biography also records Cole's work in An Inspector Calls and Dreamland, the latter opposite Margot Robbie, as well as Slaughterhouse Rulez with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. These credits broaden the career beyond the two crime series. An adaptation of a stage play, an independent feature and a genre comedy place different demands on a performer, even when a viewer recognizes him from television. They provide alternate routes into the filmography for someone who does not want to begin with several seasons of an ongoing ensemble story.

Era reflection

In the Shadows adds a biographical sports drama to that record. The British Council lists Cole among the cast, while the film's cinema synopsis identifies his character as Richard Moore, husband of boxer Ramla Ali, played by Jasmine Jobson. The BFI programmed the film in its 2026 London Film Festival. This is a separate production context from the crime dramas: the story concerns a real athlete's path into boxing and the relationships around her. The gallery photographs document Cole's public appearance at that festival rather than scenes from the film.

Legacy and rediscovery

A career viewing sequence can start with Michael Gray or J Cody, then move to An Inspector Calls, Dreamland or In the Shadows to compare scale and setting. The two photographs here are distinct compositions from the October 2026 London Film Festival appearance: an individual portrait and a photograph with Florence Pugh. Their captions identify the event without suggesting that the people pictured play the same roles or appear together in the film being promoted. The broader career record remains anchored in the named productions and their credited roles.

Selected roles

• Peaky Blinders: Michael Gray — series two onward
• Animal Kingdom: Joshua J Cody — 2016-2022
• In the Shadows: Richard Moore — 2026 festival presentation

A career in pictures

Two distinct photographs document the same London Film Festival appearance. Select an image for a local enlargement.

London Film Festival portrait (2026)

Finn Cole

At the In the Shadows festival appearance on October 9, 2026.

London Film Festival with Florence Pugh (2026)

Finn Cole and Florence Pugh

A separate public-event photograph, not a production still.

Rewatch notes

• Michael Gray and Joshua J Cody belong to separate television crime families.
• In the Shadows casts Cole as Richard Moore opposite Jasmine Jobson as Ramla Ali.