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Paul Anderson

Paul Anderson

Actor · Born February 12, 1978 (48) · London, England, UK

Paul Anderson is an English actor who started his acting career in the late 2000s. He was previously a ticket scalper who decided to attend Webber Douglas drama school, subsequently landing roles in theatre and in films such as The Firm, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Passion. Anderson is known for his breakout role as Arthur Shelby in British television series Peaky Blinders.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 12, 1978 (48)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 15% in 30 days

What are Paul Anderson's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
31%
Morality
20%
Bonds
17%
Power
11%
Society
10%
Self
8%
Ideas
3%
Survival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 11

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 1

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 10

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 8 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 5 of 10 analyzed roles.

Shadow
5 of 10
Mentor
2 of 10
Shapeshifter
1 of 10
Ally
1 of 10
Trickster
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Dread
9
Melancholic
7
Thrilling
5
Cold
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Unsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paul Anderson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paul Anderson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Gray House(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · as Stokely Reeves

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Lift(2024)

    as Donal

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Peaky Blinders: Rambert’s The Redemption of Thomas Shelby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Arthur Shelby (voice)

  • Nightmare Alley(2021)

    as Geek #1

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Tijuana Bible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Nick

  • Hostage Radio(2019)

    as Andrew Wilde

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Robin Hood(2018)

    as Guy of Gisbourne

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Hostiles(2017)

    as Corporal Tommy Thomas

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • 24 Hours to Live(2017)

    as Jim Morrow

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Brimstone(2016)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Revenant(2015)

    as Anderson

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • In the Heart of the Sea(2015)

    as Thomas Chappel

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Legend(2015)

    as Albert Donoghue

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Electricity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Barry O'Connor

  • '71(2014)

    as Sergeant Leslie Lewis

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Great Train Robbery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · as Gordon Goody

  • Still Life(2013)

    as Homeless Man

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Peaky Blinders(2013)

    Show 36 episodes · as Arthur Shelby

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Passion(2012)

    as Dirk Harriman

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Sweeney(2012)

    as Francis Allen

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Piggy(2012)

    as Piggy

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows(2011)

    as Colonel Sebastian Moran

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • A Lonely Place to Die(2011)

    as Chris

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Firm(2009)

    as Bex

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Roger

  • Ashes to Ashes(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as PC Murder Suspect

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Inspector Lewis(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Alastair Darlow · as Frank Sporetti

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Midsomer Murders(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Graham Spate

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • White Trash At Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as David's mouth/Bar Patron

  • Fortitude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Debt Inherited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Terry

  • The Prince (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 32 titles, 29 of them dated from 1992 to 2026; peak year 2014.

Biggest box office

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

$544M worldwide

Highest rated

Peaky Blinders (2013)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19922026

Peak 2014 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting32 of 32: 32 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score77th

By decade

1990s2 · acting2000s4 · acting2010s18 · acting2020s5 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 11% of 19 roles
0914

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Paul Anderson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 18; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 23 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

The Gray House (2024)

71st percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Peaky Blinders (2013)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Paul Anderson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles58–90 · median 81 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles15–73 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles34–89 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles27–69 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles56–79 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Paul Anderson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paul Anderson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Eddie Marsan shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Producers