Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson showed off a drastic new look while at Comic Con in Paris recently – including a number of cuts on his legs.
The actor, best known for playing Arthur Shelby Jr. in the hit BBC drama, has made headlines for his turbulent past outside of the show.
This began in 2023 with complaints of misconduct from a colleague – allegations which the star denied.
Then, on Boxing Day that year, he was caught in possession of crack cocaine and amphetamines after allegedly using drugs in a pub toilet.
Since pleading guilty to the charges, Anderson’s acting work has largely dried up, with his character even being omitted from this year’s spin-off film, The Immortal Man.
The actor has now shocked fans after appearing at a Comic Con event in France, where he showed up with bleached hair and scarred legs.
In pictures obtained by The Daily Mail, Anderson could be seen wearing a dark jacket over a white Casablanca brand t-shirt.
He also wore a pair of cropped trousers, which showed off a series of cuts and scars to his legs when he sat down to chat with the audience.
His hair had been bleached blond, in a stark change from his tightly trimmed Peaky Blinders look.
This is not the first time Anderson’s appearance has alarmed fans, after previously looking disheveled in London, weeks after he pleaded guilty to crack cocaine possession.
In February 2024, he addressed worried fans, sharing a selfie from the back of a car.
‘Back to business and back on set today’ he wrote in an Instagram story, adding: ‘Thank you for all your love and concern to everyone. I was and have been absolutely flattened by the flu. #nofilter.’
In June 2024, he shared another update, telling his followers in a video that there is ‘no story without struggle.’
He continued: ‘Take it from me, I have struggled, and I struggle today, the same way you do, and we deal with it.
‘If I can help you deal with your struggles, then let’s do it together, let’s make this the first of many conversations, because you can’t do it on your own, you need help.
‘And I will say this one more thing to you, you can help others, in turn, it will help you. It’s called service.
‘So turnaround my friend, look for somebody else who also is suffering, and hard as you may find it, help them, because you’ll find it helps you more, believe it or not.
‘Remember this, we are amazing. You are unbelievable.’
Earlier this year, Anderson weighed in on his character’s absence from The Immortal Man.
Speaking to LADBible, he said: ‘Well, what can you do, eh? It is how it is. I thought I’d just leave them to it.’
Still, he harbors no grudge toward the film, nor creator Steven Knight for writing him out.
Describing The Immortal Man as ‘great,’ Anderson said: It’s such a powerful thing to do. It’s something you don’t see on TV.’
When asked whether this was definitively the end for Arthur Shelby, he added: ‘I mean, yeah, I guess so… It’s not as straightforward as you think. But we’ll see.’
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