Who is Cosmo Jarvis? Did he appear in that bizarre Ron DeSantis campaign video along with the other Peaky Blinders characters? If he did, he probably wasn’t happy about it along with the rest of the cast. Did DeSantis just piss off one of Birmingham’s deadliest gangsters? Wouldn’t wanna be that guy right now!
Cosmo Jarvis, a.k.a. Barney Thompson—one of Birmingham’s finest
Before starring in the groundbreaking Japanese historical drama series Shōgun, British actor Cosmo Jarvis appeared in a short-lived but well-loved role in the British crime thriller Peaky Blinders. Cosmo plays Barney Thompson, a World War One veteran and former comrade of Birmingham gangster Tommy Shelby.
Thompson served as a sniper in the First World War, and was a damn good one. According to comrades, he never missed a shot. His talent for killing people unsurprisingly resulted in some mental health issues for the poor guy. After the war, he was committed to an asylum for an unknown crime. He struggled with severe PTSD, which was poorly understood at the time, and was certified insane.
Barney Thompson was broken out of the asylum by the Peaky Blinders gang, who had need of his superior marksmanship for an assassination attempt. Naturally, Thompson’s condition made life difficult for all parties involved. Thompson was prone to manic episodes, and would sometimes hear voices that weren’t there. When his symptoms were in full effect, the only person who could ever calm him down was Tommy Shelby. Shelby served as Thompson’s superior during the war, and the latter’s immense respect for the former allowed Shelby to reach Thompson even when in the throws of mental illness. Thompson and Shelby were so close that Thompson apparently gave his former commanding officer an STD. Indirectly, of course. At least, that’s what they say …
Thompson was the linchpin in the assassination attempt of Oswald Mosley, a politician who heads the British Union of Fascists. Yikes. In response to Mosley’s growing power, Shelby is tasked by Winston Churchill to assassinate the chap before he and his followers can gain real political momentum. Shelby takes Thompson to snipe Mosley at a rally at Bingley Hall. Thompson climbs up into the lightning balcony and prepares to take the shot, but is shot with a silenced pistol at point blank range seconds before pulling the trigger. Apparently, Mosley got wise to the plan, making Thompson once again a causality of machinations greater than himself.
Rest in peace Barney, you were one of the best.
(Featured Image: Netflix)
