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Peaky Blinders: Who is Jack Nelson in seasons six?

What we know about the mysterious character so far...

peaky blinders jack
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
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The sixth and final season of Peaky Blinders continues on Sunday night and will see a brand new face welcomed to the BBC drama as actor James Frecheville makes his debut as Gina Gray's uncle, Jack Nelson.

MORE: Peaky Blinders fans left sobbing as they praise 'beautiful' tribute to Helen McCrory

But, the question now is - who is Jack Nelson and how does he fit into the show's storyline? Find out everything you need to know here…

WATCH: Check out the trailer for the sixth and final season of Peaky Blinders

Jack Nelson, or 'Uncle Jack' as he is referred to in the BBC show, is a powerful relative of Anya Taylor-Joy's character Gina as well as the boss of her husband Michael, played by Finn Cole.

MORE: Peaky Blinders: all the new and returning stars appearing in season six

MORE: The one thing Cillian Murphy doesn't like about Peaky Blinders

Although we have yet to meet his character, it's hinted that he has both a lot of political influence and control over alcohol imports between the UK and the US. During the premiere episode, Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby attempted to forge a business relationship with him but frustratingly only met his associates. 

At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Jack and his family would be heading to London to do business, so it seems likely that he will be making an appearance in episode two.

james© Photo: BBC

James Frecheville plays mysterious new character Jack Nelson

What's more, Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight has confirmed that the character, like so many others, is based on a real-life figure. While speaking to Den of Geek, he confirmed fans' suspicions that Jack has been inspired by Joseph P Kennedy Senior – father of former President John F Kennedy – who imported English liquor to the United States after the end of the prohibition.

He remained cryptic as to whether Jack is actually Joe Kennedy Senior, saying: "I'm not giving that away so soon. As ever with Peaky, you look at history and you take real facts and fictionalise them. There is a resonance with Boston, with senior politicians…"

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It's been confirmed that Jack will be portrayed by Australian star James Frecheville. The 30-year-old actor has previously starred alongside Lily James and Dominic West in The Pursuit of Love and appeared in the film The Stanford Prison Experiment.

Before landing his part on Peaky Blinders, James had a strange connection to the series through the fact that co-star Finn Cole has taken on the role of Joshua Cody in the drama series Animal Kingdom - which is based on a 2010 movie in which James played the same role.

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