Tom Brittney on Finding Jimmy's Humanity in The Westies

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW!

Gangster dramas have rarely been short on charismatic antiheroes, but The Westies offers something a little different in Jimmy, a man capable of shocking violence while simultaneously searching for a way to hold onto his conscience. For Tom Brittney, that contradiction became the key that unlocked every aspect of the character.

Rather than approaching Jimmy simply as another mob enforcer, Brittney was fascinated by the idea of someone who still operated with an internal code, even if that code existed inside a criminal world.

"I don't need to be brutal for the sake of it. I can get the job done without taking someone's life for the sake of it."

The distinction may sound subtle, but for Brittney it defined the entire role. Jimmy isn't unwilling to kill when necessary, but he refuses to indulge violence simply because he can.

One of Brittney's earliest conversations with the show's creative team centered on Jimmy's sense of morality. While others understandably questioned whether someone involved in organized crime could truly possess a moral compass, Brittney believed the distinction was essential.

Instead of seeing Jimmy as simply violent, he viewed him as someone who separates "killing" from "murder," a psychological line that allows him to justify his actions while still believing there are boundaries he should never cross.

That perspective shaped not only Jimmy's larger story arc but countless individual scenes. Brittney frequently discussed with the writers when Jimmy would resort to intimidation instead of violence, believing that the character preferred restraint whenever possible.

"I don't think he finds it that pleasant," Brittney explained of Jimmy's more brutal moments. Rather than enjoying cruelty, Jimmy sees violence as an unfortunate necessity, a tool rather than a pleasure.

One of the most striking aspects of Brittney's performance is how much Jimmy communicates without speaking. Throughout The Westies, Jimmy often says very little, instead carefully observing the people around him. Brittney intentionally built this into the character, creating detailed internal motivations for every silent moment.

"I didn't want to play a character who only spoke because there was a real reason to do it," Brittney said.

That extensive preparation allowed every glance, pause, and shift in body language to feel motivated, giving audiences insight into Jimmy's constantly active thought process without ever needing dialogue to explain it.

To prepare for Jimmy, Brittney revisited an acting process he hadn't used in years. He created an extensive character "Bible," documenting everything from Jimmy's physicality and speech patterns to his emotional history and daily habits. The practice reminded him of the work he did during drama school, a level of preparation he felt this role demanded because it was unlike anything he'd previously played.

He recalled thinking. "I'm going to go back to what made me love acting, which was building a character."

Jimmy's transformation extended well beyond performance. Brittney grew facial hair, shaved his head beneath a wig, adjusted his posture, and worked closely with the costume department to create a visual identity that felt authentic to New York's Irish-American gang culture in the early 1980s.

Once everything came together with the wig, wardrobe, facial hair, and styling Brittney described feeling as though he had stepped into armor. Like the clerical collar he wore during his years on Grantchester, Jimmy's costume fundamentally changed how he moved, spoke, and occupied space.

"I wouldn't be able to do the voice that I did in Westies. I wouldn't be able to really move like him unless I had all of that on."

One of Jimmy's most compelling relationships is with Amos Sweeney, played by J.K. Simmons.

Although Jimmy is a grown man, Brittney intentionally approached their dynamic like that of a teenager struggling to separate from an overbearing parent. Even during filming, he found himself instinctively shrinking physically in scenes opposite Simmons despite being taller than his co-star. That subconscious reaction became part of Jimmy's evolution.

As the season progresses, Jimmy slowly begins questioning the authority figure who has shaped his entire life. Brittney compares it to the universal experience of reaching adulthood and realizing your parents are flawed.

"It's a teenager kind of starting to question their parents."

The relationship grows increasingly complicated as Jimmy begins recognizing truths about Sweeney that he has spent years refusing to acknowledge.

Jimmy's biological family is largely absent from his life, making the Westies his only real home.

Brittney spent significant time imagining Jimmy's childhood, ultimately deciding that his father couldn't have been a positive influence. Otherwise, he argued, Jimmy never would have accepted someone like Sweeney as his surrogate parent. That decision informed every relationship Jimmy has throughout the series. His loyalty to Sweeney, his protective relationship with Mickey, and his devotion to Bridget all stem from the same emotional need: belonging.

"He really needs these people because he doesn't have anyone else."

It's that emotional vulnerability that prevents Jimmy from becoming a one-dimensional gangster. Beneath the hardened exterior remains someone still searching for love, approval, and family.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO BELOW: