Gina Gray (née Nelson) is the scheming former wife of Michael Gray and mother of Laurence Gray. The two met when Michael was in the United States and fell in love. When Michael is recalled to Birmingham, following the Wall Street Crash, Gina expresses her wish to return with him. Throughout Series 5, Gina manipulates Michael into taking control of the company from Tommy. After Tommy angrily rejects Michael's proposal, Michael and Gina are both banished from the Shelby Family and told to never return. Gina serves as the tertiary antagonist of Series 5 and 6.
Character History[]
Series 5 · 1929[]
At some point before the Wall Street Crash Gina and Michael met while he was in Detroit for business likely through her Uncle Jack Nelson. Gina returns to Small Heath, Birmingham with Michael following the Wall St. Crash and the huge financial loss from Shelby Company Limited. Gina and Michael marry on the way back to England where it is revealed that Gina is pregnant with Michael's child. Upon arriving back in England Gina is then introduced to her new family through a fiery encounter that Michael has with Polly and Arthur. She quickly becomes infatuated with Shelby Company Limited and begins to advising Michael on further steps, manipulating him to take control of the company from Tommy through the last business of shipping pure opium.
Due to her marriage with Michael, she is privy to Shelby family meetings and is present when Michael announces his idea to restructure the company with everyone retiring and Michael the sole leader of the company with Gina along with taking her, and their unborn child, back to the US. She initially stands by while Tommy scoffs at Michael's proposal and throwing it in the fire, before pressuring Michael to reveal to everyone that those in America no longer wish to deal with the Peaky Blinders. Tommy says to Michael that he gave him an opportunity to redeem himself but instead betrayed him before banishing Michael and Gina from the family, telling him and Gina to leave and never come back, warning Gina to not 'Fuck with the Peaky Blinders'. Arthur and Polly then leave with Arthur growling angrily at Michael telling him 'Fuck the Americans' before Polly slaps her son angrily across the face looking at him in anger and disgust before giving Gina a cold look knowing full well that she is really the one behind Michael's proposal before walking off. Gina then looks over at Michael and says they have to do it the other way hinting that she and Michael will have to try to take over the company some other way likely involving her family in America.
Series 6 - 1933-1936[]
Gina is seen at Polly Gray's funeral and witnesses Michael declaring revenge on Tommy. By 1933, Gina has given birth to a son named Laurence Gray and lives in Boston with Michael. After Michael is arrested and sent to prison, Gina visits him and demands to know why he is doing business with Tommy again or “The Devil”, as she calls him. Michael says he has unfinished business with Tommy and he found a way to finish this business (killing Tommy). Michael tells Gina to talk to her uncle Jack Nelson to get him out of prison.
Afterwards Tommy pays Gina a visit in her house where she is seen drinking now legal whiskey and listening to jazz music. Gina smugly tells Tommy that the offer he gave to her uncle has been rejected. Tommy then threatens to sell the opium to the Jewish gang which would start a gang war for control, wiping the smug look from Gina's face. Gina later accompanies her Uncle Jack to England, but not before visiting Michael one last time to tell him he has been given the go-ahead to kill Tommy.
Gina is present when Mosley, Uncle Jack, Ada Thorne and Diana Mitford meet to discuss business and the future of the world. Later, Gina is seen cheating on Michael with Mosley in his apartment. After Mosley leaves, Tommy walks in and tells her straight away that he knows about her affair with Mosley and blackmails her into getting information about Mosley and Uncle Jack when they go to Germany to meet the senior member of the German government in a couple of weeks, otherwise he will tell Michael and her uncle and she will be disowned by him for cheating on her husband, since Jack is a Catholic and it is forbidden for wives to cheat on their husbands.
After being released from prison, Gina is the first person Michael wants to see. Back together in their house, they plot the murder of Tommy. Gina insists that Arthur needs to die as well, otherwise he will be after Michael after he has killed Tommy. She informs Michael that Arthur will be having dinner at the Garrison Pub on Sunday night and suggests shooting him through the windows. She suggest killing Tommy's son Charlie Shelby and his recently discovered son Duke Shelby but Michael says only Tommy and Arthur will die and that's it as it is unnecessary for their to be a bloodbath. It is unknown if Gina is informed of Michael's death after his attempt to kill Tommy fails and is then killed by Tommy.
Personality[]
Despite being quite an intelligent, ambitious, and independent woman, Gina has many faults. Gina is arrogant, smug, rude, snobbish, unfaithful, pretentious, narcissistic, condescending, self-absorbed, manipulative, greedy, scheming, and opportunistic. She tries to manipulate Michael into taking over the company from Tommy. She also makes Michael consult her on everything he does. While in Birmingham, Gina always seems to have a smug or displeased look on her face, hinting her displeasure for her new family and Birmingham. Being from a rich Boston family, it is likely Gina has been spoiled her whole life. Gina has an excessive need for admiration, a disregard for others' feelings, an inability to handle any criticism, and a strong sense of entitlement, all traits of a Borderline Narcissist.
Gina's biggest weaknesses is her arrogance. She thinks because her family is rich she is untouchable and can do anything she pleases. Gina resents that Tommy gets in her way of becoming head of the Shelby family with her husband Michael. She tries to intimidate Tommy throughout Series 6 but fails every time with Tommy always keeping his cool and putting her back in her place much to her frustration. Gina also seems to have a delusion of grandeur attitude as she flaunts her Uncle Jack’s achievements like they are her own achievements when in reality she had nothing to with it.
Gina also seems to have sociopathic traits as well such as a lack of empathy when she suggests killing both of Tommy’s sons without a second thought which visibly shocked Michael when she said it. It is implied that Gina also has a minor drinking problem as Tommy points out that Gina ‘Drinks too much’ this is backed up by Gina always having a drink in her hand.
Relationships[]
Michael Gray[]
Gina is Michael's wife and the mother to their son, Laurence Gray. She and Michael fell in love during Michael's time in America, but not much is known about their history. She pressured Michael to move away from the Peaky Blinders, and encouraged him to seize control within Shelby Company Limited, despite his initial reservations. Gina seems to encourage Michael's worst impulses. While she loves Michael, she did not wish to stay in Small Heath, wanting to return with Michael to the US for the birth of their child. By 1934 that "love" for Michael seems to have faded as Gina is caught by Tommy having sex with Oswald Mosley, revealing Gina to not only being unfaithful, but also calls into question whether she ever loved Michael, considering Gina's narcissistic and selfish personality. For his part, Michael also seems to become disenchanted with Gina.
Quotes[]
- "My husband may do as he's told, but, er... I don't."
- "Deep down, Arthur and Tommy want to be dead anyway. On Sunday, we’ll just give them what they want."
Appearances[]
| Series 5 Appearances | |||||
| Black Tuesday | Black Cats | Strategy | The Loop | The Shock | Mr Jones |
| Series 6 Appearances | |||||
| Black Day | Black Shirt | Gold | Sapphire | Lock and Key | |