"Peaky Blinders" didn't help him land his first lead role.

During the "Animal Kingdom" casting process, some of the show's principal crew weren't aware of his "Peaky Blinders" cache.

Says writer/producer Jonathan Lisco: "While casting J., I wasn't looking at credits. We were looking for someone who could move us or break our hearts, or have some kind of riveting effect. When I saw his tape, I didn’t know that he was in 'Peaky Blinders.' He has an inscrutable quality but doesn’t come off merely as a cipher. J. has a lot going on behind his eyes, but you didn’t feel like he's thoroughly innocent. He’s not some pure kid."