Shane Warne once had his request for a cameo role in the Netflix hit Peaky Blinders turned down by producers, a friend revealed at the cricketer’s state funeral on Wednesday.
Retired AFL star Aaron Hamill told the 50,000-strong crowd at the MCG the late leg spinner was a ‘binge Netflix watcher’ and Peaky Blinders, a gangster drama set in the 1920s and ’30s in Birmingham, England, was his favourite show.
‘He said, “I’ve got this great idea,” as he always did. He said, “I’ve sent off an email to the producers of Peaky Blinders [asking for a cameo],” Hamill revealed.
Big fan: Shane Warne once had his request for a cameo role in the Netflix hit Peaky Blinders turned down by producers, a friend revealed at the cricketer’s state funeral on Wednesday
However, the producers turned down the cricket legend in hilarious fashion, the 44-year-old former St Kilda captain told the crowd.
‘So he did all that and he rang back and said, “I got the email back. It said, ‘Dear Shane, thanks very much. We love your enthusiasm, but unfortunately porcelain veneers weren’t around in Birmingham in 1931.'”‘
Warne’s close friend Michael Clarke could be seen in the crowd laughing hysterically at the anecdote.
The late Spin King was so obsessed with Peaky Blinders he took to wearing a flat cap in his later years, just like the lead character in the series, played by Cillian Murphy.
‘I love Peaky Blinders so I thought I don’t mind the look of [the flat cap] and I might wear it to see if people like it. People have liked it, so I kept wearing it,’ he once said.
Fan: Ex-AFL star Aaron Hamill told the 50,000-strong crowd at the MCG the late leg spinner was a ‘binge Netflix watcher’ and 1920s gangster drama Peaky Blinders was his favourite show
Fashion: The late Spin King was so obsessed with Peaky Blinders he took to wearing a flat cap in his later years, just like the lead character in the series, played by Cillian Murphy
Hamill also revealed Warne once nearly appeared in the American TV series Suits, the show that made Meghan Markle famous.
‘He was teed up to be on Suits at one point. He didn’t stop there,’ he said.
‘But that’s what he was like. He was ambitious. He was driven. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.’
Denied: The producers of Peaky Blinders turned down Warne in hilarious fashion, telling him, ‘We love your enthusiasm, but porcelain veneers weren’t around in Birmingham in 1931’
For all the Hollywood stars, the rock stars, the sports stars, Premiers and Prime Ministers, the true stars of Shane Warne’s memorial were his family.
In front of 50,000 fans, both famous and humble, Warne’s nearest and dearest did their father, son, brother proud at the packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Summer, 20, crushed the toughest heart as she recalled singing and dancing with her dad ‘without a care in the world – and we couldn’t stop laughing at each other’.
Two days later, he was gone, cut down by a heart attack in Thailand.
For all the Hollywood stars, the rock stars, the sports stars, Premiers and Prime Ministers, the true stars of Shane Warne’s memorial were his family
Summer Warne, 20, crushed the toughest heart as she recalled singing and dancing with her dad ‘without a care in the world – and we couldn’t stop laughing at each other’
‘You will always be with us, dad – just not in the way that we had hoped,’ said Summer, known as SJ to Warne.
‘You lived 100 lives, Dad. You never took anything for granted and you made sure that you lived every day to the absolute fullest.’
Jackson, 23, looking every inch his father’s son, confidently wowed the MCG with his poise as he talked about his hero who was taken too soon.
‘I feel like I’ve been robbed,’ he said.
Jackson Warne, 23, looking every inch his father’s son, confidently wowed the MCG with his poise as he talked about his hero who was taken too soon
Daughter Brooke, 24, the last of Warne’s children to speak, managed to end on a high note.
Her touching tales brought chuckles from the crowd even as she wept while describing all the reasons why the loss of her father will leave a huge hole in her life.
Through tears, Brooke said: ‘I will miss grabbing your big wrists and feeling your hands and saying that I have big fat fingers just like you.
‘I will miss our chats about how big our double chins are and how big our bellies are looking, especially after we’ve just eaten our bodyweight in cheese, pizza and pasta.’
Daughter Brooke Warne, 24, the last of Shane’s children to speak, managed to end on a high note
She added: ‘Dad was our shining star in life and now he’s shining down on all of us.
‘We will do you so proud, Dad and we are so proud of everything you have achieved.
‘We’re going to do what you always told us – try our best…and we will try our best to live in a world without you. I love you always, Dad.’
From the man who gave Australia so many great memories, Warne’s final gift was his farewell.
Despite the grief, the heartache, the shock and dismay at his sudden loss, the memorial service at the MCG was a triumphant celebration of an Australian legend.
Shane Warne’s father Keith stumbled in his magnificent eulogy and broke the nation, watching as one, broadcast live on every major channel, non-stop and ad-free
But it was his father Keith’s stumble in his magnificent eulogy that broke the nation, watching as one, broadcast live on every major channel, non-stop and ad-free.
After flawlessly paying tribute to his big-hearted son, proud dad Keith cracked as he came to a close.
‘Shane, the Aussie boy from Black Rock, said of himself: ‘I smoked, I drank. I played a little cricket…’
And then it all became too much for Keith – and Australia.
His stoic father paused, as the moment engulfed him and the 50,000 star-studded fans paying homage at the MCG.
The sun-bleached blond icon of the sport, of Australia, has gone forever.
Keith gathered himself once more and pushed through, his voice trembling with emotion: ‘Mate, your mother and I cannot imagine life without you.’
Shane Warne, the sun-bleached blond icon of the sport, of Australia, has gone forever, but a stand at the MCG will now bear his name and ensure it lives on in the hearts of every fan
Shane Warne’s three children delivered heartwrenching eulogies for the King of Spin, breaking their public silence at the state memorial service at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. From left: Brooke, 24; Jackson, 22 and tearful Summer, 20
How memorial unfolded
Hollywood star Eric Bana was the first voice at the memorial, looking back at Warne’s famous life, describing the ‘rockstar cricketer’s’ rise to becoming the King of Spin.
Warne’s father Keith then offered the first eulogy, thanking officials for organising the event and helping bring his body home, before he revealed the family’s heartbreak at his devastating loss.
‘Our family loss of a loved son, a loving brother to Jason and a devoted father to Brooke, Jackson and Summer. And the world lost a much-loved cricketing legend whose feats on and off the cricket field will go down in history for all time,’ he said through tears.
‘Looking forward to a future without Shane is inconceivable. We do take comfort in knowing that Shane packed more in his life of 52 years, five months and 19 days than most people would in two lifetimes.’
Keith said he was a ‘special person’ who deeply cared for children, particularly sick children, and wanted to help as many as he could through his foundation.
Millionaire Hot Seat host and Melbourne personality Eddie McGuire was the master of ceremonies (left). Shane Warne’s ex-wife Simone Callahan (right) supported her children but did not speak
McGuire said Warne’s three children Brooke, 24, Jackson and Summer Warne, 20, as well as his father Keith Warne, would all speak his service
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