Cosmo Jarvis’ illness, explained

British actor and musician Cosmo Jarvis turned heads in Peaky Blinders and, more recently, in FX’s Shōgun. Jarvis accomplished it all while living with a not-uncommon but serious health issue — but what illness does he have?

In 2020, Jarvis told The Guardian about his health challenges while promoting the film Calm with Horses, one of four movies the breakout star appeared in that year. Jarvis celebrated his 30th birthday in 2019, and had mixed feelings about the occasion.

Jarvis’ birthday happened in New York while shooting Funny Face, he added, and on that day, “I think I was just [filming], and probably telling somebody about how I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday because I’ll be dead in 10 years,” he said.

Cosmo Jarvis has type 1 diabetes

Jarvis went on to tell The Guardian he has type 1 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, about 2 million Americans live with the condition, thought to be an autoimmune reaction that attacks pancreas cells that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is treatable, with an average life expectancy of up to 72 years — so not quite the dire prognosis Jarvis let on to The Guardian, but still a serious health issue.

Those with type 1 diabetes must take insulin shots or wear an insulin pump. On relying on technology to save his life, Jarvis told The Guardian, “Type one diabetes catches up with you … It screws with my philosophy, because I’m pretty much a hater of technology and everything that it involves, but then I rely on it to some extent to survive. I fully accept that if it wasn’t for technology, diabetics and anybody with any ailment would be the first people to be dead.”