British actor Stephen Graham is set to star in the gripping crime drama Adolescence, alongside Top Boy’s Ashley Walters and The Crown’s Erin Doherty. The four-part miniseries delves into the lives of a couple torn apart when their teenage son is arrested for the murder of a schoolgirl.
Graham, 51, portrays Eddie Miller, the father who becomes the ‘appropriate adult’ during his son’s police questioning. Doherty, 32, takes on the role of Briony Ariston, the clinical psychologist assigned to Jamie’s case, while Walters, 42, plays Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe.
Newcomer Owen Cooper steps into the spotlight as the suspect, Jamie Miller. The cast also includes Game of Thrones’ Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco from The Responder, Happy Valley’s Mark Stanley, After Life’s Jo Hartley and fresh face Amélie Pease, reports the .
The series, told in real time and unfolding in one continuous shot, follows Eddie as he tries to uncover the truth. This series is just another feather in the cap for Graham, whose illustrious career spans decades and encompasses a wide range of roles.
Here are some of his top roles on that you can enjoy right now.
Stephen Graham’s latest Netflix project is Adolescence (Image: NETFLIX)
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In the time-travelling epic Bodies, based on Si Spencer’s graphic novel, Graham delivers a captivating performance as the mysterious Mannix, taking on multiple roles.
The intriguing plot of a murder mystery spanning four different time periods, where a team of detectives from each era attempt to solve the same crime, was brought to life by an ensemble cast including Graham, Shira Haas, Kyle Soller of Poldark fame, and Greta Scacchi.
The Walk-In
In another gripping drama, The Walk-In, Graham took on the role of real-life activist Matthew Collins from Hope Not Hate. He infiltrated a British Neo-Nazi group with the aim of thwarting the planned assassination of Labour MP Rosie Cooper.
This intense five-part series, which aired on ITV in 2022, received rave reviews. The cast also included Dean-Charles Chapman of Game of Thrones, Leanne Best from Line of Duty, Jason Flemyng from The Missing, Chris Coghill, Brendan O’Carroll, and Dean Lennox Kelly.
Stephen Graham starred as Mannix in sci-fi series Bodies (Image: NETFLIX)
Taboo
Fans of Tom Hardy and Steven Knight’s gritty historical drama Taboo can look forward to its return for a second season. The first series, which aired in 2017, focused on Hardy’s enigmatic character James Delaney, who returns to England after a 12-year stint in Africa to claim his father’s estate.
Graham played the role of Atticus, an underworld informant to Delaney. The show delved into political and business corruption within the East India Company and featured Jessie Buckley, Oona Chaplin, Leo Bill, American actor Michael Kelly, David Hayman, and Jefferson Hall.
Stephen Graham transformed for his role in Taboo with Tom Hardy (Image: BBC)
Gangs of New York
Graham also featured in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated film Gangs of New York, sharing the screen with Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis. Set in 1863, Gangs of New York depicts the violent clashes between Catholics and Protestants in the city, with Graham playing the character Shang.
The 2002 epic historical drama, which took decades to make, explores the early underworld gangs of New York.
Yardie
In ‘s directorial debut Yardie, Graham portrayed white Jamaican gangster Rico Grimes. Based on Victor Headley’s novel of the same name, this 2018 crime drama is set in 1970s Kingston, Jamaica and follows Dennis ‘D’ Campbell (Aml Ameen), who is haunted by his brother’s death.
The plot shifts to Hackney, London, where D is tasked with delivering drugs to Rico and building a new life in the UK, all while pursuing his childhood love Yvonne (Shantol Jackson). The cast also includes Fraser James, Sheldon Shepherd and Everaldo Creary.
Stephen Graham starred in the British spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Image: STUDIO CANAL)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
In the British espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Graham takes on the role of former cricketer-turned-sports journalist and occasional spy Jerry Westerby. This adaptation of John le Carré’s work boasts a star-studded cast including Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt and Tony Jones.
Peaky Blinders
Steven Knight’s Birmingham-based mafia saga, headlined by Cillian Murphy, is frequently hailed as one of the finest television shows, chronicling the Shelby family’s rise from poverty to wealth.
Peaky Blinders has grown in popularity over the years, featuring guest villains each season, including Sam Neill, Adrien Brody, Tom Hardy and Aidan Gillen.
Fans were thrilled when Graham finally made an appearance opposite Murphy as trade unionist Hayden Stagg, following speculation that he might portray American gangster Al Capone after his role in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
A Peaky Blinders film titled The Immortal Man, set a few years prior to the series finale, began production in September 2024 and will be released on upon completion.
Adolescence is released on today