Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham | |
|---|---|
.png) Graham in August 2013 | |
| Born | 3 August 1973 Kirkby, Lancashire, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Stephen Joseph Graham OBE (born 3 August 1973) is a British actor. He began his career in 1990, with early notable roles including Tommy in Snatch (2000) and Shang in Gangs of New York (2002), before his breakthrough role as Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the film This Is England (2006).
On television, Graham reprised his role as Combo in This Is England '86 (2010), This Is England '88 (2011), and This Is England '90 (2015). He also starred as Det. Supt. Dave Kelly in the 2017 drama Little Boy Blue, John Corbett in the fifth series of Line of Duty (2019), Al Capone in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014), Eric McNally in the BBC drama Time (2021), and Hayden Stagg in the sixth series of Peaky Blinders (2022).
Graham's film roles include Scrum in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), Anthony Provenzano in The Irishman (2019), Andy Jones in Boiling Point (2021) and its sequel series of the same name (2023), and Patrick Mulligan in Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) and its sequel Venom: The Last Dance (2024). He has received numerous accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, nominations for five British Academy Television Awards and two British Academy Film Awards, and an OBE. In 2020, he co-founded the production company Matriarch Productions alongside his wife, actress Hannah Walters.
Early life
[edit]Stephen Joseph Graham was born on 3 August 1973 in Kirkby, Lancashire.[1] He had a Swedish grandmother and Jamaican grandfather, and has discussed his experience being a light-skinned multiracial person as he has brothers who have much darker skin.[2] He was brought up by his mother, a social worker, and his stepfather, a mechanic who later became a paediatric nurse.[1] He maintained a good relationship with his biological father.[1][3] He attended Overdale Primary School in Kirkby, where he was encouraged to pursue an acting career at the age of eight by local actor Andrew Schofield, who had seen him perform as Jim Hawkins in a school production of Treasure Island.[1] He then continued his education at Ruffwood Comprehensive and was subsequently introduced to Liverpool's Everyman Theatre at the age of 14, later going on to train at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance.[1]
Career
[edit]Graham has often portrayed characters from different parts of Britain, Ireland, and America, receiving praise for his accent work.[4] He began his career in 1990, with early notable roles including Tommy in Snatch (2000), Myron “Mike” Ranney in Band of Brothers (2001), and Shang in Gangs of New York (2002), before his breakout role as Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in the film This Is England (2006). He was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for This Is England He appeared as the Scrum in the 2011 film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, a role he reprised in the 2017 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, starring alongside his wife Hannah Walters.[5][6][7][8]
Graham was nominated for an RTS Award for his work in The Street, and for a British Independent Film Award for his work in This Is England. He appeared in the music videos for "I Remember" by Deadmau5 and Kaskade,[9] "Fluorescent Adolescent" and "When the Sun Goes Down" by Arctic Monkeys, "Unlovable" by Babybird (directed by Johnny Depp), and Gazelle's single "Finger on the Trigger".[10] Graham also appeared in the music video "Soul Vampire" by Macclesfield-based neo-psychedelic band The Virginmarys, the music video for "Turn" by Travis, and Kasabian's video "You're in Love with a Psycho". He appeared as an inmate within the open prison system in the music video for Goldie's "I Adore You" in 2017, and also starred in Sam Fender's music video for "Spit of You".
In 2011, Graham starred in the BBC Christmas show Lapland. When the series was remade as Being Eileen Graham's role was recast with Dean Andrews.[11][12] He also appeared on a promotional video for a DLC of the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts, titled "CODnapped".
In 2019, Graham featured as DS John Corbett in series 5 of the BBC drama Line of Duty.[13][14][15] In November of that year, Graham was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.[16] In January 2020, he appeared in the ITV series White House Farm as Welsh detective "Taff" Jones. Despite his reputation for his ability to adopt different accents, a number of critics criticised his performance and stated that his Welsh accent was inauthentic.[17] Later that year, he co-founded the production company Matriarch Productions alongside Walters.
In 2021, Graham starred alongside Walters in the film Boiling Point, directed by his Band of Brothers co-star Philip Barantini. A one-shot film set in a restaurant kitchen, the film was expanded from a 2019 short film of the same name.[18][19] In October 2022, it was announced that Graham would reprise his role in a BBC One series airing in 2023 as a sequel to the film, which was also called Boiling Point.[20][21]
Personal life
[edit]Graham began dating actress and producer Hannah Walters after they met while training as actors at Rose Bruford College, and they were married on 6 June 2008. They live in Ibstock, Leicestershire, having previously lived in the Beckenham area of London. They have a son and a daughter together.[22] They have appeared together onscreen multiple times.
Graham is teetotal and has dyslexia,[1] revealing in 2019 that Walters reads scripts for him and helps him decide whether to accept a role.[1] He has struggled with depression and once tried to hang himself in his early 20s, stating that he only survived because "the rope snapped".[1] He is a lifelong supporter of Liverpool FC and has made several appearances on Soccer AM.[23]
Graham was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to drama, which he dedicated to his mother, who died in 2022.[24][25][26]
Filmography
[edit]| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Children's Ward | Mickey Bell | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Heartbeat | Barry Ward | Episode: "Riders of the Storm" |
| 1996 | Devil's Food | WPKV News Director | Television film |
| 1997 | The Lakes | Graham | Episode #1.1 |
| 1998 | Brothers and Sisters | Andrew | |
| Where the Heart Is | Nick Bowen | Episode: "Darkness Follows" | |
| Liverpool 1 | Thewlis | 2 episodes | |
| The Jump | Peter McNulty | ||
| 1998–2002 | The Bill | Jezzo / Jason Barrett | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Coronation Street | Lee Sankey | 5 episodes |
| 2000 | Forgive and Forget | John | Television film |
| 2001 | Band of Brothers | Sgt. Myron "Mike" Ranney | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Flesh and Blood | Eddie | Television film |
| 2004 | Top Buzzer | Lee | 10 episodes |
| 2005 | M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team | Jason Phelps | Episode #2.3 |
| Last Rights | Steve | Miniseries | |
| Empire | Bazzer | ||
| 2006–2007 | The Innocence Project | Andrew Lucas | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | The Passion | Barabbas | 3 episodes |
| Occupation | Danny Ferguson | ||
| The Street | Shay Ryan | 2 episodes | |
| 2010 | This Is England '86 | Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2014 | Boardwalk Empire | Al Capone | 36 episodes |
| 2011 | This Is England '88 | Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne | 2 episodes |
| Walk like a Panther | Mark Bolton | Episode #1.1 | |
| 2012 | Accused | Tony | Episode: "Tracie's Story" |
| Parade's End | Vincent Macmaster | 5 episodes | |
| Good Cop | Noel Finch | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | Playhouse Presents | Len | Episode: "The Call Out" |
| 2015 | This Is England '90 | Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | The Secret Agent | Chief Inspector Heat | 3 episodes |
| The Watchman | Carl | Television film | |
| 2017 | Decline and Fall | Philbrick | 3 episodes |
| Taboo | Atticus | 8 episodes | |
| Little Boy Blue | Detective Superintendent Dave Kelly | 4 episodes | |
| 2018 | Action Team | Gavril | Episode: "Mind Games" |
| 2018–2020 | Save Me | Fabio "Melon" Melonzola | Main role |
| 2019 | Line of Duty | John Corbett | Series 5, Main Role |
| The Virtues | Joseph | 4 episodes | |
| A Christmas Carol | Jacob Marley | Miniseries | |
| 2020 | White House Farm | DCI Taff Jones | 6 episodes |
| 2020–2022 | Code 404 | DI Roy Carver | Main role |
| 2021 | Time | Eric McNally | Three-part drama[27] |
| The North Water | Captain Brownlee | Miniseries | |
| Help | Tony | Television film[28][29] | |
| 2022 | Peaky Blinders | Hayden Stagg | Series 6; 2 episodes |
| The Walk-In | Matthew Collins | Main role[30] | |
| 2023 | Boiling Point | Andy | BBC Television sequel series |
| Bodies | Elias Mannix | Main role | |
| 2025 | A Thousand Blows † | Sugar Goodson | Disney+ series; also executive producer |
| TBA | Adolescence † | Eddie Miller | Netflix series; also writer and executive producer |
Music videos
[edit]| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Turn" | Travis |
| 2006 | "When the Sun Goes Down" | Arctic Monkeys |
| 2007 | "Fluorescent Adolescent" | Arctic Monkeys |
| 2008 | "I Remember" | Deadmau5 ft. Kaskade |
| 2008 | "Soul Vampire" | The Virginmarys |
| 2010 | "Unloveable" | Babybird |
| 2017 | "You're in Love with a Psycho" | Kasabian |
| 2017 | "I Adore You" | Goldie |
| 2019 | "Wandering Star" | Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds |
| 2021 | "Spit of You" | Sam Fender |
Awards and nominations
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Arnstrong, Stephen (27 October 2019), "Stephen Graham interview: The teetotal actor on playing an alcoholic in The Virtues, his failed suicide bid, and playing a mobster in Scorsese's epic The Irishman", The Times.
- ^ Cline, Rich (22 April 2007). "Shane Meadows discusses his most personal film to date, which is saying something". Shadows on the Wall. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
Stephen Graham, who plays Combo, he has a mixed-race heritage. He has a Swedish grandmother, a fully Jamaican grandfather [...]
- ^ Barkham, Patrick (30 June 2009). "Gizza job, CBeebies". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ Kermode, Jennie (23 February 2007), "Racism and rights of passage: Actor Stephen Graham discusses his role in this year's most talked-about British film, This Is England", Eye For Film.
- ^ Line Of Duty's Stephen Graham stars with wife in BBC show and it's 'brilliant' - The Mirror Online
- ^ Stephen Graham and his wife Hannah have the most amazing real life love story that sounds straight out of Hollywood - Wales Online
- ^ Pirates of the Caribbean star Stephen Graham: my wife helps read my scripts because I'm dyslexic - The Mirror Online
- ^ Stephen Graham on Twitter: What a beauty!!!!! I'd still kiss ya!!!
- ^ McAlpine, Fraser (10 May 2009). "Deadmau5 & Kaskade - 'I Remember'". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ Banduk, Gazelle (18 November 2018). "Gazelle - Finger on the Trigger". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ Munn, Patrick (13 September 2012). "BBC One Orders Follow Up To Christmas Comedy 'Lapland', Stephen Graham's Role Recast". TV Wise. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "Being Eileen". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "Line of Duty series 5 casts actor Stephen Graham – but what could his role be?".
- ^ "Line of Duty's Stephen Graham: 'My throat-slitting was superb. I'm good at dying'". TheGuardian.com. 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Who is Stephen Graham playing in Line of Duty season 5?". 22 April 2019.
- ^ "Stephen Graham, actor". BBC Online. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ Hitt, Carolyn (11 January 2020). "We need authentic Welsh voices - not English actors mangling our accents". walesonline. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Boyce, Laurence (23 August 2021). "Karlovy Vary 2021: Philip Barantini talks filming 'Boiling Point' in one take". Screen Daily. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ Aftab, Kaleem (31 August 2021). "Philip Barantini, Director of Boiling Point". Cineuropa. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ Williams, Owen (21 October 2022). "Boiling Point TV Series Starring Stephen Graham Confirmed For BBC". Empire. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Boiling Point review: Stephen Graham takes a backseat in this stellar slice of TV".
- ^ Marlow, Lee; Smith, Daniel (20 February 2018). "Meet Stephen Graham, the Hollywood star who lives in a Leicestershire village". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ Fendley, John; Chamberlain, Helen (2015). "Soccer AM - Stephen Graham". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N13.
- ^ Kataria, Sonia (30 December 2022). "New Year Honours 2023: Actor Stephen Graham appointed OBE". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ McLaughlin, Caroline (31 December 2022). "Stephen Graham says he shares OBE with 'incredible' late mother". Independent. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "First look at Sean Bean and Stephen Graham in Time as Siobhan Finneran joins cast". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "Stephen Graham and Jodie Comer to star in new Channel 4 drama Help". rts.org.uk. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham on friendship, football and their new care home drama". TheGuardian.com. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ "TV commissions true story, The Walk-In, starring Stephen Graham". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "BAFTA Awards Search | BAFTA Awards".
- ^ "International Film Festival of Wales | 2018". Film Festival Guild. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ Hooton, Kayleigh (8 May 2022). "BAFTA TV Awards 2022 winners in full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- ^ Evans, Connie; Ashe, Isaac (25 March 2022). "Best actor award for Stephen Graham after TWO nominations". LeicestershireLive. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ @seouldramaawards (23 September 2022). "SDA 2022 winners". Retrieved 19 October 2022 – via Instagram.
External links
[edit]
- 1973 births
- Living people
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors
- Actors from Kirkby
- Actors with dyslexia
- Alumni of Rose Bruford College
- Black British male actors
- English male film actors
- English male television actors
- English people of Jamaican descent
- English people of Swedish descent
- Male actors from Liverpool
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- British actors with disabilities