This week, the TV show everyone’s been talking about has been Adolescence, a crime drama about a 13-year-old boy who’s accused of murder.
The series, which features four episodes that have each been filmed in one continuous shot, stars Owen Cooper, 15, as the suspect Jamie Miller in a star-making acting debut.
British acting legend Stephen Graham, 51, is also in the cast, delivering a gut-wrenching performance as Jamie’s dad Eddie Miller who’s striving to be there for his son while grappling with the tragedy that’s occurred.
For years, plenty of people have hailed A Thousand Blows and Peaky Blinders star Stephen as one of Britain’s greatest actors ever.
So after watching Adolescence, here are seven more of his best performances for you to get sucked into.
Boiling Point
Four years ago, Stephen worked with Adolescence director Philip Barantini on Boiling Point, an innovative and anxiety-inducing movie that was filmed in one shot.
The actor starred as the head chef Andy Jones, a role he later reprised in the 2023 spin-off TV series.
Following its release in 2021, Boiling Point scored critical acclaim with viewers and critics alike, with many showering Stephen with praise.
In a review posted online, one fan called Steve wrote: ‘Stephen is an astoundingly genuine actor. You never watch him and think “this is great acting” – you watch him and are fully immersed in him and the situation.’
Boiling Point (2021) is available to stream on Channel 4, while the TV series is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
A Thousand Blows
Just a few weeks ago, Stephen transported audiences to the underground world of Victorian bare-knuckle boxing in the stellar TV series A Thousand Blows, which also featured his Adolescence co-star Erin Doherty.
Not only was his physical transformation impressive – taking six months to tone his muscles to embody the imposing Sugar Goodson – but every scene that he was in rippled with tension.
In our review, Metro wrote: ‘Every powerful punch and crunch of bones feels palpable through the screen… and there are some particularly gruesome scenes that’ll definitely have you wincing from the comfort of your sofa.’
Discussing the fight sequences, Stephen told us: ‘We had a great fight coordinator, we had wonderful stuntmen, and we just went for it. We had stunt doubles, which… got a little bit angry because they weren’t used. But that’s great – for us to be able to do our own stuff is fantastic.’
A Thousand Blows is available to stream on Disney Plus.
Line of Duty
Stephen made his debut in Line of Duty in 2019, starring as John Corbett – a police officer who’s gone undercover in an organised crime group.
This series of the BBC crime drama marked a huge increase in the number of viewers tuning in to watch, with the finale peaking at an incredible 9.6m.
Several fans wrote online that in their opinion, Stephen was the ‘best thing about the series’.
‘Corbett was a great character, and Stephen Graham’s acting performance is right up there with the best of the series,’ Clem_Crozier wrote on Reddit.
Line of Duty is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
This is England
Following the release of the This Is England film in 2006, the franchise spawned film sequels and a spin-off mini series, all of which saw Stephen reprise his role as antagonist Andrew ‘Combo’ Gascoigne.
In 2015, he spoke about how playing Combo ‘changed his life in many ways’.
‘It was the kind of role I’d been waiting to play for years. As an actor you really want to challenge yourself. When someone gives you the chance to create a character like that, it’s just a wonderful gift,’ he told Channel 4.
On Reddit, one fan called FrontRowNinja called the franchise a ‘masterpiece’, while another comment read: ‘I maintain that This is England is one of the best things to happen to British films.’
This Is England (the film) is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video. You can stream the This Is England mini-series on Channel 4.
Time
When BBC drama Time was released four years ago, viewers were left in a state of horror and awe over what they’d witnessed.
In Metro‘s review, we told viewers how certain scenes would be ‘especially tough’ to watch, but the magnificent performances from stars including Stephen and Sean Bean made it worth watching.
‘Stephen Graham could not be less than brilliant if he tried. Fantastic range of emotions and a true national treasure,’ one fan called Nick wrote in a review.
Stephen received a nomination at the Bafta TV Awards for best supporting actor, while Sean, 65, was awarded the best actor accolade.
Time is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
The Irishman
If anyone can command the screen while facing off against some of the greatest heavyweights in cinema – Robert De Niro and Al Pacino – it’s Stephen Graham.
In 2019, he starred in Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour ganger epic The Irishman, playing mobster Anthony ‘Tony Pro’ Provenzano, complete with a thick American accent.
After watching a clip of Stephen and Al, 84, going head-to-head in a tantalising scene, one YouTube user called @ColonelSternlove commented: ‘Stephen Graham – easily one of the best modern actors.’
‘Great to see Liverpool’s best actor share a scene with two Hollywood legends!’ another called @cragsby shared.
The Irishman is available to stream on Netflix.
Help
A year and a half after the Covid-19 pandemic forced people in countries around the world into lockdowns, Stephen starred in a devastating Channel 4 drama about how care homes were affected.
Written by Jack Thorne – who also co-wrote Adolescence with Stephen – Help starred Jodie Comer as a woman called Sarah who works as a care home assistant and forges a connection with Tony (Stephen), a man who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
In Metro’s review, we wrote: ‘The gravity and reality of the one-part drama make it both an essential watch and a crucial reminder of just how abandoned many people in care homes felt when the pandemic hit.’
One viewer called IJ wrote in a review: ‘It’s a fantastic film. Jodie Comer’s acting was fantastic. Stephen Graham acting was fantastic. Made me cry watching it.’
Help is available to stream on Channel 4.
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