Fans of long-serving actor Stephen Graham are lauding his performance in a new show that they say cements his “greatness.”
High praise for Graham, 51, came after the release of Netflix‘s four-part miniseries, Adolescence. Graham, who plays the character of dad Eddie Miller, is also the show’s creator and executive producer. His portrayal has received plenty of praise online, with some claiming Graham, who also starred in The Irishman and This is England, one of the best working actors around.
The BAFTA-nominated celeb has received high praise before, but his appearance in Adolescence has opened him up to viral posts on social media. Many fans of the show singled out Graham as one of the best parts of the show, calling it a “moving performance.”
One user took to X to write: “Finished Adolescence, what an incredible show. We genuinely do not talk enough about the greatness of Stephen Graham. This final scene had me bawling.”
Another wrote: “About as close to perfection within the medium of British drama you’re ever going to get. Sensational. Stephen Graham… cmon… no words for this moving a performance. F**k. Owen Cooper, 15-years-old and a debut holding your own like THAT!? Serious piece of work.”
A third added: “Adolescence is absolutely astounding. This might be Stephen Graham’s best work yet, and newcomer Owen Cooper completely holds his own. It’s a tough but incredibly important drama, shot to perfection.”
Graham has gone on to praise his co-star, Owen Cooper, and called him “the next Robert De Niro” while sat next to the Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter star.
Newsnight host Victoria Derbyshire also praised Graham’s performance. She took to X and wrote: “The teenage actor who plays Jamie in Adolescence is absolutely outstanding. He’s called Owen Cooper and he’s 15. Incredible. Everyone is brilliant in it – Stephen Graham SUPERB.”
Others are calling for Graham to be handed an award for his work on the show, with the star’s last win coming for his work on Help and Time. The Broadcasting Press Guild Awards handed him a Best Actor nod for his work on the Covid-19 pandemic drama Help, and Sean Bean-starring prison drama Time.
One user wrote: “Jesus, they should show the first episode of Adolescence to secondary school kids. It’s grim and frightening, but might be a good deterrent. Also, give Stephen Graham all the awards.”
Another added: “Adolescence on Netflix is really good. Great cast but Stephen Graham is just next level.” A third suggested the show should be added to the national curriculum given its important message and quality.
They wrote: “This is going to stay with me for a very long time. Episode 3, in particular. Incredible writing from Stephen Graham & Jack Thorne. A directing and acting masterclass. Smack it on the national curriculum, @UKLabour. Give them all the awards.”
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