Adolescence star Stephen Graham said his “rock” is wife Hannah Walters – who is also making waves in the industry.
Stephen portrays the father of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder in the Netflix drama, which has received top reviews so far. The gritty drama was produced in response to the epidemic of knife crime amongst teenagers across the UK, Stephen said. The 51-year-old actor said, in previous interviews, he typically adopts the method acting approach, which sees performers remain “in role” throughout the production and between takes – a challenge for dark dramas like Adolescence.
But Stephen, who was nominated for a BAFTA for his role in 2021’s Boiling Point, has often lauded the support of Hannah through testing times. He says he has always been Hannah’s biggest fan.
“I watched Hannah back in the day at drama school and always thought she was brilliant,” Stephen, who married the actress and executive producer in 2008, said.
Stephen co-created Adolescence, which Netflix released last week. Each of the four episodes was shot across one take, which critics say adds to the realness of the drama.
Hannah was one of several executive producers for the programme, her latest role in a career spanning nearly two decades. The star was also in Boiling Part with her husband, and has had roles in Malpractice on ITV and crime drama Time on BBC.
The 48-year-old star, who was an executive producer on historical drama A Thousand Blows this year, plays a pivotal role in her and tephen’s joint production company, appropriately named Matriarch Productions.
Their romance began not on a Hollywood set, but in the draughty drama halls of Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, in Sidcup, Kent, where the couple first met while training as actors.
Their connection deepened over the years, particularly when they reunited professionally on This Is England in 2006. By then, their bond had strengthened, and just two years later, on June 6, 2008, the couple tied the knot.
The couple, who have two children, settled in Ibstock, Leicestershire. The showbiz pair were chosen to cut the ribbon at a newly reopened doctors’ surgery in the village, following a revamp two years ago.
Speaking of his life in Ibstock, Stephen previously told Leicestershire Live: “I’m part of the furniture here. I love the sense of camaraderie in Ibstock, the community spirit. It’s a proper English village. I like it that I can go into Smith’s, the local butchers – they’ve been here for years, you know – and people are all chatting and they say hello, how are ya and the treat me like they do everyone else.”
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