“Talk about prolific,” said Michael Hogan in The Guardian. Stephen Graham has appeared in so many exceptional dramas and films that when you see his name in the publicity for a new release “you know you are in for a real treat”. With his “soulful eyes” and “unshowy commitment”, the Lancashire-born actor “brings rare depth to every role he tackles”. Here are some of his best.
This Is England (2006)
“Arguably”, Graham got his first big break in Shane Meadows’ “cult classic” film “This Is England”, said Emily Baker in The i Paper. His ability to bring “complexity” to the character of the “violent, racist skinhead”, Combo, “without uttering a word” is testament to his immense skill as an actor. He later revealed his performance was so raw and intense it almost ended his acting career. But four years later, he managed to reprise the role for Channel 4’s spin-off show revealing a “different side to the thug”.
The Virtues (2019)
Graham teamed up with Shane Meadows again for this four-part mini-series. He plays Joseph, a fragile alcoholic who returns to his native Ireland to “confront his painful past”, said Hogan in The Guardian. This is Graham’s “most emotionally potent” role and his “semi-improvised” performance was a “career peak”. He remains “hypnotic and heartbreakingly human” right through to the show’s “cathartic conclusion”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week’s Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Line of Duty (2019)
Graham managed to “completely steal the show” when he appeared in season five of the “nation’s favourite police procedural”, said Baker in The i Paper. He plays DS John Corbett, a rogue undercover police officer using the alias John Clayton who has infiltrated a violent organised crime group. Graham is at the top of his game when playing “morally questionable characters” and his “dexterity” with Corbett “keeps us guessing” about his true intentions right to the end.
Help (2021)
This one-off drama examines the government’s “devastating” treatment of care homes during the early stages of the pandemic, said Hogan in The Guardian. Graham is “gut-wrenching” as Tony, a middle-aged patient living with early-onset Alzheimer’s who is “lovingly” taken care of by healthcare assistant Sarah (Jodie Comer). Shot in a single 26-minute take, the visceral “night shift from hell” is the show’s “raw but superbly rendered centrepiece”.
Boiling Point (2021)
Graham took on the starring role as “beleaguered” head chef Andy Jones in this “thought-provoking” culinary film, said Stylist. Shot in a single 90-minute take, the action focuses on one “particularly busy” evening at a high-end London restaurant. Andy’s life feels as if it’s “spinning out of control” as he’s forced to juggle the demands of a stressful service with his own personal crises and a health inspection. It’s “glorious chaos” that earned Graham a Bafta nomination.
Time (2021)
This “gritty” prison drama follows Mark Cobden (Sean Bean), a teacher serving a four-year sentence for accidentally killing a cyclist while drink driving, and prison officer Eric McNally (Graham) as they navigate the criminal justice system, said Metro. The duo work “beautifully” together and both performances are “incredibly powerful”. “Bleak” and “hard-hitting”, it’s a difficult watch – but one that will “draw you in from the beginning”.
Adolescence (2025)
Netflix’s harrowing new series “Adolescence” “might be the most difficult thing you’ll watch in 2025”, said Stylist. But it will also be among the most “memorable and important”. Graham co-created and co-wrote the four-part series about a family that’s “torn apart” when 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl from his school. Each episode is filmed in a single take, and Graham features as Jamie’s dad, Eddie. It’s a “nightmarish must-watch”.
