Esteemed British actor Stephen Graham is lastly seeing the stardom he has lengthy deserved. The chameleon of expertise not too long ago gained his first Primetime Emmy for his function within the hit Netflix psycho-drama collection Adolescence. Weeks previous to its launch, Graham snatched viewers’ consideration together with his powerhouse portrayal of Nineteenth-century boxer Sugar Goodson in Hulu’s A Thousand Blows.
The four-time BAFTA-nominated actor is a masterclass in versatility, giving super performances—often representing struggles of the working class—so intense and compelling, they ooze with authenticity and depart a long-lasting impression that renders viewers speechless.
From his early days on the large display screen portraying villains, sidekicks, and antiheroes to his current years on tv as a detective and mum or dad, these are Stephen Graham’s must-see film and tv roles.
10
Snatch (2000)
One among Graham’s first main—and most light-hearted—roles was in Man Ritchie’s basic movie Snatch, a British gangster film that got here out of nowhere and sucked us all in. It is arduous to face out in a genius crime comedy subsequent to stars like Jason Statham and Brad Pitt, however Graham does it, shining entrance and middle each single time.
He stars as Tommy, the clueless, gullible sidekick to Jason Statham’s Turkish, a crooked boxing promoter. As bumbling, low-level gangsters, the 2 are the movie’s finest characters. Graham is charming from the bounce and is a complete scene stealer together with his super bodily comedy, including an additional thick layer of British humor to this cult basic centered round a diamond—and a bare-knuckle-boxing gypsy.
When Tommy’s boxer, Mickey (Pitt), manages to upset a neighborhood gangster in a giant method, a tragically unlucky however comical collection of occasions ensue, with Tommy anchored within the center. He is proof you need to by no means choose a guide by its cowl.
9
Gangs of New York (2002)
The ten-time Oscar-nominated Gangs of New York options an unforgettable efficiency from Stephen Graham that earned him one other notch on the profession path of enjoying morally questionable characters.
Set in 1863, Gangs of New York follows Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he infiltrates an Anglo-Protestant gang and seeks revenge on its chief, Invoice the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis), for murdering his father. Issues go sideways, and an all-out gang conflict unfolds within the streets, amid the backdrop of the Civil Struggle. It is an epic watch if you have not seen it and are a fan of gritty crime and gangster dramas.
Graham is most notably remembered on this film for 2 issues: his stand-out, viscerally emotional efficiency as Shang, the younger chief of theivery gang the Lifeless Rabbits, and for almost breaking Leonardo DiCaprio’s leg on set.
8
This Is England (2006)
Although he’d been in movie and on tv for over a decade, Graham’s breakout function got here in 2006 with coming-of-age drama This Is England. His efficiency as a skinhead antagonist is astonishing, and it is essentially the most notable of his profession.
As Andrew “Combo” Gascoigne, Graham provides an unnerving efficiency as a racist ex-con whose return to his gang divides them into two factions. Combo’s far-right, nationalist views and inherent rage infiltrate the movie with poisonous masculinity, momentarily weaving with tender moments the place he’s seen as a kind of father determine to a younger new recruit.
Graham’s dedication to the function will ground you, because it ought to. Because the villain of this film, he tackles its delicate material and his character’s violent outbursts with a lot gripping consciousness, you may’t assist however change into invested in his private story. Graham, alone, makes this film a staggering piece of cinema that’s a must-see for followers—significantly this speech you may check out on YouTube.
7
Public Enemies (2009)
Graham devoured the silver display screen together with his portrayal of George “Child Face” Nelson in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies.
As John Dillinger’s (Johnny Depp’s) sociopathic lieutenant in his bank-robbing gang, Graham provides a violent, risky efficiency that impressively highlighted and translated Nelson’s explosive temperament for the display screen. His intense portrayal of an unhinged prison served as a layer of harmful authenticity, intently depicting the ambiance of Dillinger’s ultimate days.
Graham’s improvisational expertise was a big contribution to the movie, incomes him reward for his skill to seize the uncooked, unpredictable nature of Nelson’s actions. His intense vitality captured the brutality of the period in addition to a stereotypical gangster’s persona, making him one of many movie’s most memorable characters, though it was not a number one function.
6
Boardwalk Empire (2010)
No stranger to working with Martin Scorsese, Graham landed a significant function within the director’s first TV undertaking, Boardwalk Empire, whereby he tackled the function of notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone.
The interval crime drama is ready through the Prohibition Period in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, and follows the exploits of corrupt county treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (The Huge Lebowski’s Steve Buscemi). It additionally traces the journey of Al Capone from younger, naïve driver to one of the crucial infamous crime bosses in U.S. historical past.
Regardless of gathering inspiration from the real-life gangster, Graham takes liberty on this depiction and provides in his personal layers to the character. For instance, he exhibits a extra convoluted aspect to the prison, which is superior as a result of historical past books overlook that in favor of his prison actions.
Stephen Graham’s portrayal of Al Capone was so exemplary, he obtained a Display Actors Guild Award in 2011 and 2012 for Excellent Efficiency By an Ensemble Solid and nominations in 2014 and 2015.
Boardwalk Empire
- Launch Date
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2010 – 2014-00-00
- Showrunner
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Terence Winter
- Administrators
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Timothy Van Patten, Allen Coulter
5
The Irishman (2019)
In Martin Scorsese’s epic gangster film, Stephen Graham holds his personal amongst a star-studded forged of gangster-acting veterans that features Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel.
The Irishman chronicles the life and instances of real-life hitman Frank Sheeran (De Niro), that includes Graham as Anthony Provenzano, a short-fused, real-life mobster from the Genovese crime household who finds himself continuously concerned in blistering back-and-forth confrontations with everybody—significantly Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).
What makes Graham’s efficiency within the movie so huge and intense is his expert use of bodily improvisation, like within the jail scene the place he spontaneously slaps a bowl of ice cream out of Pacino’s palms, actually scaring the actor on the time, leaving him blown away by Graham’s spectacular skill to translate feelings to the display screen on an unscripted whim. That is an explosive, must-see second.
4
Boiling Level (2021)
In case you’re a fan of The Bear, then this astounding one-take film is a must-see. The primary time Graham and director Philip Barantini experimented with one-take photographs, Boiling Point was the consequence. That’s fairly spectacular.
This extremely intense, completely nerve-racking thriller follows a reasonably unhinged, sometimes conceited chef named Andy Jones (Graham) as he navigates a single night time of service at his extremely acclaimed London restaurant. I must also point out he’s battling drug and alcohol points, and all of this takes place after a scathing go to from a well being and security inspector that will get below his pores and skin.
Boiling Level is a strain cooker of a movie, and so is Graham’s efficiency, which gives startling vulnerability to the function of a person slowly coming aside on the seams. Merely put, he’s the success of this movie, carrying it from begin to end in each which method. He was so impactful, the truth is, that he returned to reprise this function in a follow-up four-part TV miniseries.
3
Our bodies (2023)
One of the intriguing detective sci-fi exhibits on tv, Bodies doesn’t fall into the everyday style Graham often invests in. Nonetheless, he tackles time journey with the identical seriousness and ferocity he does every part else, and it really works like a appeal.
Within the hit collection, 4 detectives in numerous time durations of London discover themselves investigating the identical homicide. Graham portrays the mysterious character of Elias Mannix/Julian Harker within the yr 2053, the final interval in an extended, drawn-out homicide thriller that spans over 150 years. Because the enigmatic chief of the political group The Govt, Mannix can also be a possible hyperlink to the 4 homicide instances.
Graham showcases his platinum performing skill right here by giving a cohesive efficiency that not solely unifies all of the plot threads floating round but additionally enriches and elevates the standard of the collection’ narrative. It additionally underscores his skill to embody the nuance wanted to play hit detective roles, not simply explosive, villainous ones.
Bodies
- Launch Date
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2023 – 2022
- Showrunner
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Paul Tomalin
- Administrators
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Marco Kreuzpainter, Haolu Wang
2
Adolescence (2025)
By now, I’m positive you’ve heard about what an engrossing collection Adolescence is, so now’s the right time to research all of the hype. Consider me, it is warranted.
Stephen Graham co-wrote this gripping cautionary story exploring the confusion of adolescence, the psychological states it provokes, the poisonous affect of social media, and the psychological states provoked by trauma. The award-winning actor stars as Eddie Miller, a father desperately making an attempt to carry it collectively for his complete household after his 13-year-old son is arrested for the homicide of a classmate. His efficiency is palpable and monumental, leaving your coronary heart smeared everywhere in the ground by the collection finish. It’s mindfully damaged down into moments that burst by the display screen and grip you by the throat, making you part of every part occurring, in actual time.
Like Boiling Level, Adolescence can also be filmed in a one-shot course of, guaranteeing we keep rooted within the coronary heart of the story, and it really works—we do. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Graham and his younger co-star, Owen Cooper, who performs his son.
Stephen Graham gained his first Primetime Emmy in 2025 for his function as Excellent Lead Actor in a Restricted or Anthology Sequence or Film and one other for Excellent Writing for a Restricted or Anthology Sequence or Film, which he shares with Jack Thorne. Adolescence additionally gained an Emmy for Excellent Restricted or Anthology Sequence.
1
A Thousand Blows (2025)
For this brilliantly entertaining bare-knuckle boxing drama, Graham teamed up with Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight. A Thousand Blows is one hell of an formidable, violent, thirsty Victorian story.
The bloody boxing drama is impressed by the true-life tales of a gaggle of characters battling for survival within the brutal East Finish of London within the Eighteen Eighties. Our story follows two Jamaican immigrants who attempt to make it in London’s underground struggle scene, however there are all types of obstacles to face—one being tough-as-nails, no-nonsense boxer Henry “Sugar” Goodson.
Graham balanced his emotionally uncooked efficiency in Adolescence together with his explosive powerhouse portrayal in A Thousand Blows, managing to seamlessly mix the piercing nature of Peaky Blinders’ Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) with the barbaric rage of Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons. He’s a boss-level villain going all-in with a passionate efficiency that leaves you thirsting for extra.
The collection additionally depicts the primary identified feminine gang throughout this time, The Forty Elephants, and they’re simply as spectacular to observe and discover.
When you end driving Stephen Graham’s wave of fiery roles, shift over and journey the wave of one of TV’s best kept secrets. You’ll want to hold your eyes peeled, although. Extra of Graham’s powerhouse performances are slated to reach quickly, and also you gained’t need to miss them.
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