Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham (born 3 August 1973) is an English actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in This Is England (2006) and its television sequels This Is England '86 (2010), This Is England '88 (2011), and This Is England '90 (2015), as well as his roles as Tommy in Snatch (2000), Shang in Gangs of New York (2002), Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano in The Irishman (2019), and Scrum in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. On television, he has starred in the fifth series of Line of Duty on BBC One and as Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire on HBO.
Stephen Graham | |
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Graham in August 2013 | |
Born | Kirkby, Lancashire, England | 3 August 1973
Residence | Ibstock, Leicestershire, England |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1990–present |
Spouse(s) | Hannah Walters (m. 2008) |
Children | 2 |
Early life
Graham was born on 3 August 1973 in the Southdene area of Kirkby, Lancashire.[lower-alpha 1][1] He was raised by his mother, a social worker, and his stepfather, a mechanic who later became a paediatric nurse.[1] He maintained a good relationship with his biological father.[1] His paternal grandfather was Jamaican,[1][2] while his paternal grandmother was Swedish.[3] He attended Overdale Primary School in Kirkby, where he was encouraged to pursue an acting career at the age of eight by local actor Andrew Schofield, who had seen him perform as Jim Hawkins in a school production of Treasure Island.[1] He was subsequently introduced to Liverpool's Everyman Theatre at the age of 14, and would go on to train at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance.[1]
Career
Graham has often portrayed characters from different British, Irish and American regions. He has played characters who are Cockney, Geordie, Scouse and Scottish, as well as an Irish gang member in 19th-century New York City, a 1930s Chicago bank robber, a Brooklyn mobster, a Texan, the short-fused English nationalist "Combo" in This Is England,[4] and a Jamaican gangster in Yardie.
Graham was nominated for an RTS Award for his work in The Street and a British Independent Film Award for his work on This Is England. He appeared in the music videos for "I Remember" by Deadmau5 and Kaskade,[5] both "Fluorescent Adolescent" and "When the Sun Goes Down" by the Arctic Monkeys, "Unlovable" by Babybird (directed by Johnny Depp), and Gazelle's single "Finger on the Trigger".[6] Graham also appeared in the music video "Soul Vampire" by Macclesfield-based neo-psychedelic band The Virginmarys, and the music video for "Turn" by Travis, also Kasabian's video "You're in Love with a Psycho". He appeared as an inmate within the open prison system for Goldie's "I Adore You" music video in 2017.
In 2011 Graham starred in the BBC Christmas show Lapland, but when the series was remade as Being Eileen, Graham's role was recast with Dean Andrews.[7][8] He also appeared on a promotional video for a DLC of the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts, titled "CODnapped".
In November 2019 Graham was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.[9]
Personal life
Graham married actress Hannah Walters on 6 June 2008. They met and began a relationship while training at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance and currently reside in Ibstock, Leicestershire, having previously lived in the Beckenham area of London. They have a son named Alfie and a daughter named Grace.[10]
Graham is a fan of Liverpool FC and has made several appearances on the Sky Sports football show Soccer AM.
Graham has struggled with depression, which once led to a suicide attempt: "In my early twenties, I suffered from really bad depression and tried to take my own life once. Thankfully, the rope snapped and I'm here today. But I know the loneliness, isolation and feeling you can't cope in the world."[1]
Graham is teetotal.[1] He suffers from dyslexia and has said that his wife reads scripts for him and helps him decide whether to accept or decline a role: "She says, 'We're doing this,' and I say, 'OK.' [...] If I can find socially aware, political things that are saying something—well, that's where I'm from. It's what I know. So it's where I've tried to keep my base."[1]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Dancin' Thru the Dark | Football Kid | |
1991 | Blonde Fist | Son | |
1997 | Downtime | Jacko | |
1998 | Joint Venture | Ace | Short film |
2000 | Snatch | Tommy | |
2001 | Blow Dry | Photographer | |
2001 | The Last Minute | DJ Banana | |
2002 | Revengers Tragedy | Officer | |
2002 | Gangs of New York | Shang | |
2003 | American Cousins | Henry | |
2003 | Without You | Billy | Short film |
2004 | The I Inside | Travis | |
2005 | Pit Fighter | Harry | |
2005 | Goal! | Des | |
2006 | Scummy Man | George | Short film |
2006 | This Is England | Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne | Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor |
2007 | The Good Night | Victor | |
2008 | Filth and Wisdom | Harry Beecham | |
2008 | The Crew | Franner | |
2008 | Inkheart | Fulvio | |
2009 | The Devil's Wedding | The Hotelier | Short film |
2009 | Awaydays | Godden | |
2009 | The Damned United | Billy Bremner | |
2009 | Doghouse | Vince | |
2009 | Public Enemies | Baby Face Nelson | |
2010 | London Boulevard | Danny | |
2011 | Season of the Witch | Hagamar | |
2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | Scrum | |
2011 | Texas Killing Fields | Rhino | |
2011 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | Jerry Westerby | |
2011 | Being Eileen | Pete Lewis | |
2012 | Best Laid Plans | Danny | |
2012 | Blood | Chrissie Fairburn | |
2014 | Get Santa | Barber | |
2014 | Hyena | David Knight | |
2015 | A Patch of Fog | Robert Green | |
2015 | Orthodox | Benjamin | Executive producer |
2017 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | Scrum | |
2017 | Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool | Joe Turner Jr. | |
2017 | Journey's End | Trotter | |
2017 | Funny Cow | Mike | |
2017 | The Man with the Iron Heart | Heinrich Himmler | |
2018 | Yardie | Rico | |
2018 | Walk like a Panther | Mark Bolton | |
2019 | Hellboy | Gruagach | Voice |
2019 | Rocketman | Dick James | |
2019 | The Irishman | Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano | Pending—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
2019 | Boiling Point | Chef | Short film |
2019 | Pop | Pop | Short film |
2020 | Greyhound | Post-production | |
2020 | Venom 2 | Filming |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Children's Ward | Mickey Bell | 2 episodes |
1993 | Heartbeat | Barry Ward | Episode: "Riders of the Storm" |
1996 | Devil's Food | WPKV News Director | Television film |
1997 | The Lakes | Graham | "Episode No.1.1" |
1998 | Brothers and Sisters | Andrew | |
1998 | Where the Heart Is | Nick Bowen | Episode: "Darkness Follows" |
1998 | Liverpool 1 | Thewlis | 2 episodes |
1998 | The Jump | Peter McNulty | 2 episodes |
1998–2002 | The Bill | Jezzo / Jason Barrett | 3 episodes |
1999 | Coronation Street | Lee Sankey | 5 episodes |
2000 | Forgive and Forget | John | Television film |
2001 | Band of Brothers | Sgt. Myron "Mike" Ranney | 2 episodes |
2002 | Flesh and Blood | Eddie | Television film |
2004 | Top Buzzer | Lee | 10 episodes |
2005 | M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team | Jason Phelps | "Episode No.2.3" |
2005 | Last Rights | Steve | Miniseries |
2005 | Empire | Bazzer | Miniseries |
2006–2007 | The Innocence Project | Andrew Lucas | 6 episodes |
2008 | The Passion | Barabbas | 3 episodes |
2008 | Occupation | Danny Ferguson | 3 episodes |
2008 | The Street | Shay Ryan | 2 episodes Nominated — RTS Award for Best Actor |
2010 | This Is England '86 | Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne | 4 episodes |
2010–2014 | Boardwalk Empire | Al Capone | 36 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
2011 | This Is England '88 | Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne | 2 episodes |
2011 | Walk like a Panther | Mark Bolton | 1 episode |
2012 | Accused | Tony | Episode: "Tracie's Story" |
2012 | Parade's End | Vincent Macmaster | 5 episodes |
2012 | Good Cop | Noel Finch | 4 episodes |
2013 | Playhouse Presents | Len | Episode: "The Call Out" |
2015 | This Is England '90 | Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne | 3 episodes Nominated—British Academy Television Award for Best Actor |
2016 | The Secret Agent | Chief Inspector Heat | 3 episodes |
2016 | The Watchman | Carl | Television film |
2017 | Decline and Fall | Philbrick | 3 episodes |
2017 | Taboo | Atticus | 8 episodes |
2017 | Little Boy Blue | Detective Superintendent Dave Kelly | 4 episodes |
2018 | Save Me | Fabio "Melon" Melonzola | 6 episodes |
2018 | Action Team | Gavril | Episode: "Mind Games" |
2019 | Line of Duty | John Corbett | Series 5 |
2019 | The Virtues | Joseph | 4 episodes |
2019 | A Christmas Carol | Jacob Marley | Miniseries |
2020 | White House Farm | DCI Taff Jones | |
TBA | The North Water | Captain Brownlee |
Music videos
Year | Title | Artist |
---|---|---|
2006 | "When the Sun Goes Down" | Arctic Monkeys |
2007 | "Fluorescent Adolescent" | Arctic Monkeys |
2008 | "I Remember" | Deadmau5 ft. Kaskade |
2010 | "Unloveable" | Babybird |
2017 | "You're in Love with a Psycho" | Kasabian |
2018 | "Finger on the Trigger" | Gazelle |
2019 | "Wandering Star" | Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds |
Notes
- Before 1 April 1974, Kirkby was in Lancashire and not Merseyside.
References
- Arnstrong, Stephen (27 October 2019), "Stephen Graham interview: The teetotal actor on playing an alcoholic in The Virtues, his failed suicide bid, and playing a mobster in Scorsese’s epic The Irishman", The Times.
- Barkham, Patrick (30 June 2009). "'Gizza job, CBeebies'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- Cline, Rich (22 April 2007). "Shane Meadows discusses his most personal film to date, which is saying something". Shadows on the Wall. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
Stephen Graham, who plays Combo, he has a mixed-race heritage. He has a Swedish grandmother, a fully Jamaican grandfather [...]
- Kermode, Jennie (23 February 2007), "Racism and rights of passage: Actor Stephen Graham discusses his role in this year's most talked-about British film, This Is England", Eye For Film.
- McAlpine, Fraser (10 May 2009). "Deadmau5 & Kaskade - 'I Remember'". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- Banduk, Gazelle. "Gazelle - Finger On The Trigger" – via YouTube.
- Munn, Patrick (13 September 2012). "BBC One Orders Follow Up To Christmas Comedy 'Lapland', Stephen Graham's Role Recast". TV Wise. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- "Being Eileen". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bdlj
- Marlow, Lee; Smith, Daniel (20 February 2018). "Meet Stephen Graham, the Hollywood star who lives in a Leicestershire village". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2018.