Actor Stephen Graham speaks to ITV News Arts Editor Nina Nannar about his new series Adolescence

When I mentioned to friends and colleagues that I was going to interview Stephen Graham, the responses varied from ‘he’s my favourite actor’ to ‘he’s the greatest actor in the world’. 

Well, everyone’s favourite actor is not resting on his laurels.

His current project, Adolescence, which is on Netflix now, is some of the most staggering television I’ve ever seen.

Four hour-long episodes, dealing with a teenage boy accused of stabbing a schoolgirl to death, they delve into themes of toxic masculinity, incels, the malevolent impact the internet can have on young minds, parental influences – themes that will speak to many, many families today.

Owen Cooper, left, and Stephen Graham, right, in Adolescence Credit: Netflix

It’s going to be a chilling watch for parents of teenagers, I say to Stephen Graham, who created and wrote the series with award-winning screenwriter Jack Thorne, and who also plays the father of the accused 13-year-old boy.

“That’s what it should be,” he replies. “We were brought up on strong television that was saying something, like Boys from the Blackstuff.

“We don’t have the answers and we’re not saying that we do….but as a society we need to look at these kinds of things.

“We wanted to put a mirror up to society and just say take a little look and see what’s going on.”

He points towards what he calls a pandemic of knife crime and says he and director Philip Barantini, came up with the idea for the drama after hearing news stories of teenage stabbings, particularly of young boys attacking girls.  

Graham admits then when he sees the news, he can be quick to judge, like many, and blame the parents. He wanted to highlight how that is not always the case. 

“There was no social media in our day,” adds Barantini. “But there’s so much out there now and it’s so accessible.

“There are things that send kids down a rabbit hole and they believe that to be true. It’s a scary time. I’ve got an eight-year-old daughter and I’m scared for the future.”

His advice to parents is simple: “Talk to your kids.”

Graham echoes that, telling me that one of the main aims for everyone involved in the project was to “start conversations in homes,” between parents and their children about how to navigate the world today.

It takes a village to raise a child, he adds. 

He and Barantini have known each other for 25 years, meeting as actors on the set of the US drama series Band of Brothers, but their partnership soared to new heights when they made Boiling Point, the UK’s first feature length film shot in one take.

Set in a frantic restaurant kitchen, it drew huge acclaim. 

With Adolescence they have taken things to another level by making all four episodes this way.

Two cameras were used with the operators switching seamlessly from one to another so the shot could continue.

There are thrilling scenes of police raids, and chases across streets and neighbourhoods.

Two takes were shot a day over the filming period, with the best one eventually chosen for broadcast.

The episodes of Adolescence were shot in a single take Credit: Netflix

Barantini, who directed the series, said the method allows for an immersive experience with the viewers almost part of the action, sharing moments of tension. 

Amongst a stellar cast, including Graham and Erin Doherty, is 14-year-old Owen Cooper, who plays the 13-year-old lead in the series, Jamie Cooper.

Chosen from hundreds of other hopefuls, Cooper, who has never acted before, is a phenomenon.

Graham has long made it an aim of his company Matriarch Productions, which he co founded with his wife actress Hannah Walters, to champion underrepresented groups in TV and film.

So to play the lead, he wanted a boy who had not gone to theatre school.

14-year-old Owen Cooper plays the lead Credit: Netflix

Owen’s family, Graham says, live in a council house, and he is proud that the drama team have given an opportunity to a talent that might otherwise have struggled to get a foot in the industry. 

Owen is currently filming alongside Margot Robbie playing a young Heathcliff in a new production of Wuthering Heights. 

If discovering Owen is the only thing that comes out of this project, Graham tells me, he can sleep well tonight. 

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…