Stephen Graham is making waves in the entertainment industry thanks to his role in Netflix’s acclaimed drama series, Adolescence. The British-born actor initially broke out thanks to his role in Snatch in 2000. Since then, he has become a mainstay on British television and has also crossed over to Hollywood, starring in movies like Gangs of New York, The Irishman, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Despite working under directors like Martin Scorsese and Michael Mann, and sharing the screen with the likes of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Stephen Graham still stays true to his British roots. As Adolescence continues to garner praise worldwide, many people are back-tracing through the BAFTA-nominee’s resume. And this British prison drama series is a must-watch from his impressive and eclectic repertoire.
Why ‘Time’ Is a Must-Watch Stephen Graham Project
Adolescence has proven to be a major hit, not just in the UK, but across the globe. Its themes are hard hitting and extremely relevant. Stephen Graham’s performance has been praised across the board and his name has really ascended as a result. Four years prior to Adolescence, he received many accolades for his performance in the BBC series, Time.
Written and created by renowned BAFTA-winning British writer Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, Moving On), this series is a harsh and visceral look at prison life, not just for the inmates, but also the staff and various family members affected on either end. The plot centres on two main storylines – Mark Cobden (Sean Bean), a man who is consumed by guilt after accidentally killing an innocent man and sent to prison for it, and Eric McNally (Stephen Graham), a prison guard who struggles to find a balance between care and punishment. As Mark struggles to adapt to life in prison due to intense bullying, Eric fights his own battle as he is thrust into a situation that threatens his entire family.
Time deftly delves between two worlds; life inside of the prison, and life outside that has dangerous spillover effects. At the time of its release, the series was praised for its authenticity and powerful lead performances from both Graham and Bean. With an average viewership of 6.09 million viewers across its three episodes, and the first episode alone being watched 8.4 million times on BBC iPlayer, this made Time the broadcaster’s biggest drama of 2021. Since then, it has maintained its pace, thanks to its international presence on the likes of Netflix and Apple TV+.
Who Stars in the Series?
While both Stephen Graham and Sean Bean deliver standout, powerful renditions in Time, the supporting cast is stacked full of British talent, many of whom have gone on to great success further afield. Rapidly-rising star James Nelson-Joyce stars as Johnno, a brutal thug who terrorizes Mark from day one. Despite Eric’s best efforts to protect Mark, Johnno simply won’t stop, adding a sense of unease to every single episode. Interestingly, Nelson-Joyce and Graham have an intwined relationship on and off the camera. When speaking with The Daily Mail, Nelson-Joyce broke down his friendship with Stephen Graham.
Both actors are from the Merseyside of England, and first met in a restaurant where Nelson-Joyce approached Graham and told him he was a huge fan. Graham’s wife Hannah Walters then passed over her email, saying: “Let me know when you’re in stuff and we’ll watch out for you.” Years later, Nelson-Joyce auditioned to star alongside Graham in Little Boy Blue. After wowing everyone in the room, he landed the part and Graham actually remembered him from the restaurant. They have since become good friends and starred alongside each other in Time, and A Thousand Blows.
Graham’s wife also stars in Time, playing his on-screen wife Sonia. The two first met at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance, and regularly collaborate on projects in film and television. Time also features Jack McMullen, who has since gone on to re-team with James Nelson-Joyce and Sean Bean in BBC’s acclaimed crime series, This City Is Ours.
Is There a Second Season?
After the success of Time season 1, a second season was quickly greenlit. However, the plot follows an entirely new story focused on Orla O’Riordan (Jodie Whittaker), a struggling single mother whose life spirals out of control and is sent to prison where she meets the wayward young Kelsey, played by The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey. Stephen Graham does not feature in the second season, as writer Jimmy McGovern felt his character had nowhere further to go. After initially turning down the offer to write another season, he was convinced to get back onboard by writing a completely new story with all new characters. While both seasons have been met with critical praise, season 1 is rather difficult to beat and stands out as a solid slice of British television.
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