Stephen Graham, who is the lead in the new Netflix drama, Adolescence, has been married to his wife Hannah Walters since 2008 – and has credited her as his ‘rock’
Stephen Graham is the lead in the new Netflix crime drama Adolescence and is joined by his actress wife, Hannah Walters. The couple have starred in a string of TV productions together, with Stephen crediting his wife of 17 years as being his ‘rock’ long before his career flourished.
In the gritty Netflix series that delves into “an ordinary family’s worst nightmare,” Stephen portrays a father whose life spirals out of control after his 13-year-old son is arrested for murder. Stephen co-wrote four-part drama Adolescence with This Is England’s Jack Thorne, and teamed up once again with director Philip Barantini following their work on Boiling Point.
His wife, Hannah, who is an accomplished actress and producer in her own right, stepped into the role of a teacher during the second episode of the series. She also offered her expertise during script consultations and took on the role of one of the producers. Stephen highlighted the importance of having a woman’s perspective, praising Hannah, saying: “As usual in these situations, Hannah’s contribution was incredible.”
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The acting duo met when they both studied at the prestigious school Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance. Reflecting on this time, the actor gushed during an online Q&A: “I watched Hannah back in the day at drama school and always thought she was brilliant.” Stephen also sweetly described himself and Hannah as “bezzie mates” before their relationship turned romantic, leading to their marriage in 2008.
The duo’s first significant joint project was This Is England by Shane Meadows, where Stephen played the role of racist skinhead Combo, and Hannah appeared as a shop assistant. They both returned for the sequels, This Is England 86 and 88, with Stephen back as Combo and Hannah taking on the character Trudy.
The couple has also starred in Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and its sequel Salazar’s Revenge, as well as the film and TV series Boiling Point, where Stephen portrayed a stressed-out chef named Andy and Hannah played pastry chef Emily. They’ve also appeared as a couple together on screen in the hard-hitting drama Time and reunited in A Thousand Blows. In this series, Stephen took on the role of boxer Sugar Goodson, set against the backdrop of 1880s East End London, while Hannah portrayed Eliza, a member of a close-knit gang.
Stephen has also previously discussed how his wife helps him behind the scenes, revealing that Hannah will be the one to read his scripts. “I’m dyslexic, so I struggle. My missus actually reads the script and says whether or not I’m doing it. She’s made some good choices,” he admitted at the BAFTA Sessions panel. “I have to read it and read it and read it, then make it look like it’s the first time I’m saying it,” he added.
He once disclosed in a 2019 episode of Desert Island Discs that their love story nearly missed its chance to blossom. Stephen recounted a pivotal moment from their younger years, saying: “She went to Spain for a little bit and I couldn’t see her, and she was going to move out there. She came back and we hadn’t been on a date in these five years, six years, just talking lots. And I said, ‘Can I take you on a date?’.
“She went ‘What?’ And we went to see Saving Private Ryan, had a bite to eat in Greenwich, and we were at New Cross train station and I said, ‘Please don’t go to Spain’. She asked, ‘Why?’ and I said, ‘Well, I love you.’ She said she’d been waiting five years for me to say that. And the next day, we moved in together. And we’ve been together ever since.”
The couple resided in London but have since settled in Ibstock, Leicestershire, with their two children, Alfie, 18, and Grace, 20, who have appeared alongside their parents for a 2023 celebrity edition of Gogglebox.
Giving an insight into his life in Ibstock, Stephen told Leicestershire Live: ‘I’m part of the furniture here. I love the sense of camaraderie in Ibstock, the community spirit. It’s a proper English village. I like it that I can go into Smith’s, the local butchers – they’ve been here for years, you know – and people are all chatting and they say hello, how are ya and the treat me like they do everyone else.”
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