Sam Brigger

The other show that Stephen Graham is in is Adolescence, one he co-created. It's a four-part miniseries following what happens to a family when their 13-year-old son is arrested for murdering a girl from his school. It's a devastating show, very difficult to watch, and very difficult to stop watching. Graham plays the father, Eddie, trying his best to be a good parent, but maybe not doing enough.

Adolescence as a show is not interested so much in who is guilty, but why do these kinds of things happen? Is it the family's fault? Is it bullying? Is it part of a kind of toxic masculinity young boys can find on social media while they're sitting alone, supposedly safe, in their own bedrooms? The show is remarkable in many ways, but one of them is technical. Each episode is a one-take.

Adolescence as a show is not interested so much in who is guilty, but why do these kinds of things happen? Is it the family's fault? Is it bullying? Is it part of a kind of toxic masculinity young boys can find on social media while they're sitting alone, supposedly safe, in their own bedrooms? The show is remarkable in many ways, but one of them is technical. Each episode is a one-take.

Adolescence as a show is not interested so much in who is guilty, but why do these kinds of things happen? Is it the family's fault? Is it bullying? Is it part of a kind of toxic masculinity young boys can find on social media while they're sitting alone, supposedly safe, in their own bedrooms? The show is remarkable in many ways, but one of them is technical. Each episode is a one-take.

There are no edits. The camera is turned on at the beginning of the episode and turned off at the end. They're like plays but moving throughout different locations and scenes. It adds an urgency to the drama. You may have first seen Stephen Graham in the Guy Ritchie movie Snatch, playing the role of Tommy, Jason Statham's sidekick.

There are no edits. The camera is turned on at the beginning of the episode and turned off at the end. They're like plays but moving throughout different locations and scenes. It adds an urgency to the drama. You may have first seen Stephen Graham in the Guy Ritchie movie Snatch, playing the role of Tommy, Jason Statham's sidekick.

There are no edits. The camera is turned on at the beginning of the episode and turned off at the end. They're like plays but moving throughout different locations and scenes. It adds an urgency to the drama. You may have first seen Stephen Graham in the Guy Ritchie movie Snatch, playing the role of Tommy, Jason Statham's sidekick.

His breakout role was playing Combo, a white nationalist skinhead in This Is England. He's been in lots of other movies and TV shows, but some recent memorable ones were his portrayal of Al Capone in Broadway Empire and as a mafia and union head in Martin Scorsese's movie The Irishman, where he steals some scenes from no less an actor than Al Pacino himself.

His breakout role was playing Combo, a white nationalist skinhead in This Is England. He's been in lots of other movies and TV shows, but some recent memorable ones were his portrayal of Al Capone in Broadway Empire and as a mafia and union head in Martin Scorsese's movie The Irishman, where he steals some scenes from no less an actor than Al Pacino himself.

His breakout role was playing Combo, a white nationalist skinhead in This Is England. He's been in lots of other movies and TV shows, but some recent memorable ones were his portrayal of Al Capone in Broadway Empire and as a mafia and union head in Martin Scorsese's movie The Irishman, where he steals some scenes from no less an actor than Al Pacino himself.

Before we start talking, let's hear a scene from Adolescence. This is from the first episode, where the police have raided the family's home, arrested the son Jamie, and taken him to the police station. Here's Stephen Graham, who is in shock, is asking Jamie's court-appointed lawyer, played by Mark Stanley, what he can do in this moment of crisis. Excuse me, mate.

Before we start talking, let's hear a scene from Adolescence. This is from the first episode, where the police have raided the family's home, arrested the son Jamie, and taken him to the police station. Here's Stephen Graham, who is in shock, is asking Jamie's court-appointed lawyer, played by Mark Stanley, what he can do in this moment of crisis. Excuse me, mate.

Before we start talking, let's hear a scene from Adolescence. This is from the first episode, where the police have raided the family's home, arrested the son Jamie, and taken him to the police station. Here's Stephen Graham, who is in shock, is asking Jamie's court-appointed lawyer, played by Mark Stanley, what he can do in this moment of crisis. Excuse me, mate.

That's a scene from Adolescence starring my guest Stephen Graham. Stephen Graham, welcome to Fresh Air.

That's a scene from Adolescence starring my guest Stephen Graham. Stephen Graham, welcome to Fresh Air.

That's a scene from Adolescence starring my guest Stephen Graham. Stephen Graham, welcome to Fresh Air.

So the show Adolescence was actually your idea. You came to your co-creator, Jack Thorne, with the idea. What was it that you were thinking about that you wanted to explore on the screen?

So the show Adolescence was actually your idea. You came to your co-creator, Jack Thorne, with the idea. What was it that you were thinking about that you wanted to explore on the screen?

So the show Adolescence was actually your idea. You came to your co-creator, Jack Thorne, with the idea. What was it that you were thinking about that you wanted to explore on the screen?

And I guess that one of the things is that you're exploring why, but it's not a didactic show. You sort of let the feelings and the issues sort of stew there, but you're not resolving them.