Who is Stephen Graham?

Stephen Graham finally got his big break in an unexpected way, playing the dim-witted Tommy in Guy Ritchie's film, Snatch (2000). Apparently, Graham didn't audition for the role as Tommy--one day, he accompanied a friend to the audition for Ritchie and was asked if he was next. When Graham replied "no", Ritchie told the then-unknown actor, "I like your face", and was asked if he could start work Monday.

So much is to be said of this actor, who started his career with bit parts on ITV (he played Lee Sankey on Coronation Street (2006) in 1999 and was also cast in smaller films like Pit Fighter (2005). Graham also appeared in the critically acclaimed Gangs of New York (2002), directed by Martin Scorsese, and on television, playing Sgt. Myron 'Mike' Ranney in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001). His acting course also includes brilliant performances in excellent works such as in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Parade's End (2012) and Taboo (2017).

Overview

Nicknames
Steven Graham

Trivia

  • He discovered fellow Liverpudlian Jodie Comer while filming scenes for one episode of Good Cop (2012) with her. Impressed by her talent, he immediately called his agent Jane Epstein and recommended the young actress to her. This led to a boost in Comer's acting career and to a friendship between both actors. When Comer won her BAFTA award in May 2019 for "Best Leading Actress" for her performance in Killing Eve (2018), she thanked Graham for introducing her to Epstein and making her career possible.
  • Despite his Afro-Caribbean roots, he portrayed a white nationalist in This Is England (2006).
  • His solid acting work also includes three fine screen portrayals of infamous gangsters, Baby Face Nelson in Public Enemies (2009), Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire (2010) and Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano in The Irishman (2019).
  • He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2023 King's New Years Honours List for his services to drama. He is an actor in London, England.
  • Has worked seven times with Vicky McClure in This Is England (2006), Filth and Wisdom (2008), This Is England '86 (2010), This Is England '88 (2011), Line of Duty (2012), This Is England '90 (2015) and The Secret Agent (2016).