Stephen Graham's romance with famous wife and tragic co-star he almost adopted

From playing a disturbing racist thug in This Is England to a horrified dad of a child killer in Netflix's Adolescence, Stephen Graham has needed to draw from a spectrum of emotions to create complex characters time and again.

And during nearly two decades of his life, there has been one woman by his side supporting him through his toughest gigs while also being incredibly successful in her own right - his wife Hannah Walters.

Describing his wife of 17 years as his "rock" long before his career took off, 52-year-old Stephen earlier this year gushed about how Hannah - who is an accomplished actress and producer - stepped into the role of a teacher during the second episode of Adolescence. 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."

It comes as Owen Cooper, who played Jamie Miller, the 13-year-old accused of murder in Adolescence, made history by becoming the first ever male winner of an acting Emmy at the ceremony in Los Angeles. It was one of five awards the Netflix British drama celebrated, as his co-star and its co-creator Stephen Graham won Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series.

READ MORE: Owen Cooper's first words after making history as youngest male acting Emmy winner

READ MORE: Adolescence star Owen Cooper becomes youngest ever male winner of an acting Emmy

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.

Their 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.

During his time on set, he also struck up a close alliance with co-star Thomas Turgoose, and made a selfless offer after tragedy struck during the filming of the 2006 British drama. Thomas, who played impressionable schoolboy Shaun Fields, lost his mother Sharon to cancer shortly after the gritty Shane Meadows film was completed, and she never got to enjoy the proud moment of seeing her son's performance on the big screen.

Thankfully, Thomas, who was just 13 years old at the time, had a friend he could count on in Stephen, who even offered to adopt the grieving youngster.

Opening up on Jamie Laing's Private Parts podcast, Thomas, now 33, shared: "My mum passed away from lung cancer after I finished filming This Is England. She never got to see the finished film. Shane Meadows dedicated the film to my mum. Stephen Graham promised my mum he’d look out for me. Everyone involved in This is England are family to me."

Following his mother's death, Grimsby-born Thomas was set to go live with his father, who he didn’t know very well at that time. Stephen and director Shane therefore offered to take the teenager in themselves and give him a loving home if things didn’t go to plan. Thomas explained: "When my mum died I moved in with my dad and I didn't know him, so Shane Meadows and Steven Graham were going to adopt me if things didn't work out with my dad."

Stephen and Hannah have 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 and Grace, 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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