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Stephen Graham Slams British Dramas for Misrepresenting Working-Class Families as ‘Miserable’

BBG News

Stephen Graham has criticised the portrayal of working class families in British dramas.

The 51-year-old actor, who asserts his roots are working class, frequently finds that such origins are misunderstood or misrepresented in television programs.

Stephen shared that he spent his childhood in an apartment building, residing there with his mom, and their household was filled with plenty of joyful moments.

Recently, in an interview with The Sunday Times, I found myself resonating strongly with Stephen’s perspective. He expressed that working-class families are frequently portrayed as if they were the subjects of an artistic endeavor, and often depicted as living in misery on television. As someone who identifies closely with this community, I can’t help but feel that our stories deserve to be told more authentically and respectfully.

He expressed that life can be challenging, yet it’s also filled with plenty of joy and laughter. My childhood was brimming with it, and representing where I come from is deeply important to me. Often, when I watch various productions, I feel they trivialise the working class, treating them more like a creative project than genuine people.

It’s quite patronizing to say things like ‘Oh, see the downtrodden!’ However, I wear my multi-racial, working-class background – growing up in apartment blocks and having Jamaican heritage – as a badge of honor.” (Graham refers to his Jamaican grandfather)

Pops served as the chief pediatric nurse, while Mum was a dedicated social worker. She tirelessly worked towards improving her own life and ensuring a brighter future for us both.

After Stephen disclosed that he offered a role in his latest series, Adolescence, to every child who auditioned, as he couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing them.

In an upcoming Netflix show, Graham assumes the role of a father to a 13-year-old character portrayed by Owen Cooper. The plot unfolds with this young boy being detained on suspicion of murdering a teenage girl.

In his role as an Executive Producer, Graham, aged 51, revealed that the concept for this series originated from observing the rising issue of knife violence in the United Kingdom.

At the Next On Netflix gathering, a father of two expressed: ‘Over the last decade, there’s been a surge of knife violence among young men across the nation, and this idea emerged as a response.’

In my opinion, there were specific occurrences that left a strong impression on me, as these boys, who I should clarify are still young and not yet men, were involved in the tragic acts of harming young girls.

Without sounding dismissive, it’s as if, when such incidents appear on the news, your first instinct is to point the finger at the family, specifically the mother and father.

‘Everyone tends to do it since it’s an easy solution that we all share. However, I started wondering, ‘could this common assumption be entirely wrong?’ And that was my thought.’

Every installment of this show is shot seamlessly in a single, uninterrupted take, creating a captivating, engrossing atmosphere for the audience. I can’t get enough of it!

Discussing his collaboration with thirteen-year-old Owen Morris, Graham mentioned that he’s usually cautious when working with youngsters, but in this particular instance, there were about 400 children involved in one scene.

‘We were conscious not to say, “thank you very much, and see you later, ta-rah”,’ he said.

In our production, we decided on having just one child character, but we allowed the other potential candidates a chance to portray different roles. It’s crucial not to cause distress among these young actors by casting them in heartbreaking parts. That’s something we aim to avoid.

In an effort to elicit “wow, okay, I can” from these children, each has a part in the performance. Every single child excelled in their role. Remarkably, episode two features a shot with 400 kids all together.

The four-part series additionally features Ashley Walters, aged 42, and Erin Doherty, aged 32. This series is set to debut on Netflix starting March 13.

At the event, other shows that were unveiled comprised the action-packed thriller Havoc starring Tom Hardy, a yet-to-be-titled documentary featuring Victoria Beckham, and the romantic comedy Too Much by Lena Dunham.

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2025-02-03 00:05

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