Movies

Stephen Graham’s Wife: The Unsung Hero Behind His Success

BBG News

British actor Stephen Graham is renowned for his gritty portrayals on TV and Hollywood working alongside Scorcese, De Niro and long time friend Leonardo DiCaprio.

But it’s his latest role to hit TV screens as the father of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a girl in new Netflix drama Adolescence that is arguably the Liverpool born actor’s greatest achievement yet.

Behind the shining light of TV shows like Line of Duty, Time, Boardwalk Empire, and Peaky Blinders lies another impressive talent – his wife, Hannah Walters, aged 48, who he considers as his pillar of strength, and has been making her own ripples in the industry.

It may be less known among some Netflix viewers and critics, but Hannah, Graham’s spouse, has played a significant role in numerous of his projects.

She plays a crucial part in the operation of their shared film company, fittingly titled Matriarch Productions.

In 2021, Walters co-produced and starred in the multi-BAFTA-nominated film ‘Boiling Point’, which was filmed in a single take similar to each episode of ‘Adolescence’.

Their romance began not on a Hollywood set, but in the draughty drama halls of Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, in Sidcup, Kent, where the couple first met while training as actors.

It was a connection that would only deepen over the years, particularly when they reunited professionally on This Is England in 2006. By then, their bond had strengthened, and just two years later, on June 6, 2008, they tied the knot.

Reflecting on our screen partnership, I can confidently say that our ‘fairly strong connection’ was instrumental in securing my role. Jokingly, I might add that it would have been quite surprising if our chemistry hadn’t sparked!

‘I used to watch Hannah in drama school and I always thought she was incredibly talented.’

Speaking on the Graham Norton show last month, Stephen explained how Hannah was also key to getting the production of their other current streaming success on Disney+, the Victorian London crime and boxing drama, A Thousand Blows, off the ground as she presented the story to Peaky Blinders creator, Steven Knight, who was fascinated by the idea.

The couple decided to move to Ibstock, Leicestershire, which is near Hannah’s family. They are respected members of the community and live in a four-bedroom semi-detached house that cost £450,000. Recently, they were invited to open a newly refurbished medical center in the village, as they are well-known figures in show business. The renovation of the clinic was completed two years ago.

Regarding his life in Ibstock, Stephen had shared with Leicestershire Live that he feels like an integral part of the area. He appreciates the strong bond of friendship and the communal spirit that Ibstock offers. Indeed, it is a true representation of an English village.

I enjoy visiting Smith’s, our long-standing local butcher shop. Everyone seems friendly there, having conversations, exchanging greetings, and treating each customer with the same warm welcome.

But in recent months, despite Graham’s career going from strength to strength, there have been incidents which led some to question if his relentless work toll could be taking its toll on him.

During a football game without professional status in Leicestershire, played by his nephew, Graham found himself embroiled in a highly visible argument with the referee, David Kennedy, in December.

Witnesses reported that the spectator actor directed a series of expletives towards the referee, including calling him a ‘Fat t**t’ and a ‘f***ing Teletubby.’.

The situation escalated to the point where the match was delayed for eight minutes, as the referee refused to continue until Graham left the touchline.

Two months on, the Line of Duty star’s conduct resulted in Barrow Town FC being hit with seven penalty points and a £190 fine by the Football Association after the club admitted failing to control a spectator.

A source told the Sun: ‘Graham’s behaviour was absolutely shameless. The club’s now been punished for his actions, which isn’t fair on players or fans.

‘Nobody can act like that, even A-list celebrities. He’s let a lot of people down.’

On December 14, the afternoon match took place between Barrow Town FC’s main team and Heather St John’s backup team, which was held close to the celebrity’s residence. However, this wasn’t a one-off occurrence.

Last week, he was accused of reducing a female go-kart worker to tears in another furious outburst.

One day following the broadcast of “A Thousand Blows,” an event attributed to him occurred where he exhibited a violent outburst, given his character as a tough boxer in the movie.

He was observing as his 18-year-old son and friends were present, when allegations arose that he had shouted at an officer instructing drivers to leave the track due to safety issues.

She was so shaken up that bosses logged an incident report last month at the TeamSport Go Karting ring in Leicester.

A source told the Sun: ‘Stephen should have enjoyed a nice day watching his son and his mates karting.

‘But when they were told to get off the track, he started shouting at the young staff member.’

When a senior female worker tried to calm the situation, witnesses say he shouted at her, too.’

A spokeswoman for the actor told the paper: ‘We deny his party was asked to leave the track or that Stephen made anyone cry.

Instead, due to an excess of staff that created a hazardous situation, his party and all others involved received refunds.

‘Stephen happily took photos with the public and staff.’

Graham has openly discussed his past struggles with mental health issues, sharing that during his twenties, he faced severe depression and even attempted suicide once. However, luckily, the rope he used to attempt suicide broke, and he is alive today, as he shared in an interview with The Sunday Times in 2019.

Graham further explained that the extreme acting methods he learned during his time at drama school had a profound impact on him, resulting in what he termed as a ‘psychosis brought about by immersion.’

He shared that method acting is an amazing technique, and he gave it his all. However, he encountered a few difficulties, which left him feeling overwhelmed. As a result, he felt unable to continue.

He admitted ‘losing himself’ when he played his breakout role as racist skinhead Combo in Shane Meadow’s 2006 film This is England.

He mentioned that he turned to alcohol as a means to handle the stress of his role, sharing this on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs: “It had a profound impact. I got rather lost in the character I was playing.

He said he would often come home and cry my eyes out’ after filming intense scenes for the movie.

He said: ‘For me, that was where I really learned to dive into a character.’

Reflecting on his experience with the series, Graham mentioned that the script brought up distressing recollections of the racial prejudice he experienced during his younger years.

The individual, who had a Jamaican grandfather, reminisced about their past: ‘I am of mixed descent. As a child, I was subjected to hurtful slurs that I prefer not to repeat, and I was often referred to as a “little monkey boy.”‘

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2025-03-18 03:55

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