Stephen Graham is receiving huge acclaim following his new show Adolescence , where he pulled newcomer Owen Cooper from anonymity into instant fame.
Cooper, at the age of 15, is being predicted to achieve success with a potential Bafta win for his first-time acting role as Jamie Miller, a youth charged with murder, in the sleeper hit. Netflix hit, which has become the most-streamed title in both the UK and the US within its first week of release.
Graham told The Independent that the team responsible for the series was steadfast in their commitment to "generate opportunities" during the show’s production phase, providing chances to individuals who might typically be excluded from such prospects. Regardless of the show's challenges, impressive one-shot filming technique , Graham has branded Cooper’s performance Adolescence ’s “biggest achievement” .
However, this is not the first instance where Warp Films, the show’s production company, has discovered new talent. Back in 2006, This is England brought forth Thomas Turgoose, who formed a strong connection with Graham during production.
Turgoose was 13 years old when he portrayed Shaun, a young teen who befriends an older gang of skinheads in the 1980s, headed by Combo — Graham's character. Their relationship became so strong that Graham even proposed adopting Turgoose following the loss of his mother.
Speaking on the Private Parts podcast in 2021, Turgoose said he had to move in with his father, whom he barely knew, when his mother died of cancer shortly after This is England finished filming.
“I remember. I sat in my bedroom for days and weeks, and I was so confused,” he said. “This isn’t the lifestyle that I’m used to.”
“I spent a lot of time with Shane Meadows and Stephen Graham. They agreed between them that if they didn’t get on with my dad, or if they didn’t see my dad fit to bring me up, they was gonna adopt me.”
He commented, "However, they did meet my father. My dad is quite an impressive guy! He has put in endless hard work throughout his life and commands respect. Before moving in with him, we were not close at all, but now my father and I are the best of friends."
Turgoose also told The Independent that Graham and another of his co-stars, Vicky McClure, assured him they wouldn’t just drop him after cameras stopped filming.
“I was made a promise by Stephen Graham and Vicky [McClure] that when This Is England was released, it wasn’t just gonna be ‘That’s it,’” he said, adding: “They promised to stick by me and support me.”
It's clear that Graham would have extended the same assurance to Cooper, who has nothing to fear: following reports of his presentation, Adolescence , Saltburn writer-director Emerald Fennell has chosen him for her upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights , featuring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
Cooper will portray a younger version of Heathcliff.
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