Stephen Graham

Cast · Writer

Born

August 3, 1973 · Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Birth name

Stephen Graham Kelly

“I'm drawn to dramas that make people think. I want to make an impact.” Stephen Graham is a British film and television actor and producer. From a young age, he showed an interest in acting and actively participated in school plays, which led him, as a teenager, to enroll in the Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, although he was expelled before completing his training. His first television role was in the iconic series Coronation Street, marking the beginning of his career in 1999. He gained international recognition playing Tommy in Snatch (2000) and appeared in Gangs of New York (2002). However, his breakout role came with This Is England (2006), in which he portrayed Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne—a performance that earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards and which he reprised in the television sequels. He stood out as Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire and appeared in titles such as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), The Irishman (2019) by Martin Scorsese, and Boiling Point (2021), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor. His other notable work includes Peaky Blinders and the miniseries Time (2021), widely praised by critics. In 2025, he played a prominent role as the protagonist's father in the miniseries Adolescence, a project in which he also served as screenwriter and producer. Graham has spoken openly about his struggles with mental health and is known for the emotional depth and authenticity of his performances.