Who is Stephen Graham? Everything we know about The Walk-In star and his new BBC drama series

Stephen Graham's already famous name has been blown into the stratosphere following the news that his award-winning film Boiling Point is being adapted for TV by the BBC.

The intense film, whose story revolves around the busy kitchen of the upmarket London restaurant Jones & Sons, was met with huge critical acclaim when it was first released and was nominated for over 20 awards in multiple categories, including four BAFTA nominations and 11 BIFA nominations. Ultimately, Boiling Point delivered four BIFA wins, two National Film Awards and four Taormina Film Festival Awards.

Speaking about the film's transition to the small-screen, Stephen Graham said, "The incredible reaction to the film, its story and specifically the characters along with the huge desire to know more and delve deeper into their worlds has led us to create a drama series with the BBC in which we will keep the audience gripped, intrigued and involved in each of the characters’ journeys.

"Although we have hung up our feature-length one-shot boots, our audiences can still be excited by extraordinarily lengthy shots and camera techniques that will complement the pure naturalism that was the essence and soul of the film."

Stephen Graham is already a household name but, just as it happened with BBC One's latest drama, Inside Man, audiences are keen to learn more about this leading man. Here we share everything we know about Stephen Graham and his new BBC drama series.

Who is Stephen Graham?

Stephen Graham is a multi-BAFTA-nominated and award-winning actor, and is best known for his roles in the Channel 4 series Help, ITV's The Walk In, and BBC One's Line of Duty. He also starred in the film series This is England, playing Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne, The Irishman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Line of Duty and Peaky Blinders. 

Born in Kirkby, Lancashire in 1973, Liverpool World report that Graham began acting at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre at the age of 14, before moving to London to begin his formal training.

In 2020, the actor set up a production company titled Matriarch Productions with his wife, the actor Hannah Walters, who he told Variety has always been a close collaborator on all of his projects.

Graham married Hannah Walters on the 6th of June 2008 after the pair had met and started dating while they were both training at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance. Together they have two children, Grace, who was born 2005, and Alfie, who was born 2007.

Hannah Walters has previously starred in the BBC crime series Whitechapel, and is teaming up with her husband for Boiling Point's TV adaptation, which Matriarch Productions is co-producing alongside Ascendant Fox and Made Up Productions.

What nationality is Stephen Graham?

Stephen Graham has a mixed heritage, with both Jamaican and Swedish heritage on his father’s side. During an appearance on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, he shared that this was not always easy for him as a child. 

He said, “There were times there, growing up, I was slightly unsure where I fitted in." He shared that his father, who he calls 'Pops', taught him about his cultural heritage, saying “He taught me the history and the cultural aspect of where I came from, which was beautiful.”

Because of his background, the actor admitted that playing racist thug Andrew 'Combo' Gascoigne in the 2006 epic, This Is England, was haunting. Speaking again on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, he said that he 'lost' himself during filming and would often 'cry his eyes out' upon returning home after filming.

He said, "I'm mixed race. As a kid I was called ­horrible words that I don't even want to say." The racist nature of his character, Gascoigne, often left the actor 'crying his eyes out' after filming and he admitted, "It was life-changing. I lost myself quite a bit within that character."

What will Stephen Graham's Boiling Point series be about?

The series adaptation of Boiling Point will be set six months on from where the film of the same name ended, following sous chef Carly as she navigates opening her own restaurant and becoming the head chef.

At the end of the 2021 film, head chef Andy, played by Stephen Graham, had just collapsed on the floor, with audiences presuming he had suffered a heart attack due to the stress of both his personal life and his work in the restaurant.

Speaking about the new series, Boiling Point writer James Cummings said, "Restaurants are an intersection of different people from different backgrounds, all dealing with a variety of social issues – and I am so proud to be using our series as a vehicle to tell those stories with a cast of characters that we have already fallen in love with. Food will fly and tears will fall!"

When will the Boiling Point series be released?

No official release date has been announced for the Boiling Point series, but it is reported that the show will begin filming next year. Five 60 minute episodes will be filmed and released on BBC One.

The film's co-writers, Philip Barantini and James Cummings, have announced they will oversee the whole show, with Barantini also directing the series. Vinette Robinson, Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters are all set to reprise their original roles with Graham and Walters sharing their desire to 'delve deeper' into their characters and the world they live in.

Where to watch Boiling Point

Boiling Point series will air on the BBC and will run for five episodes. In the meantime, to prepare for the series and catch up on the story, the 2021 film can be streamed on Netflix or you can rent the film from Amazon Prime video for £9.99.