Now That We’re All Celebrating Stephen Graham For Adolescence, There’s Another Role I Want To Talk About

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Stephen Graham has been a working actor for years, but it feels like he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves. While he’s earned accolades for roles in acclaimed shows like Boardwalk Empire and Save Me, he seems to be having a particularly successful moment right now. With a growing collection of awards – including Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe – it’s clear he’s a truly gifted and captivating performer.

Beyond his well-known roles in shows like Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders, I highly recommend checking out another fantastic performance by Graham. It’s in the 2006 British drama This Is England, which led to three incredible miniseries.

I Think Everyone Should Check Out Stephen Graham’s Portrayal Of Combo In This Is England

If you haven’t seen it, This Is England is a powerful and emotional story about growing up. It follows a young boy named Shaun (played by Thomas Turgoose) as he navigates life after his father dies in the Falklands War. He finds a sense of belonging with a group of skinheads and quickly becomes close to one of their leaders, a man named Combo, who has just been released from prison and holds strong, nationalistic beliefs.

Stephen Graham delivers a captivating performance from beginning to end. I remember being both scared and fascinated by his character, Combo, when I first saw the film. While Combo is undeniably a flawed and negative person, Graham portrays him with such energy and power that he’s impossible to look away from. His story, both in the original movie and the later miniseries, is truly unforgettable.

Combo Is Such A Complicated Character, And Stephen Graham Channels That Perfectly

Combo is widely seen as a deeply unpleasant person due to his beliefs, behavior, and overall conduct. In the film This Is England, he commits several violent acts: he verbally and physically attacks a shopkeeper simply because of their immigrant status, brutally assaults a young man who looks up to him (in Jack O’Connell’s debut film role), and severely beats another man, leaving him near death.

Combo is definitely a terrible person at the start of the first movie, and he truly earns the consequences he faces. But as the story progresses and we learn more about his background, it becomes harder to see him as simply evil. That’s what makes Graham’s writing so impressive – he finds the human side of a character who initially seems completely unlikeable, creating someone complex and captivating that you can’t help but keep watching.

Sometimes, This Is England is a top pick for free streaming movies, but right now it can only be rented or bought. Even so, it’s a film worth watching, particularly if you’re a fan of Stephen Graham’s work – it features one of his strongest performances.

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2026-01-18 17:09