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Stephen Graham had never shied away from hard-hitting roles, but his latest project, Adolescence, struck a nerve far beyond the screen. The gripping drama, which landed on Netflix on March 13, saw him fill the boots of every parent’s worst nightmare, a father whose teenage son stood accused of murdering a classmate.
However, beyond the series itself, Graham had a stark message for parents and urged them to open their eyes to the hidden dangers shaping their children’s lives.
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Stephen Graham in Adolescence pic.twitter.com/mHu2LafULm
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— Netflix (@netflix) March 16, 2025
The highly-talked about program, which has been filmed in a single continuous take per episode, much like Boiling Point, another of Graham’s critically acclaimed projects, has gripped audiences with its unrelenting intensity.
But while the technical brilliance impressed, it was the brutal, unfiltered look at toxic masculinity in the digital age that truly unsettled viewers.
At the heart of the show was 15-year-old Owen Cooper, a complete newcomer who delivered a gut-wrenching performance in his first-ever acting role. His portrayal felt disturbingly real, adding weight to a story that wasn’t just fiction but a reflection of a growing crisis in modern society.
With toxic online figures like Andrew Tate fueling dangerous ideologies, the show peeled back the curtain on the way young men were being shaped by invisible forces beyond their parents’ control.
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Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham give unbelievable performances in Adolescence. pic.twitter.com/KylHczrDuc
— Netflix (@netflix) March 15, 2025
The subject of the show hit painfully close to home for Graham. The recent stabbings among British teenagers had left him heartbroken, and he didn’t hold back when speaking about the urgent need for awareness.
“I read an article about a young boy stabbing a young girl. And then maybe a couple of months later, on the news there was [another] young boy who’d stabbed a young girl, and if I’m really honest with you, they hurt my heart,” Graham told The Independent.
“It’s just being mindful of the fact that not only we parent our children, and not only the school educates our children,” he added. “But also there’s influences that we have no idea of that are having profound effects on our young culture, profound effects, positive and extremely negative. So it’s having a look at that and seeing that we’re all accountable.”
Gone were the days when being sent to your room meant disconnecting from the world. Graham pointed out that now, even behind closed doors, kids have an entire universe at their fingertips with the likes of social media, forums, and influencers who shape their views, sometimes in dangerously extreme ways.
“When we were kids, if you got sent to your room or if Kenny Everett was on the telly, and it got a bit racy, you’d be sent to your room and then you couldn’t watch it,” he said.
Adolescence wasn’t just a gripping drama, it was a wake-up call. The series forced uncomfortable conversations, but Graham’s warning was clear: this wasn’t just entertainment. It was a terrifying reality that needed urgent attention.
Adolescence is available to stream on Netflix now.
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