Steven Graham: The ‘Rock’ Woman Behind the Star of ‘Adolescence’ and the Shadows Behind the Spotlight

British actor Steven Graham is renowned for his tough roles in television and Hollywood, having worked with Scorsese, De Niro, and long-time friend Leonardo DiCaprio. However, his latest role in the new dramatic series, Adolescence, is cathartic. The actor and co-creator—alongside Jack Thorne—portrays the father of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder, considered perhaps his greatest acting challenge to date. Behind the acclaimed star of Line of Duty, Time, Boardwalk Empire, and Peaky Blinders lies an equally significant talent—his wife, actress and producer Hana Walters, 48. Graham calls her his ‘rock,’ while she quietly charts her own path in the entertainment industry. Few Netflix viewers or critics know that Hana has played a decisive role in many of her husband’s projects. She is a key member of their production company, ‘Matriarch Productions.’ Together, they created the BAFTA-nominated film Boiling Point in 2021, where Walters not only acted but also served as executive producer. Both the film and every episode of Adolescence were filmed entirely in single takes. Their romantic story began in the halls of Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in Sidcup, Kent, where they studied acting. Their relationship deepened over the years, especially when they collaborated professionally on the series This Is England in 2006. Two years later, on June 6, 2008, they married. Speaking about their on-screen collaboration, Walters joked that she took the role due to their ‘pretty good chemistry,’ saying, ‘It would have been shocking if we didn’t!’ Graham has always been her biggest admirer, recalling their student years and noting he always believed she was incredible. Hana’s influence was pivotal in green-lighting another success, the Disney+ series A Thousand Blows, set in Victorian London. It was she who presented the idea to Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who was thrilled. The couple resides in Ibstock, Leicester, near Hana’s family, living in a house valued at £450,000 and beloved by the community. Despite his successful career, incidents have raised questions about whether his intense professional schedule has affected him. In December, during a local football match featuring his nephew, Graham reportedly called the referee a derogatory name, causing an eight-minute stoppage until he left. His team, Barrow Town FC, was penalized seven points and fined £190 by the Football Association due to his behavior. Last week, he was accused of making a young employee cry after yelling at her for stopping a race for safety reasons. His representative denied the claims, stating all participants were compensated due to staff error allowing too many drivers on the track. Graham has openly discussed his battles with mental health. In his 20s, he faced severe depression and revealed a past suicide attempt: ‘Fortunately, the rope broke, and I’m here today,’ he told The Sunday Times in 2019. He mentioned that intensive acting methods impacted him psychologically, leading to ‘induced psychosis.’ Playing a racist skinhead Combo in This Is England in 2006 caused him to lose himself. He drank alcohol to cope with the pressure, stating on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs: ‘It was a defining experience. I cried endlessly after certain scenes.’ Reviewing the script, it brought back painful memories of racism he endured as a child. The actor, whose grandfather was from Jamaica, disclosed: ‘I’m mixed-race. As a child, I was called awful words I don’t even want to repeat.’