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This Is Stephen Graham

What does a movie star look like? Stephen Graham dresses very simply. He is wearing a plain grey polo shirt with all the buttons done up, accompanied with black skinny jeans. No designer labels in sight. However, a gleam of light suddenly stretches across the room from his Rolex watch. Diamonds glisten from the beams of the stage lights. His only glamorous accessory.

He is famously short and his feet are quite small. Stephens face is slightly chubby, his eyes have crow's feet wrinkles and laughter lines become obvious as he smiles. His Calvin Klein aftershave wafts around the room, the musty smell so strong that the perfumed chemical tang invades the taste buds. His ears are bright red but his piercing blue eyes are his striking feature. They cut through whatever or whomever they have in their sights. He pays strict attention to anyone he talks to and confidently answers them. However, in between questions he fidgets, picks and bites his nails. He bends his head, looks at the floor and raises his hands to his mouth when speaking about his roles. The two sides to Stephen highlight how gracious and down to earth he is.

Stephen has been a star for many years now. Snatch, his breakout film, starred Jason Statham and Brad Pitt. He recently acted alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, soon to be released this year. He becomes animated when speaking about acting with De Niro. "I was in a scene with Al Pacino and Robert. He was just sat opposite me and all I could think was", his voice switches from his usual deep Scouse accent to a high pitched, squeaky tone, "oh my god that's Robert De Niro, how have I got here?!" This kid like enthusiasm oozes in each answer he gives about acting and his craft. Conversely, Stephen becomes emotional and vulnerable when speaking about one topic in particular - his family.

His maternal grandmother, who he endearingly calls Nana, is evidently extremely important to him. "I had a great childhood. My Nana's house was the archetypal place where you'd go and there's all the grandkids there. I always used to do silly little voices and accents at my Nana's house. I wanted to be her favourite because there were so many grandkids. There were loads of us, about 22, maybe even more. Yeah there was no telly back then!" chuckles fill the air at his crude joke. His smiling face soon returns to a serious expression as he contemplates his early life. "I had a great childhood, it was really really great."

His grandmother has left an emotional impact upon him as he credits her as his inspiration for his moving scenes. "Whenever I need to feel emotional I just think about my Nana." The 45 year old puts his hand on his chest, blinks slowly and takes a breath. "How close my Nana was with me and immediately it gets me a little bit upset." His voice wavers slightly as he closes the sentence.

Another influential female figure in his life is his wife, Hannah Walters. She is an actress in her own right, starring in Whitechapel and This Is England. Stephen has been married to Hannah for nearly 11 years. "Hannah tells me whenever I doubt myself that I deserve to be where I am because I've worked so hard for it. The highlight of drama school was meeting Hannah. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Stephen and Hannah have two children- Grace, 14, and Alfie, 12. He remarks that becoming a father has had a profound impact upon him. "They've completely changed my life." He takes a moment to pause and stares into the distance before fully answering the question about his kids. He then flicks his eyes back to his subject. "It's when I really learnt what unconditional love was. I adore my children."

This beautiful trait to Stephen gleams through even brighter when he speaks about his extended family - his friends. Thomas Turgoose and Vicky McClure, who starred alongside Stephen in This Is England, are like a brother and sister to him. "Tommo lost his mum just after that job . Me and Hannah, he calls us Nana and Grandad, even looked into possibly adopting him after that. We're very close." Stephen pauses, going into his own little world with a childish grin spread across his face. "Hannah, the kids and I watched him get married on New Year's Eve, that was great."

Stephen's plain outfit with a splash of designer accessory sums up the actor as a person. He's humble, heart-warming with a dash of stardom. His violent and harrowing portrayals on screen could not be further away from the family man he truly is. A pure heart with an emotionally honest persona, Stephen is a man everyone should meet.

Stephen is starring in Line of Duty starting on BBC1 31 March.

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