Featured Image Credit: Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images
Topics: Stephen Graham, Mental Health, Adolescence, Netflix, Entertainment, TV And Film, Celebrity
Madison Burgess
Topics: Stephen Graham, Mental Health, Adolescence, Netflix, Entertainment, TV And Film, Celebrity
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Stephen Graham tragically revealed that without his wife Hannah Walters he would be 'dead', during his Emmys acceptance speech on Sunday (14 September).
The 52-year-old Adolescence star took home the gong for outstanding lead actor in a limited series for his incredible performance in the British Netflix show, which hit screens back in March.
As well as starring in the drama, Graham also co-wrote it alongside Jack Thorne, which he also picked up an award for in the outstanding writing category at the prestigious ceremony.
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The series, which centres on the story of 13-year-old boy Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested for the murder of a classmate, took the world by storm when it debuted and dominated Netflix’s most-watched list.
Graham played the role of Jamie's dad, Eddie Miller, who throughout the show has to come to terms with the fact that his 13-year-old son committed a murder.
However, what some fans don't know that the actor's wife Hannah co-produced Adolescence and also had a cameo in the TV series.
She played the role of Mrs. Bailey - a teacher at Bruntwood Academy.
So, it's no surprise that Graham thanked his wife when accepting the Emmy, however, there is another heartbreaking reason why he mentioned her.
While on stage, he got emotional as he told the crowd: "This kind of thing doesn't normally happen to a kid like me. I'm just a mixed-race kids from a block of flats in a place called Kirby.
"So, for me to be here today in front of my peers and to be acknowledged by you is the utmost most humbling thing I could ever imagine in my life and it shows you that any dream is possible.
"There's too many people to thank but I am gonna thank my friends and family. Without you, none of this is possible. And thank you for helping me, something I can't do on my own."
He went on to thank his dad for 'taking me to the video shop when I was a kid and starting my education in film', as well as his children Grace, 20 and Alfie, 18.
Graham then sweetly thanked Hannah as he called her his 'adorable wife' who he love 'with every ounce of his being'.
He told her, as she sat in the audience: "You are my rock. You are my world. You are my soulmate.
"And you know and I know, without you, I would be dead. So from the bottom of my heart, I love you with everything I have."
The actor has previously been candid about how Hannah has helped him through some dark periods in his life, including struggles with his mental health and a failed suicide attempt.
Speaking on Radio Four's Desert Island Discs, Graham recalled how he went through a difficult time in his early 20s after moving to London to chase his dreams of becoming an actor.
He said on the radio show: "I had a breakdown. Going to that big London to do it on your own. Then I went back home. They (his parents) were trying to see what was happening with me.
"I'll never forget the tears coming down both their faces."
Graham added: "Then the next day I tried to hang myself. It was very calculated. I had to put on a high-neck jumper. My mum kind of saw it. Then everything came out. Life was worth living thankfully."
Not long after this, he met wife Hannah at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance and the pair went on to get married in 2008.
He explained: "This is kind of where Hannah came into my life properly. She knew what had happened. She was always in close contact with my mum."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.