05 January 2024 , 19:55
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As the star of multiple critically acclaimed dramas, Stephen Graham is known for his frequently moving portrayals of complex characters, and so it's perhaps unsurprising that this strong sense of empathy also extends to his personal life.
Kind-hearted Stephen, 50, is known to have a very close bond with his former This is England co-star, Thomas Turgoose, and is understood to have made a selfless offer after tragedy struck during the filming of the 2006 British drama. Thomas, who played impressionable schoolboy Shaun Fields, lost his mother Sharon to cancer shortly after the gritty Shane Meadows film was completed, and she never got to enjoy the proud moment of seeing her son's performance on the big screen.
Thankfully, Thomas, who was just 13 years old at the time, had a friend he could count on in Stephen, who even offered to adopt the grieving youngster.
Thomas was just 13 when he first played Shaun in This Is England (Publicity Picture)Opening up on Jamie Laing's Private Parts podcast, Thomas, now 31, shared: "My mum passed away from lung cancer after I finished filming This Is England. She never got to see the finished film. Shane Meadows dedicated the film to my mum. Stephen Graham promised my mum he’d look out for me. Everyone involved in This is England are family to me."
Following his mother's death, Grimsby-born Thomas was set to go live with his father, who he didn’t know very well at that time. Stephen and director Shane therefore offered to take the teenager in themselves and give him a loving home if things didn’t go to plan. Thomas explained: "When my mum died I moved in with my dad and I didn't know him, so Shane Meadows and Steven Graham were going to adopt me if things didn't work out with my dad."
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When it came to marrying his long-term sweetheart Charlotte Revell in a romantic New Year’s Eve 2018 ceremony, Thomas invited along many of his former This Is England castmates, who he now regards as 'family'. Among those in attendance were on-screen mum Jo Hartley (Cynth), Vicky McClure (Lol), Andrew Shim (Milky), Andrew Ellis (Gadget) and, of course, Stephen. Sharing a gorgeous snap of him with his new wife mere minutes after they wed, Thomas wrote on Instagram : "Oi can we talk about me marrying my best mate."
Thomas and Stephen have known each other for many years (ANDYLPELLIS/Twitter)
Thomas and Stephen are still very close friends today (Instagram/thomasturgoose1)He then posted a second wedding picture of him with Charlotte joined by his co-stars, with the simple yet touching caption, 'Family'. Things could have been very different for Thomas, who went on to star in sequals This Is England ’86 in 2010, This Is England ’88 the following year and This Is England ’90 in 2015.
Before landing the breakout role of Shaun in the critically acclaimed film, Thomas confessed he was headed for a life of crime. He admitted: "I was destined for prison. Shoplifting things I didn't need. There was a hardware store in Grimsby that I used to steal spray paint from for no reason."
Thomas is still close with former co-star Stephen, who married his wife and fellow actor Hannah Walters in 2008. Hannah and Stephen appeared in a film for Stand Up To Cancer in 2016 with Stephen and fellow This Is England star Andrew Shim. The couple, who first met at drama school in the 90s and grew closer on the set of This Is England, now have two children together.
"Twenty eight years we’ve known each other. I’m going to be honest – the secret is that it’s me fancying my best mate," Hannah previously told the Mirror. Because of his dyslexia, Hannah reads scripts for him and decides which roles he should pursue. The couple have appeared together in 10 different projects, including 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean movie On Stranger Tides and 2017 sequel Salazar’s Revenge, but BBC drama Time is the first one they have gained a lot of screen time.
Hannah and Stephen appeared in a film for Stand Up To Cancer in 2016 with Stephen and fellow This Is England star Andrew Shim (PA)"I watched Hannah back in the day at drama school and always thought she was brilliant," explained Stephen, who said it had been 'absolutely phenomenal' to work alongside his wife. He continued: "Watching her read, doing scenes with her over the course of our time together, and also while she’s been a working actress, I’ve been blown away. I just think, ‘Wow… she is amazing’. There are selftakes I’ve done with Hannah when she’s auditioned for parts and she’s always got down to the last two for big roles. It always comes down to that clichéd thing that they’ve gone for someone more well-known."
Stephen starred as prison officer Eric McNally in the critically acclaimed series, Time, while Hannah played his devoted wife Sonia, with the couple face a big choice about protecting their family. Speaking on Radio X show, Hannah explained that she was initially embarrassed when her husband suggested she audition to be on the show and 'really told him off'.
Stephen with his beloved wife, Hannah (FilmMagic)She came around to the idea however and eventually landed the role on account of their shared 'chemistry'. Hannah said: "I really told him off. [I said] 'What are you doing? Why are you putting my name in there? You shouldn't have done that." Stephen added: "And then she put herself on tape and obviously out of all the actresses that had put themselves on tape, he picked her because she was the best for the role." Hannah went on to joke: ”Because, fortunately, we had quite good chemistry. It would have been shocking if we didn't!"
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