'Adolescence's Stephen Graham delivers moving Emmys speeches: 'This kind of thing doesn't normally happen'
Stephen Graham moved the Emmy Awards audience on more than one occasion during his show's successful, award-laden evening.
The lead actor and co-writer of the massively popular Netflix series "Adolescence" delivered powerful speeches on Sunday night, highlighting his humble beginnings, sharing love for his family and praising the equality on set of his show.
"This kind of thing doesn't normally happen to a kid like me," Graham began his first speech after winning best lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie at the Emmys.
"I'm just a mixed race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirby," he continued, calling out his hometown, located a few miles north of Liverpool, England.
"So for me to be here today in front of my peers and to be acknowledged by you is the utmost humbling thing I could ever imagine in my life," said Graham, who starred in the show as a father whose child is accused of murder.
After thanking his family, Graham concluded his acceptance with a heartfelt show of appreciation for his wife.
"My adorable wife, who I love with every ounce of my being. You are my rock. You are my world. You are my soul mate. And you know and I know, without you, I would be dead. So from the bottom of my heart, I love you," said Graham to his wife, Hannah Walters.
Graham would see the stage again later in the evening after "Adolescence" won the prize for best limited or anthology series. He used the following speech to highlight the egalitarian culture he said was present on set of the show.
"What we do, it's not a game of footy. Do you know what I mean? There is no winners, and there is no losers," he began.
"But what we managed to create was a beautiful family. And whether you was number one on the call sheet or number 101, we were treated equally. And everyone was respected and treated with the utmost of respect. We're all the same," he said.
Graham finished, "Whether or not you were an executive producer ... or you were the fella that was cleaning the toilets in our Winnebagos, we were all equal. So just look after each other and give your mate a cuddle or a kiss, and tell them that you love them."
Graham had also spoken briefly earlier in the night alongside co-writer Jack Thorne, while accepting a third award for best writing for a limited anthology series or movie.
In total, "Adolescence" scored six trophies on Sunday night, including the aforementioned wins. Owen Cooper won outstanding supporting actor in a limited anthology series, becoming the youngest male actor to do so at age 15.
Erin Doherty also took home best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series for her role, and Philip Barantini won an outstanding directing Emmy for the show.
"Adolescence" explores the loss of adolescence and the complexities of youth through the story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), whose world is turned upside down when he is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl named Katie, who went to his school.
Among the many topics that are touched on in the series are bullying, the impact of social media and mental health.
Shortly after its release, "Adolescence" was made available to all secondary schools across the U.K., part of an initiative backed by the British government to facilitate important conversations among young people, Netflix UK & Ireland said at the time.
Graham told Rolling Stone UK that he drew inspiration from several real-life incidents that happened among youth in the U.K., specifically several incidents that involved the stabbing of teen girls.
