Fresh Air: Inside Netflix's ‘Adolescence’
Original Air Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Sam Brigger (for main interview), David Biancooli (intros/outros)
Guest: Stephen Graham (co-creator, co-writer, and star of ‘Adolescence’)
Episode Overview
This Fresh Air episode dives into the Netflix British drama ‘Adolescence,’ which is up for 13 Emmy awards, including three for Stephen Graham. In an interview with Sam Brigger, Graham shares the genesis of the project, its audacious one-shot filming technique, the complexity of the themes, and how his upbringing influences his work. The episode also explores Graham’s acting career, including memorable experiences with Scorsese and his personal journey through race, identity, and family.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Origins and Themes of ‘Adolescence’
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Graham’s Inspiration: The show was born from a deeply emotional response to real-life UK media stories about youth violence. Graham reflects on his own snap judgments and broader societal responsibility.
“In that moment, I judged the parents...and then I stopped myself and tried to be mindful...What if it's not? Maybe I shouldn't be so judgmental. What if it's not? And from that basis...why is this happening?”
— Stephen Graham [05:35] -
Not About Easy Answers: The series poses questions without resolving them, resisting a didactic approach.
“They can't be resolved and we don't have the answers...maybe we're all accountable.”
— Stephen Graham [07:21] -
Layers of Accountability: Graham discusses how raising children involves not just parenting, but schools, government, community, and especially, the influence of the internet:
“Back in the day we didn't have access to the rest of the world...But there is now this big thing called the Internet.”
— Stephen Graham [07:21]
2. Crafting the Characters & Family Dynamic
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Contradicting Stereotypes: Eddie, Graham’s character, is drawn from the hard-working, loving, but emotionally reserved men he grew up around. The show intentionally avoids conventional blame.
“I wanted to concentrate on the fact that they come from a good home...we wanted to eliminate that and start with a clean slate.”
— Stephen Graham [08:51] -
Reflections on Masculinity: Graham contrasts Eddie’s emotional restraint with his own “soppy” parenting style, sharing a touching personal story about his son and a friend:
“His dad never hugs him, and his dad's never told him that he loves him. And it just broke my heart a little bit.”
— Stephen Graham [10:40]
3. The Emotional Toll & On-Set Process
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Intense Performance and Recovery: Graham is able to “jump in and out” of intense emotional states, crediting his wife for helping him decompress.
“The biggest tool for that is my wife, Hannah, on many levels...she just goes, oh, well, the dog had diarrhea all over the carpet this morning...”
— Stephen Graham [13:20] -
Memorable Scene – The Final Take: Graham describes the final, emotionally charged filming day, made even more poignant by a surprise from his family on set.
“What my kids and Hannah had done, they put photographs on the wall of them and me, and they just put, we're so proud of you, dad. We love you so much. And...I just went. Do you know what I mean? It just all came out.”
— Stephen Graham [16:08]
4. The Dare of One-Take Filmmaking
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Stage Meets Cinema: Each episode is a single unbroken take, demanding rigorous rehearsal and technical precision—a process Graham likens to theatre:
“That's the beauty of it, you know...you're able to marry both disciplines. So you have that spontaneity in the live kind of feeling and exhilaration of theatre. But you have the technical ability...of film and television acting.”
— Stephen Graham [17:19] -
Collaboration with Young Talent: The team worked closely with Owen Cooper, the 15-year-old breakout actor, to ensure authentic dialogue, even tweaking the script based on his input.
— [17:46] -
Meticulous Preparation: Episodes were rehearsed as plays, then shot over multiple takes; for example, Episode 2 used take 14:
"We shot for five days and you do two takes a day...With episode two, the take we used was take 14."
— Stephen Graham [19:22]
5. Identity, Racism & Acting Challenges
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Graham on Playing Combo in ‘This Is England’: The complexity of playing a racist character as a mixed-race actor, and the deeper layers it added:
“When I explained to Shane [Meadows, director] that I was mixed race...he was like, ‘Are you kidding me?...Imagine what we can do with it now.’”
— Stephen Graham [22:16] -
Personal Struggles with Identity: Graham describes growing up in Liverpool, facing racism from both black and white sides of his family, and ultimately finding identity and pride through his mother and stepfather.
“There were certain elements of my white cousins...who said some horrible things...on the side of the black family...So it did take a while...but it takes a long time.”
— Stephen Graham [24:41] -
Stepfather’s Influence: Guided Graham’s love for cinema and deepened his cultural understanding, introducing him to classics and global filmmakers.
— [26:54]
6. Starstruck on Set: Working with Scorsese, De Niro, and Pacino
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Surreal Experience on ‘The Irishman’: Graham describes sitting between Scorsese, De Niro, and Pacino, and the improvisational magic of their scene:
“Sometimes the strange thing about acting is your own head pops into your thought processes while you're doing the lines...”
— Stephen Graham [35:15] -
Improvisation Brings the Scene Alive: The famous “how many minutes late” sequence came to life through improvisation and De Niro’s suggestion:
“He comes up with the best line...He goes, maybe 12 and a half, you know what I mean? Down the middle. And then it became alive.”
— Stephen Graham [35:15] -
On the Humility of Legends: Graham was struck by the lack of ego from both De Niro and Pacino:
“That’s the biggest lesson any actor can ever learn from those two masters who were there at work.”
— Stephen Graham [38:10]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Parenting and Judgment
“What if it's not [the parents' fault]? Maybe I shouldn't be so judgmental. What if it's not? And from that basis, from that premise, I just thought, well, why is this happening?”
— Stephen Graham [05:35] -
On Emotional Reserve
“His dad never hugs him, and his dad's never told him that he loves him. And it just broke my heart a little bit.”
— Stephen Graham [10:40] -
On Technical Challenge of One-Take Episodes
“So we do two takes a day. So sometimes, you know, hopefully at the minimum, we will have 10 takes...With episode two, the take we used was take 14.”
— Stephen Graham [19:22] -
On Working with Legends
“Can you imagine what happened to Little Head when I was sat at the table with Marty at the monitor? Al Pacino, Robert De Niro...? Even saying it now, it just doesn't seem real.”
— Stephen Graham [31:34] -
On Artistic Integrity & Collaboration
“We could ask Owen, what would he say in these particular situations?...we could get to use the real authentic language. It's such a gift...”
— Stephen Graham [17:48]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Adolescence Themes and Societal Reflection [05:24–08:31]
- Portraying Eddie and Family Dynamics [08:31–12:32]
- Emotional Intensity & On-Set Anecdotes [12:32–16:08]
- The One-Take Method and Process [16:28–19:22]
- Stephen Graham on ‘This Is England’ and Race [22:04–26:34]
- Childhood, Identity, and Cinema’s Influence [26:34–28:14]
- Working with De Niro, Pacino, and Scorsese [31:34–38:10]
- Closing Thank Yous [38:10–38:17]
Conclusion
This episode provides an in-depth, personal, and technically fascinating look at ‘Adolescence’ through Stephen Graham’s voice. The conversation traverses topical social questions, the realities of emotional acting, innovative filming methods, and the joy and awe of realizing childhood dreams alongside pop culture icons. Graham’s honesty and warmth make the episode as compelling as the show it explores.
Episode Highlights (For New Listeners)
- Stephen Graham’s inspiration and nuanced vision for ‘Adolescence’
- The challenge and power of filming in unbroken one-takes
- Honest insight into masculinity and emotional expression in families
- Candid stories about working with legendary actors and the realities of big-screen acting
- Depth on issues of race, identity, and the importance of community in raising children
Highly recommended for viewers of ‘Adolescence,’ film and television enthusiasts, and anyone interested in acting or contemporary societal challenges.