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Adolescence star and writer Stephen Graham once offered to adopt one of his young co-stars after the child’s mother passed away shortly after filming.
The 51-year-old has been making headlines recently with the release of Adolescence on Netflix, which has quickly become a major hit on the streaming platform.
The series has garnered praise for its stunning cinematography, with each episode filmed in a single take, as well as its powerful and thought-provoking storyline.
Adolescence follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested for the murder of a female classmate, diving deep into the disturbing cyberbullying that ultimately led to the tragic event.
However, it’s not just the series that has brought Graham into the spotlight—an act of kindness from his past has also recently resurfaced.
In 2006, Graham starred in the cult classic This Is England, portraying Andrew ‘Combo’ Gascoigne. The film centered around 13-year-old Shaun, played by Thomas Turgoose, and the two developed a close friendship during the filming.
Tragically, not long after filming wrapped, Turgoose lost his mother to cancer and had to move in with his father, whom he barely knew.
He revealed that Graham was so deeply moved by his loss that he offered to adopt Turgoose if things didn’t work out with his biological father.
In a 2021 appearance on the Private Parts podcast, Turgoose shared: “I remember sitting in my bedroom for days, weeks, feeling so confused. This wasn’t the life I was used to.”
He continued, “I spent a lot of time with Shane Meadows and Stephen Graham. They agreed between them that if I didn’t get along with my dad, or if they didn’t think he was fit to raise me, they would adopt me.”
Although it was a challenging transition, things ultimately worked out with his father.
Turgoose explained, “But they met my dad. And my dad is a proper bloke! He’s worked his a** off his whole life, and he’s respectable.”
“Me and my dad are best friends now, whereas when I moved in with him, I didn’t even know him.”
