How Stephen Graham improvised Adolescence's most heart-wrenching scene
20 March 2025, 13:27
A tear-jerking scene in Netflix's Adolescence almost didn't make it to screen after Stephen Graham went off-script.
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Adolescence star Stephen Graham's moving performance as father of Jamie, Eddie Miller, has gone down a storm with viewers, especially one poignant scene which was entirely improvised.
With a stellar cast including talents such as Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters, Hannah Walters and Erin Doherty, this heartbreaking Netflix drama follows the story of a teenage boy as he is accused of murdering his classmate Katie.
Documenting the rise of incel culture and misogyny, viewers watch the fallout of the youngster's actions as his family deal with the devastating consequences.
In the final scene of episode four we watch Stephen's character Eddie in Jamie's room as he tucks his son's teddy in bed. However director Philip Barantini has revealed this emotional moment wasn't in the script.
During an interview with Tudum, Philip explained that in the original script Stephen was meant to get into his fictional son's bed and pull the duvet over his head.
However this didn't happen as Stephen improvised a sweet moment, with Phillip stating: "We rehearsed it, and it was great. But I just felt like there’s something about him tucking in Jamie’s teddy."
He added: "This is the only thing that Eddie’s got that he can touch — that’s malleable, that Jamie’s cuddled, and Jamie’s been with. And then Stephen made it his own."
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However this isn't the only impromptu moment in Adolescence, with Owen Cooper who plays Jamie, revealing one shocking moment in episode three was entirely improvised.
Speaking on The One Show, the 15-year-old explained: "In episode three, it was the second take of the day - we do two takes a day."
He continued: "I was tired, so a yawn came to me. Then Erin did an amazing line, she said, 'Am I boring you?'"
Owen added: "That took me back and made me smile because it wasn’t in the script. I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it was amazing."
The up-and-coming actor went on to reveal how he found acting in a high-pressured environment, saying: "Stephen, Erin - she's amazing in episode three. It was just the people around me that I could bounce off."
He later said: "A lot of it is not followed by the script in episode three, so me and Erin just bounced off each other."
Owen has become the stand-out star of the show, with Stephen praising the young actor for his performance in the series.
During a interview on Heart Breakfast with Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston, the 51-year-old said: "He had no experience. He was 13 when he shot it, he’s now 15.
The Peaky Blinders star added: "He just stood out he had this unique ability, very similar to what I saw in Jodie Comer."
Watch Stephen Graham speak about Adolescence here:
Stephen Graham discusses gripping new Netflix drama Adolescence! 👀
While fans have been hoping there will be a second series of Adolescence, co-creators Stephen and Jack Thorne have suggested the Miller's story will be finished after the first season.
Stephen explained: "We knew that we wanted to end it in that room. We wanted the journey to finish where it began."
He continued: "This is where the person who Jamie became was created."
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