Though Stephen Graham is not a new or recently discovered actor by any stretch of the imagination, the Adolescence star and co-creator seems to finally be receiving his flowers as of late. He’s won awards and praise for his work on great shows like Boardwalk Empire and Save Me, but I don’t recall a time when he’s done as well as he’s doing now. A collection of Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and countless others give us plenty of reasons to celebrate his greatness and command of the screen.
All of that being said, there’s another role of Graham’s I want to talk about and think that everyone should check out. No, it’s not his work in the aforementioned Boardwalk Empire (it’s great, by the way) or his brief turn on Peaky Blinders, but instead a 2006 British drama that spawned a trio of unforgettable miniseries: This Is England.
I Think Everyone Should Check Out Stephen Graham’s Portrayal Of Combo In This Is England
For those who haven’t watched, This Is England is a moving coming-of-age story that centers on a young boy named Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) as he tries to find his place in the world following the death of his father in the Falklands War. After joining up with a group of young skinheads and being welcomed into their family, Shaun meets and falls under the wing of Andrew “Combo” Gascoigne, a white nationalist skinhead who’s just gotten out of prison.
From the first time he appears on screen until the movie’s shocking final moments, Stephen Graham’s character is a tour de force. When I was first watching the movie back in college, I found myself being both frightened and intrigued by Combo. He’s definitely a shitty person with a terrible outlook on the world around him, but Graham’s portrayal is so electric, so powerful, and unforgettable. You just can’t stop watching as his story plays out, both in the movie and the subsequent miniseries that followed.
Combo Is Such A Complicated Character, And Stephen Graham Channels That Perfectly
Combo is, by all accounts, a terrible person when it comes to his views, actions, and the way he carries himself in general. In This Is England, he verbally and physically assaults a shop owner because he’s an immigrant, viciously attacks one of his young followers (played by Jack O’Connell in his first film role), and beats a man to within an inch of his life.
Don’t get me wrong, Combo is an awful human being throughout the first movie and deserves everything that comes to him later on. However, as his story unfolds and you learn more about him as a person, this perception becomes incredibly complicated. That’s what’s so brilliant about Graham’s take on a character you love to hate. He finds the humanity in a character that seemingly lacks it, and in turn, creates the dynamic individual whose story you can’t stop watching.
There are times when This Is England is one of the best free movies streaming, but unfortunately, it’s only available as a rental or purchase for the time being. Regardless, it’s worth seeking out, especially if you want to see Stephen Graham’s best performance.
