
It takes 50 minutes for Stephen Graham to appear as bare-knuckle boxer Henry “Sugar” Goodson in the first episode of A Thousand Blows. It’s worth the wait.
The 52-year actor is almost unrecognisable as he steps out from the shadows and slowly swaggers to the ring – the camera following his brawny back. This shot, and the broad frame that dominates it, have been months in the making.