Stephen Graham's daughter threatened to "disown" him if he turned down a role in Matilda.
The actor had little to no choice but to accept the role after a strict telling-off from his daughter who happens to be a diehard fan of the show. Stepping into the shoes of Matilda's father, Mr Wormwood, Stephen joined a star-studded cast for the movie musical retelling of the Roald Dahl classic.
The role is a far cry from the gritty characters Stephen has played on screen. The 49-year-old admitted he was apprehensive about saying yes to the part.
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Speaking to Time Out Magazine, he said: "My daughter told me if I didn’t do it she’d disown me. She and my wife are massive fans of the musical."
It is not the first time Stephen has undertaken a role to please his children, with his role in Marvel’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage done to wow son Alfie. Both are very different from roles the much-loved star is regularly seen portraying, with his recent role of reformed Neo Nazi Matthew Collins in ITV’s The Walk-In lighting up screens.
However, it is the more light-hearted Stephen that will soon grace screens - a role that will see him sing too. Despite those worries, it was Grace who once again had a helping hand, Leicestershire Live reported.
He added: "My daughter went over it with me so I didn’t sound like a dying cat."
The role in Matilda will see Stephen star alongside Dame Emma Thompson who looks virtually unrecognisable as Miss Trunchbull, while James Bond star Lashana Lynch is the ever-so-sweet Miss Honey. Meanwhile, Andrea Riseborough stars as his on-screen wife Mrs Wormwood, with the role of Matilda going the way of young Alisha Weir.
Previews for the film have already seen Stephen sporting bright green hair in a nod to one of Matilda’s best-known pranks, but viewers have yet to hear his singing voice. The Leicestershire man has already moved on though, with a series of other projects in the pipeline, including the TV adaption of his award-winning movie Boiling Point.
However, Matilda will be his next major role - one that he’s glad to have done. He said: “I’ve done one [movie] for each [kid] now. So I’ve got that out of my system now.”
The Matilda: The Musical movie opens in cinemas on Friday, November 25. It will then stream on Netflix from Christmas Day.
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