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Stephen Graham thanks 'Nan's neighbour' Drew Schofield in Bafta speech

Stewart WhittinghamNorth West
EPA Stephen Graham wears a black suit and shit and is smiling holding a gold BAFTA award. He is stood in front of a purple backdrop which is covered in the BAFTA logo. He has short dark hairEPA
Stephen Graham won his first BAFTA and explained who inspired him to get into acting

Stephen Graham used his Bafta Television Awards speech toexplain who helped him recognise he could one day be on the television.

He won a Bafta for best actor for his role as the father of a teenage boy accused of murder in his acclaimed Neflix drama Adolescence.

The 52-year-old, who has previously described himself as "just a mixed-race kid from Kirkby", said actor Drew Schofield who starred in Alan Bleasdale's Scully TV drama, lived opposite his "nana's house" and showed him he too could be an actor.

Scully, which was a Channel 4 drama, created by Boys From The Black Stuff playwright Bleasdale, told the adventures of a working class teenage schoolboy, who dreamed of playing for Liverpool.

Netflix A scene from Adolescence with Stephen Graham playing Eddie Miller and Owen Cooper playing his son. The image shows the two looking at each other in a police interview room. Stephen Graham's character looks concerned. His brow is furrowed.Netflix
Stephen Graham played Eddie Miller, the father of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder

Adolescence made Bafta history on Sunday night as it took the top prizes at the television awards.

It claimed four awards, the most won by a single TV series in the main ceremony.

The hit show was named best limited drama, while Graham and fellow stars Christine Tremarco and Owen Cooper all won awards.

Graham was named best leading actor, Tremarco won the supporting actress prize and Cooper took supporting actor.

Speaking on stage, Graham, who co-wrote the script with Jack Thorne, said: "I might take my time.

"I've been nominated eight times and this is the first time I've won. Nice one Bafta, this is lovely.

"When I was a kid, I watched a telly programme called Scully, written by Alan Bleasdale, and it had the wonderful Drew Schofield in it and he lived across the road from my nana's house, so he showed me that I could be on the telly.

"He was my inspiration. So for any other young kid, no matter where you're from, anything is possible.

"We are all people that have done that, we get to do what we love, which is different.

"We're not digging holes, we're not digging ditches, we're not saving lives, but we have the opportunity to tell the human condition, and we have the obligation to tell beautiful stories and we need to keep that going."

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