Stephen Graham is one of the UK’s most celebrated actors and has starred in countless films and TV shows – but he’s also got an equally famous best mate
Stephen Graham, one of the UK’s most beloved actors, has garnered a fresh wave of admirers with his hit Netflix series, Adolescence.
Boasting an impressive career that spans three decades, Stephen has been at the forefront of some of the most iconic films and television series to date.
Despite his stellar resume, there have been instances where this acting titan has flown under the radar, such as in the 2002 epic Gangs of New York. While Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis may be the names most recall from the film, the Kirkby-born actor also graced the Super 35mm film reels.
Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, didn’t just deliver award-worthy performances; it also sparked a friendship between Stephen Graham and Leonardo DiCaprio that has lasted over two decades. In a 2024 chat with The Guardian, Stephen fondly referred to Leo: “I’d class him as a very dear friend still today.”
Their bond is so strong that, during a 2013 tell-all with The Mirror, the This Is England star confessed: “When I go to LA I stay at a mate’s house – it just so happens that mate is Leonardo DiCaprio. We met on Gangs of New York. To me it’s normal – I have a bit of dinner and chat.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
He added, “He’s trying to teach me basketball, he has a group of mates round, he gets good takeaways in, he has a cinema room so we watch a film.”
When Stephen met Leo on the sets of Gangs of New York, they hit it off in a big way, turning into solid pals who loved to push each other’s limits. Leo, known for his cheeky stunts, often zoomed around the set in a golf cart which led Stephen to ask if he could take it for a spin.
“Two days before we’re due to start work he’s driving around in this golf cart and I’ve asked him if I can have a go,” Stephen revealed on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2019. “I’m driving this golf cart straight down the hill and we’ve come to a corner, and I’ve looked at DiCaprio and, we’re bombing down this hill and as I’ve turned the corner, I’ve hit a brick and the golf cart started to tip.
“It’s gone like in slow motion and, as it’s gone, his leg’s underneath. It looks like it’s going to land on his foot. And then he just pulled it in and it’s hit the floor.”
After being flung from the cart, Leo turned to Stephen and shouted, “We nearly… you could have broken my leg!” However, as Stephen kept saying sorry, the Wolf of Wall Street icon said, “This is a 150million dollar film we might not have been able to film it.”
Still in the throes of apology, Stephen was taken aback when Leo declared, “I f***ing love you man. You’re crazy.”
From that moment forward, Leo has affectionately nicknamed Stephen “Animal”.
Stephen dropped a right shocker on The Big Narstie Show when he blurted out a surprising mishap with mate Leonardo DiCaprio: “It was an accident! We used to drive golf carts on set. He (Leo) used to have this golf cart and I went – give us a go. And he went, alright! So we were rallying it round, and it was faster than a normal golf cart, and we were going down this hill and I just kinda pulled the lever and switched it round and it just started to tilt.
“It was like it fell in slow motion. Alex [Howden] was in the back and he was just like ‘What the f***! !’ and I was like “oh no! and it landed and he [DiCaprio] jumped out – but we could have broken his leg!”.
The actor from Ireland also spilled the beans about how tricky it can be to just “go down the shops” with the Hollywood giant Leo, but insists he stays as “very grounded.”
Stephen added: “He’s even taken me to the chicken shop he went to as a kid. It’s nice – we have very much the same morals and sensibilities.”
While the two have starred together in smashes on the big screen, Stephen’s all about the quiet life at home in Blighty with his actress wife Hannah Walters, and their young ‘uns Grace and Alfie, steering clear of Tinseltown razzmatazz.
Famously chilled, he quipped, “It would be difficult to have DiCaprio’s fame. I can walk down the street and buy some milk, I do like that,” showing his preference for simplicity over stardom.
Acknowledged as one of the UK’s ace actors, Stephen’s not too keen on the celebrity circus that often accompanies fame.
Instead, he’s all about family time. Opening up, Stephen revealed: “My life isn’t showbiz. I have surreal moments, but my life is playing footie with Alfie, picking Grace up from dance.”
He added, “There are moments when you’re stepping out of a really nice car onto a red carpet, and you feel inside like this is quite nice, but I’m never whisked off my feet.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
