I'm a mixed race lad from Liverpool. I get to play a lot of hard characters, and some people perceive that's what I'm like, but it's great for me 'cos they're always the most interesting characters.
— Stephen Graham
I was 10, and I played Jim Hawkins in 'Treasure Island' at school, and this great Liverpudlian actor called Andrew Schofield - he was Johnny Rotten in 'Sid And Nancy' - came to watch it, and he had a word with my mum and dad afterwards and told them I should have a go at the Everyman youth theatre. I've never looked back.
I'm more of a shirt, jeans and trainers man, and I'll never stop that.
I always try and keep a jacket from everything I do. I've still got my original coat from 'Snatch' and my jacket from 'This Is England'.
I adore my job. I think I'm one of the luckiest people out there. I've worked hard, but I get to mess about every day - that's how I see it.
Rudeness makes me very angry.
If I get the walk of a character, that helps me find them. So I'm constantly looking at airports and train stations, registering walks.
There are moments when you're stepping out of a really nice car on to a red carpet, and you feel inside like, 'This is quite nice,' but I'm never whisked off my feet.
I work to live, not live to work, so my head's at home, not in some showbiz life.
I love my creature comforts.
When I was 27, I didn't have a clue what was going on! At that age, to have that much power and to have that much ambition is something.
I've become very close with Tom Hardy. I love Tom to bits.
I like how TV used to be - 'Boys from the Blackstuff' and 'Play for Today', instead of 'Stars in Your Eyes' and 'Celebrity Come Cook With Me' or whatever. I hate all that stuff.
I'm great at telling stories with the kids. I do all my different accents. We make our own stories up all the time, the four of us, me and Hannah and the kids.
There are always certain things that you tap into, your own personal experiences, and I try to base my characters on someone I know or someone I've seen.
I don't need to move to the States; I love our little village, Ibstock.
I like time ticking the way it is.
There has to be something that I like about a character for me to be able to play him.
I did 'Gangs of New York' with Martin Scorsese, and they used to call me 'Little Joe Pesci' on the set.
People in New York are surprised when I open my mouth.
I'm drawn to dramas that make people think. I want to make an impact.
I was going to become a youth worker because I do voluntary work with the kids in the little village where I live. I make little films with them and stuff when I'm not working. I thought, I'll pack it in then, and go and do something I love doing, and get a regular job because I've got two kids and a mortgage.
Mum and Dad always wanted me to do whatever I was happy doing. I nearly went to art college at 16, but decided to do a BTEC in performing arts.
I wouldn't rule out L.A. life, but I love England. I have a lovely house and nice garden, I walk my kids to school - family is most important to me.
