Netflix fans are hailing one star ‘the best British actor’ they’ve ever seen after yet another stellar turn in his latest TV show.

Last week, crime drama Adolescence was released by the streaming giant, a riveting four-parter that told the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder.

Owen Cooper, 15, left audiences staggered in his first ever professional acting role as the suspect Jamie, holding his own in scenes with prolific performers including Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty.

Stephen Graham, who plays Jamie’s dad Eddie, also gave one of the greatest standout performances of the ‘one-shot’ series, with many viewers lauding the actor for being one of the best actors they’ve ever witnessed on screen.

The A Thousand Blows star has plenty of critically-acclaimed films and TV shows under his belt, from This Is England to Peaky Blinders, The Irishman and Line of Duty.

Reacting to his performance in Adolescence, numerous Metro readers were adamant that the 51-year-old is one of the most talented stars in the British acting industry, with some saying he deserves to sweep awards season when it comes back around.

One fan called Marilyn wrote in response to a Metro post on Facebook that he is ‘100% the best British actor to date’.

‘I’ve been saying this for years, absolutely brilliant actor!’ Nicola agreed.

Jezebel shared: ‘Stephen Graham is one of the best actors to come out of the UK. Everything that guy touches is acting gold! One of my favourite actors ever.’

One person called Leigh recalled watching Stephen in This Is England, which was his breakout role when the first film in the franchise was released in 2006.

‘Some of his scenes as Combo in This is England is some of the finest acting I’ve ever seen,’ they wrote, adding that one particular scene with Vicky McClure’s character Lol was ‘spine tingling’.

Stephen Graham’s role as Combo in This Is England cemented him as a star (Picture: Moviestore/Rex Features/Shutterstock)Paul brought up Stephen’s work in The Virtues, a Channel 4 miniseries that was released in 2019 and was co-written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne.

‘His work with Shane Meadows is staggering,’ the reader said.

‘Just watch The Virtues, especially the scene where he gets drunk in the pub after learning his son is moving away. He’s just utterly incredible.’

Earlier this year, the actor astonished TV fans with both his performance and physical transformation for A Thousand Blows, a Disney Plus series set in the underground bare-knuckle boxing world of Victorian London.

He took six months to train and bulk up for the role, and his performance as underground titan Sugar Goodson was truly menacing.

‘Watched him in A Thousand Blows the other night. Brilliant series,’ a fan called Stephen commented on Facebook.

His transformation for A Thousand Blows astonished viewers (Picture: Robert Viglasky Photography/Disney Plus)
Going back to his latest role in Adolescence, Nadine emphasised: ‘He is amazing! I felt every emotion he showed even when he was not speaking. Fantastic actor.’

‘Stephen Graham is an amazing actor. He makes every role he plays believable. Just watched Adolescence and the acting from the main players is astounding,’ Sharon added.

Despite Stephen being unanimously hailed as one of the best actors in Britain to date, somehow, he’s never won a Bafta, either at the film or TV awards ceremony – and it’s about time that changed.

Nonetheless, he has scooped up accolades including a SAG Award for the ensemble cast of Boardwalk Empire and two RTS Awards – one in 2018 for his performance in Little Boy Blue and one in 2018 for The Virtues.

The reign of Stephen Graham is far from over… long may it continue.

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