Facing His Demons

Stephen Graham stars in shane meadows’ harrowing drama about an alcoholic confronting his troubled childhood…

Stephen Graham is having a remarkable year. After his standout performance as ill-fated undercover cop John Corbett in Line of Duty, he is now heading the cast of C4’s intense drama The Virtues.

Co-written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne, who Graham worked with on This Is England, the four-part series stars the 45-year-old as recovering alcoholic Joseph, who is still haunted by fractured memories of his traumatic childhood in the care system.

After he falls off the wagon when his ex-partner takes their son to live in Australia, he heads to Ireland to confront the demons from his past, try to reunite with his longlost sister Anna (Helen Behan), and get some answers.

‘When Joseph’s son is taken away from him, it destroys him. He starts drinking and repressed memories begin coming back,’ explains Graham, who played skinhead Combo in This Is England.

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