People left in shock after Stephen Graham’s reveals ethnicity during powerful Emmys speech

Stephen Graham’s ethnicity has caused social media to explode in shock after the actor discussed his heritage at the Emmy Awards ceremony.

Graham, who has been a beloved British actor since the This Is England days, has had a whirlwind of a career so far.

Having been an actor, then director and producer, Graham has been handing out hit after hit for the last decade.

There was Help, Time, The Boiling-Point, and most recently, Adolescence on Netflix, which saw him write a beautifully crafted tale of incel culture and online misogyny manifesting in a quiet down and unsuspecting family unit.

The show garnered instant praise for its handling of the sensitive topic of a young boy being indoctrinated with hate for women and murdering a schoolmate.

Stephen Graham revealed his ethnicity (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

It even led to 15-year-old Owen Cooper becoming the youngest-ever male to win an Emmy for his work.

While you may have thought you knew everything about the Liverpudlian, there's one thing that most didn't realise that left fans in shock.

It’s his ethnicity.

While he has played quintessentially white, British men on screen, Graham actually has Jamaican heritage on his father's side, and has previously spoken about dealing with racism growing up.

People online couldn’t believe this was the first they were hearing of it.

One person on X wrote: “Stephen Graham is JAMAICAN?!?! The amount of BBC dramas I have watched this guy in I would have never known until his speech.”

Another said: “finding out stephen graham is Jamaican bc he called himself mixed race.”

Someone else wrote: “stephen graham is my fave quadroon bc he always mentions that he’s mixed race like he doesn’t want people to ever think he’s fully white lol,”

A user who already knew questioned: “I wonder how many people found out Stephen Graham was part Jamaican tonight? I heard back when he was Capone on Boardwalk Empire.”

He said he is mixed race (Netflix)

In his acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on 14 September, the actor said: "This kind of thing doesn't happen to a kid like me. I'm just a mixed race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirkby.

"So for me, to be here today, in front of my peers and to be acknowledged by you is the utmost humbling thing I could ever imagine in my life and it shows you that any dream is possible.”

He went on to share: "There's too many people to thank but I am going to thank my friends and family. Without you, none of this is possible.

"Thank you for helping me with something that I can't do on my own.”

He then spoke of his upbringing, and his father, who is also mixed heritage too, stating: "Jack, everyone, Phil, everyone. I want to bring it to my dad for taking me to the video shop when I was a kid and kick-starting my education in film - Quarry Green video shop.

"My kids Grace and Alfie and my adorable wife, who I love with every ounce of my being - you are my rock, you are my world, you are my soulmate and you know and I know, without you, I would be dead.

"So from the bottom of my heart I love you with everything I have. Namaste everyone, thanks very much."

Congrats, Stephen!