Stephen Graham used haunting phrase to anger Adolescence co-star before filming

Easily one of the best shows of the year, Adolescence has left viewers feeling a whole range of emotions.

From being amazed by the acting to heartbroken over the characters, it’s not just fans of the Netflix show that were made to feel angry.

Co-creator and star Stephen Graham used a particularly haunting phrase on set to rile up his co-star before filming.

The Liverpool legend plays Eddie Miller in Adolescence, the dad of 13-year-old Jamie who is accused of murdering a young girl.

And despite the intensity of this role, they cast a young lad with no on-screen acting experience. Owen Cooper, 15, has absolutely blown people away with his performance as he’s tipped to scoop up awards for his debut.

He’s spoken openly about how the cast on set helped him and explained what Graham did when he was trying to get into character.

The breakthrough star explained the This Is England actor was ‘always checking in’ on him during filming.

“But there was a time in episode one, when it was just us two, with no camera, in the police cell, and he scruffed me up and said 'you’re never going to see your mum again, you’re never going to see your dad again', and was going on and on,” Cooper told Variety.

Cooper made his debut in the role. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

The young star said before then he’d ‘been frustrated’ as he ‘hadn’t been getting emotional’ for the camera.

“But after that point I was emotional in every take. So that helped me a lot,” he added.

“He was amazing to work with.”

Adolescence’s director, Philip Barantini, is one of many praising Cooper’s work, as he said: “Actors train for years and years and still can’t really master what Owen has done.”

When it came to casting the role of Jamie, Barantini explained at the Next on Netflix event: “We were thinking, ‘how are we going to be able to get a 13-year-old to do what we need them to do?' It's heavy.

The first episode sees Jamie arrested under suspicion of murder. (Netflix)

“We scoured the North West of England. Shaheen Baig, the casting director, is incredible at finding young talent and so she found actors who'd done a few bits and bobs, but also, kids who’ve never acted before.

“Owen was one of those kids. He did self-tapes and we were like, ‘this kid's got something.’”

Over on X, viewers have said the actor ‘is destined for greatness’ as they reckon he is ‘gonna have an Oscar one day because he is f**king incredible’.

Adolescence is available to watch on Netflix now.