Stephen Graham has dismissed awards season as "shiny b******s", insisting the real reward for his work comes from viewers. The actor, who starred in and co-created Netflix's hit series Adolescence, also teased a potential role in the next James Bond film, saying he would rather play a villain "because it'd be more fun".
Graham, who played the father of 13-year-old Jamie Miller in the psychological drama about toxic masculinity, has enjoyed a stellar year. He has already won Best Actor and Writer awards at the Emmys, and is nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award.
In an interview with The Guardian, Graham downplayed the significance of industry honours. "Having a fella come up in Tesco and say: 'I just want to thank you. I had a really good chat with my son the other night after we watched your programme.' No disrespect but you can keep your awards and all that shiny b*******s. That's the real accolade," he said.
The Critics Choice Awards take place on 4 January, with Graham nominated for Best Limited Series and Best Actor. Co-stars Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco are also up for gongs. The show has been praised by politicians, with MP Annaliese Midgley calling for it to be shown in schools to combat misogyny – a move backed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who made it freely available in UK secondary schools.
Elsewhere in the interview, Graham discussed his ongoing collaboration with screenwriter Steven Knight. The pair worked together on boxing drama A Thousand Blows and are now teaming up for the Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man. Knight is also writing the screenplay for the next James Bond film, following Daniel Craig's exit from the franchise.
When asked whether a "scouse 007" could be on the cards, Graham said he would prefer a villainous role. Knight agreed that most great actors feel the same. Names tipped to take over as Bond include Idris Elba, Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson and Jacob Elordi.
