Stephen Graham, 51, improvised tear-jerking Adolescence moment as boss admits it shouldn’t have happened
Netflix’s hit series “Adolescence” has captivated viewers with its gripping storyline, but it’s an unscripted moment in the finale has become one of the show’s most powerful scenes.
Stephen Graham, who plays Jamie’s father, Eddie, went off script during the final episode in a heart-wrenching moment where he tucks his son’s teddy bear into bed.
The improvised scene, which wasn’t in the original script, shows Graham kissing the teddy bear’s head and whispering: “I’m sorry son, I should have done better.”
Director Philip Barantini revealed that the original script called for Graham to get into Jamie’s bed and pull the covers over himself, acting as an avatar for his imprisoned son.
“We rehearsed it, and it was great. But I just felt like there’s something about him tucking in Jamie’s teddy,” Barantini told Netflix’s Tudum.
“This is the only thing that Eddie’s got that he can touch — that’s malleable, that Jamie’s cuddled, and Jamie’s been with. And then Stephen made it his own.”
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The devastating scene takes place in the final episode, one year after Jamie’s arrest for the violent murder of his classmate Katie.
It comes after Eddie learns his son has changed his plea to guilty, leading to a heartbreaking conversation between him and Jamie’s mother Manda (Christine Tremarco).
The series explores the ripple effect of Jamie’s crime on his family, with Barantini explaining: “Each individual member of the Millers is trying to hold the other one up. And in turn, they’re actually breaking each other down.”
This wasn’t the only improvised moment in the series that resonated with viewers.
Young actor Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie, revealed during an appearance on The One Show that co-star Erin Doherty went off script during a scene in episode three.
“I was tired so a yawn came to me,” Cooper explained. “Then Erin did an amazing line, she said, ‘Am I boring you?’ so that took me back and it made me smile because it wasn’t in the script.”
Cooper credited his co-stars for helping him navigate these unscripted moments.
The unique filming style of “Adolescence” required extensive preparation from the cast, with each episode being shot in one continuous take.
Stephen Graham explained on The One Show: “Each episode is shot over three weeks. For the first week, we work on the script, analysing the text. The second week, we kind of work with the camera and choreograph the whole thing.”
“Then the third week, you shoot two scenes a day,” he added.
This challenging technique meant actors had to think on their feet when things didn’t go according to plan.
“Adolescence” tackles topical subjects including misogyny, ‘incels’, the online ‘manosphere’, and toxic masculinity.
The star-studded cast includes Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Erin Doherty, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, Mark Stanley, Jo Hartley and Austin Haynes.