Stephen graham

There has to be something that I like about a character for me to be able to play him.

I did 'Gangs of New York' with Martin Scorsese, and they used to call me 'Little Joe Pesci' on the set.

I'm a mixed race lad from Liverpool. I get to play a lot of hard characters, and some people perceive that's what I'm like, but it's great for me 'cos they're always the most interesting characters.

There are always certain things that you tap into, your own personal experiences, and I try to base my characters on someone I know or someone I've seen.

There are moments when you're stepping out of a really nice car on to a red carpet, and you feel inside like, 'This is quite nice,' but I'm never whisked off my feet.

I was 10, and I played Jim Hawkins in 'Treasure Island' at school, and this great Liverpudlian actor called Andrew Schofield - he was Johnny Rotten in 'Sid And Nancy' - came to watch it, and he had a...

I was going to become a youth worker because I do voluntary work with the kids in the little village where I live. I make little films with them and stuff when I'm not working. I thought, I'll pack it...

People in New York are surprised when I open my mouth.

I'm great at telling stories with the kids. I do all my different accents. We make our own stories up all the time, the four of us, me and Hannah and the kids.

I'm drawn to dramas that make people think. I want to make an impact.