Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Spoilers follow for the Netflix seriesAdolescence, all four episodes of which began streaming on March 13.
You may think you know what a Stephen Graham performance is going to be like.
Hes poleaxed and will never be the same again.
You ask her, Weve done nothing wrong, have we?
She asks you, But we made him, didnt we?
And in this situation, theyre trying to find the justification, but also seeking that kind of reassurance.
We did do the right thing, didnt we?
We do see this the same way, dont we?
We are on the same page here?
We have tried everything we could try?
Jack writes the human condition beautifully.
How we worked was, we had a full week to go through the script.
We sit down for one day and talk and read and talk and read.
For the first day, we sat in the living room.
The second day, we walked around the house.
We had Jack with us for the first three days of every rehearsal week.
We could really dissect the language and pick out every single nuance.
It was about trying to make the conversation as naturalistic and as free-flowing as possible.
You start at the beginning, the whistle goes, and were all off.
The language becomes really rhythmic.
Theres a real kind of nice melody that happens with Jacks writing.
In the second week, thats when Matthew Lewis comes in, our amazing DOP.
Theyre passing the camera to each other.
Its choreographed with meticulous detail.
The next day, all of the crew were in.
Now were all together.
I dont wish to sound pretentious, but I cant help it.
Its like youre building a little symphony.
It just builds and it builds and builds.
Episode 4 is set 13 months later.
Im curious about how you wanted your physicality to be different.
From the get-go, Eddie was supposed to be mowing the garden.
I think the crew were a bit shocked at first because I actually fucking mowed the garden.
Before we did the very first take, I mowed the whole garden to get me into it.
Not that Ive never mowed a garden, but I wanted to be inEddiesgarden.
Dont forget youve got to get it off the rig as well.
So its both of those moments.
At the beginning, youre rehearsing everything.
Can we lift the wire up a little bit?
Its very quick, and its not a big gap!
So for the first couple of takes, youre kind of like,Whew!
Teenagers can do cruel things.
When Eddies got hold of that boy, Eddie realizes its wrong.
But in the same respect, everything Eddies saying to this kid is right: You dont do that.
You dont know whats going on.
You dont know whats happening in here.
Eddie opens up to that kid more than he probably has at home.
Then he becomes aware of the fear that hes putting into this kid, and that frightens him.
You dont see a lot of Eddie on the way back.
Youre very compartmentalized emotionally, and youre outside of the frame.You dont.
You see the side of his face.
You dont see the true impact its having on him.
We didnt want to show you.
We didnt want you to make a run at have a look into his soul.
But I think we need to treat the audience with intelligence and with respect.
As an audience, youre really listening to whats being said, and youre just watching for a bit.
Youre looking to see the faces, and youre looking to see whats going on.
We give you that one little tiny moment, and you see:boom.
Its some of the most beautiful acting I have ever seen.
She reminds me of my mother, my grandmother, my auntie, my wife: that strength.
I know this moment wasnt scripted, and came to you in rehearsal.
And then Christine says, The same way we made him.
That line has so much gravity, but also, its so honest.
I want to come in and have a look, because this is where it all started.
And then Phil put the teddy bear on the bed, and I went, Whats that for?
He said, Ive just got this idea.
It just slowly comes to me to hold it.
Im very close with my children.
I feel so blessed.
Im very tactile with my kids.
In the rehearsal process, it was just a feeling.
He got you really good.[Laughs.]
Yeah, he did, and in a beautiful way.
Hes a very dear friend.
Thats where Philip has his geniuses.
Hes a proper actors director.
It was the last take of the very last day we were shooting.
I think he knew that that was it.
We already had it a couple of takes back.
This one lets just enjoy it.
What happened with Episode 2?
Toby Bentley from Netflix was lovely, wonderful.
He said, I think we need to see Eddie again, at the end.
I want to connect Eddie to our story.
But I think he should be over by the flowers.
See if you could work it out.
I wasnt allowed to rehearse that day.
Im an executive producer, but Im not booked as an actor to do that.
Im like, Let me just get on, then.
They were like, No.
We have to clear it through the right channels.
We had to rehearse it with Phils brother.
Theres a take out there with Phils brother, bless him.
The second time, the winds too strong; we cant fly the drone.
We have to finish it with him by the school.
On Friday morning, we got one up, but it was quite wobbly.
Friday afternoon, its the last take.
Its the last chance.
We cant come back on Monday because we have new locations set up.
Weve got a really good take from the second take on Monday, but this new ending doesnt exist.
What are we going to do?
It just hit like poetry.
Every single performance had that kind of beautiful fluidity.
It just went together lovely.
