Stephen Graham: His Dyslexia, ADHD, Family and Career

There’s something quietly rebellious about an actor who turns a learning difference into his superpower. Stephen Graham has built a career on intensity—whether as the terrifying Combo in *This Is England* or the sly Al Capone in *Boardwalk Empire*—but behind the roles is a man who has navigated dyslexia and ADHD.

Born: 3 August 1973, Liverpool, England · BAFTA TV Award nominations: 7 · Known for: Snatch, This Is England, Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders · Spouse: Hannah Walters (m. 2008)

Eight key facts about Stephen Graham, gathered from verified sources.

What disability does Stephen Graham have?

What is dyslexia?

• Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects reading, spelling, and writing. Stephen Graham has spoken publicly about his dyslexia, describing how it shaped his early education (El País English).
• He has also disclosed that he lives with ADHD, which together with dyslexia creates challenges he manages with support from his wife (Times of India).

What is Stephen Graham’s diagnosis?

• According to multiple interviews, Graham was diagnosed as a child with both dyslexia and ADHD. He now openly advocates for neurodiversity in the entertainment industry (El País English).

The implication: Graham’s neurodivergence is integral to his public identity and career approach.

Has Stephen Graham got children?

How many children does Stephen Graham have?

• Stephen Graham and his wife Hannah Walters have two children: a daughter named Grace, born in 2005, and a son named Alfie, born in 2007 (People).
• The couple has kept their children largely out of the public eye while they were younger (YouTube interview).

What this means: Graham’s commitment to privacy reflects a deliberate separation of family from fame.

Is Leo DiCaprio friends with Stephen Graham?

How did Stephen Graham meet Leonardo DiCaprio?

• Graham and DiCaprio met on the set of Gangs of New York in 2002, where Graham played a minor role. They have remained close friends since, and Graham has called DiCaprio a “genuine mate.” (Wikipedia)
• Their friendship led to further collaborations, including DiCaprio casting Graham in The Wolf of Wall Street (Wikipedia).

The catch: While widely reported, the depth of their friendship lacks extensive public evidence.

What has Stephen Graham’s wife been in?

Who is Hannah Walters?

• Hannah Walters is a British actress, producer, and director. She and Graham met while training at Rose Bruford College (Women’s Weekly).
• They married in 2008 and together founded Matriarch Productions in 2020, a company focused on telling diverse stories (Wikipedia).

What TV shows has Hannah Walters acted in?

• Walters appeared in This Is England alongside her husband, as well as in Line of Duty and Informer (Women’s Weekly).
• She has also produced short films under Matriarch Productions (Wikipedia).

The pattern: Walters has balanced acting roles with a growing role as producer.

Who is Stephen Graham’s wife?

What is Hannah Walters’ background?

• Walters grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and studied acting at Rose Bruford College. The couple reportedly were friends for years before their relationship turned romantic (Women’s Weekly).
• She now splits her time between acting and running Matriarch Productions, which she co-founded with Graham to develop TV and film projects (Wikipedia).

The consequence: Walters is not just a spouse but a full creative partner.

Clarity check: what we know for sure

Overall, the confirmed facts outnumber uncertainties, but some biographical details remain unverified.

Quotes from those who know him best

“My wife reads scripts for me — she helps me decide what to take on.”

– Stephen Graham, in a Bafta Sessions panel, as reported by Times of India

“We were friends for years before we got together.”

– Hannah Walters, reflecting on her relationship with Graham, as reported by Women’s Weekly

For British audiences who grew up watching Graham on screen, the picture that emerges is of a performer who has used his neurodivergence not as a weakness but as a driver of his craft. The implication is clear: the roles we remember him for — the hard men, the gangsters, the antiheroes — were shaped by a man who learned to read the world differently because he had to read scripts differently.