Stephen Graham reveals wife Hannah Walters 'massively sacrificed' her career to support his acting dream

Stephen Graham has revealed his wife Hannah 'massively sacrificed' her acting career to support his dream. The couple met in the 90s when they were starting out as trainee actors at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in Sidcup, Kent. But when they had their children, Grace and Alfie, their unstable careers meant Hannah, 52, took up a job as a teacher to provide a steady income while Stephen, 53, pursued his acting career. Speaking on The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Stephen said: 'Hannah kind of put her career on hold completely while I tried to pursue the acting.'She went and did a teaching job. She was a teacher. She taught sixth form A-level Drama and English and she did other jobs as well. Do you know what I mean? In order to try and keep me going in many ways.'Ultimately that was a massive sacrifice and that's something I'm so grateful for because her ultimate aim and goal [was to be an actress] when she was younger. Stephen Graham has revealed his wife Hannah 'massively sacrificed' her acting career to support his dream (pictured together at The Golden Globes in January) Speaking on The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Stephen said: 'Hannah kind of put her career on hold completely while I tried to pursue the acting''She's had opportunities now and you know hopefully she will have more. But she put that on hold for me which is something that I you know I'll always cherish because of the faith and the backing that she gave me in them situations.'The couple, who married in 2008, settled in Ibstock, Leicestershire, close to Hannah's family, where they are well liked in the community and live in a modest £450,000 four-bedroomed semi.Yet they soon realised that the unstable salaries of two actors would not help when it came to raising their children. Speaking to The i Paper in 2022, Hannah revealed that it was she who sacrificed her career for the sake of their family. She explained: 'I’ve always kind of taken a little bit of a backseat. 'Stephen has had more of a prolific career, and when we were both starting out, one of us needed to get a normal job. Acting doesn’t help pay the mortgage when you’re young.'Over the years, the pair did work together. They both starred on This Is England in 2006 and the 2021 prison drama Time, where Hannah played Stephen's wife. The couple, who married in 2008, worked together on This Is England in 2006 and starred together in 2021 prison drama Time (pictured), where Hannah played Stephen's wife Hannah was also key to getting the production of their Disney+ drama, A Thousand Blows off the ground (L-R Stephen, Steven Knight, Erin Doherty, Hannah, and Malachi Kirby) It was Stephen who suggested Hannah for the part – a move that she was not initially pleased with. 'I was quite cross when he suggested it,' Hannah confessed previously. 'I want to get parts on my own merit and not – let’s be candid about it – because of Stephen. 'So I made him go through proper channels. I put myself on tape and I got it off my own back. But can you imagine if they said we had no chemistry?'Hannah has also been instrumental in many of Stephen's projects.She plays a pivotal role in their joint production company, appropriately named Matriarch Productions.Their collaboration brought forth the multi-Bafta-nominated film Boiling Point in 2021, where Hannah not only served as an executive producer but also appeared on screen. The film – like each episode of Adolescence – was remarkably filmed in one single take.Hannah was also key to getting the production of their Disney+ boxing drama, A Thousand Blows, off the ground as she presented the story to Peaky Blinders creator, Steven Knight, who was fascinated by the idea.Notably, the couple's production company also produced Adolescence – with Hannah therefore taking to the stage herself during its incredible awards season success.