Stephen Graham compares acting to 'beautiful' jigsaw

Stephen Graham has described actors as one piece of a "beautiful jigsaw".

The Adolescence star has enjoyed a lengthy career and in a new interview with GQ, explained how he has maintained his enthusiasm for the industry.

"You offer advice where you can, where you think it may be needed. But ultimately you're a part of a production," Graham explained.

"And for me, it's imperative for me that I am one piece of a beautiful jigsaw every time I embark on any project. That's kind of the way I look at it. I've been doing it since I was 15."

Graham's latest project sees him starring in the music promo for Myles Smith's new song Hold Me In The Dark.

In the video Graham plays a father on the verge of a breakdown as he visits his young daughter in hospital during the final days of her life.

The 52-year-old star has revealed he only agreed to appear in the short film if Smith directed it.

"What I did say to him was, well, look, I'll do it. I'll definitely do it. And the only way I can do it is if you direct it," Graham recalled.

"And he was like, 'What?' I went, 'No, you've got to direct it, because you know the story, and it's your vision. So you have to direct it.'"

Graham formed a strong bond with 28-year-old Smith after they met at an event in Oxfordshire last year.

The actor's wife Hannah Walters is a huge fan of the Stargazing singer and urged her husband to introduce himself.

"She went, 'Oh my god, there's Myles Smith,'" he recalled.

"And then he kind of looked at us, and then the next minute I went over to him, and I said, 'Hello mate, I'm Stephen'. He's like, 'I know who you are.'"

Smith has revealed they had more in common than they realised and hit it off instantly.

"Stephen, like me, is from a working-class background," he explained.

"And I think sometimes at industry events, you can feel like an imposter, and so it's nice to find someone who I found comfort in, and yeah, we caught on like a house on fire."