Adolescence Cast (2025)
Netflix | Crime Drama Limited Series | 1 Season / 4 Episodes | Created by Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham
Adolescence is a 2025 Netflix limited series that follows a working-class British family torn apart when 13-year-old Jamie Miller is arrested for the murder of a female classmate. Told across four single-take episodes, each filmed without a cut, the series examines the investigation, the family's unraveling, and the psychological aftermath through different lenses. It is a harrowing, technically extraordinary piece of television that sparked national conversation about youth violence, online misogyny, and the failings of communities and institutions. The series was created by playwright Jack Thorne and actor-producer Stephen Graham, who stars alongside a precisely chosen ensemble.
The Adolescence cast is anchored by Stephen Graham, one of Britain's most celebrated character actors, playing the father of the accused boy. His real-life conviction and intensity set the emotional register for the entire series. Opposite him, newcomer Owen Cooper delivers what many critics described as one of the finest performances by a young actor in recent television history as the 13-year-old at the centre of the crime. Erin Doherty, known to international audiences from The Crown, brings clinical unease to her role as the forensic psychologist tasked with understanding Jamie. Ashley Walters grounds the procedural side as the lead detective, while Christine Tremarco and Faye Marsay complete a carefully assembled company that prizes emotional truth over star power.
Main Cast
Stephen Graham
Eddie Miller
Jamie's devastated father, a working-class man who struggles to reconcile the son he knows with the crime he is accused of committing.
Owen Cooper
Jamie Miller
The 13-year-old boy at the centre of the investigation, whose performance anchors and defines the entire series.
Ashley Walters
DI Luke Bascombe
The lead detective on the case, whose own moral questions about guilt, youth, and justice deepen as the investigation progresses.
Erin Doherty
Briony Ariston
A forensic psychologist assigned to assess Jamie, who gradually peels back the layers of his psychology across a single extended interview episode.
Christine Tremarco
Manda Miller
Jamie's mother, who must hold together a family collapsing under the weight of accusation, guilt, and public scrutiny.
Faye Marsay
DS Misha Frank
Detective Sergeant working alongside DI Bascombe, bringing a precise and observant presence to the procedural scenes.
Amélie Pease
Lisa Miller
Jamie's teenage sister, whose perspective offers another dimension of how the arrest ripples through the family unit.
Mark Stanley
Supporting Role
A skilled British actor whose supporting presence contributes to the procedural and community threads of the story.
Supporting & Recurring Cast
| Actor | Character | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Graham | Eddie Miller | Lead — bereaved, disbelieving father | All 4 episodes |
| Owen Cooper | Jamie Miller | Lead — the 13-year-old accused | All 4 episodes |
| Ashley Walters | DI Luke Bascombe | Lead — detective leading the case | All 4 episodes |
| Erin Doherty | Briony Ariston | Lead — forensic psychologist | Episode 3 focal |
| Christine Tremarco | Manda Miller | Supporting — Jamie's mother | All 4 episodes |
| Faye Marsay | DS Misha Frank | Supporting — detective sergeant | Multiple episodes |
| Amélie Pease | Lisa Miller | Supporting — Jamie's sister | Multiple episodes |
| Mark Stanley | Supporting role | Ensemble cast member | Multiple episodes |
Creators & Production
Jack Thorne
Creator & Writer. Award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose stage and screen credits include the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play and numerous acclaimed television dramas.
Stephen Graham
Creator & Lead Actor. Graham co-created the series from a deeply personal desire to explore youth violence, masculinity, and the failures of modern support systems.
Philip Barantini
Director. Known for his single-take feature film Boiling Point (2021), Barantini's mastery of the oner technique made him the natural choice to direct all four episodes of Adolescence.
Netflix
Streaming Platform. Adolescence was produced for and distributed globally by Netflix, premiering in March 2025 and quickly becoming one of the service's most culturally significant limited series.
The Imaginarium / Various UK Producers
Production Company. The series was produced with involvement from British production infrastructure and UK creative talent.
About the Adolescence Cast
What makes the Adolescence cast so arresting is its refusal to cast familiar faces simply for commercial comfort. Stephen Graham is arguably Britain's finest screen actor of his generation — his filmography spans Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire, Andrew in Line of Duty, and Combo in This Is England — and his decision to co-create and star in Adolescence reflects genuine creative investment rather than a for-hire job. His work as Eddie Miller, a father who cannot accept what his son is accused of, is built from authentic anguish. Owen Cooper, meanwhile, was not a household name before this series, and that relative anonymity serves the role: audiences have no prior associations to override the performance. The technical format — each episode filmed in a continuous, unbroken take — amplifies the pressure on every cast member, because there are no second chances built into the edit. Every performance had to be sustained in real time, and the ensemble rose to that challenge with extraordinary collective discipline.
Erin Doherty's episode is perhaps the most formally daring. Her extended, unbroken exchange with Owen Cooper runs an hour and demands that both performers sustain psychological intensity without relief from a cut. Doherty, whose background in theatre prepared her for the endurance this requires, reportedly rehearsed the episode extensively before any cameras rolled. Ashley Walters brings credibility and moral complexity to DI Bascombe, avoiding the trap of making the detective either a hero or a bureaucrat — he is a man genuinely troubled by what he is seeing. Together, this cast created a series that dominated cultural conversation well beyond its four-episode run, prompting discussions in British Parliament about online misogyny and youth mental health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Adolescence?
Adolescence stars Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller, Owen Cooper as his 13-year-old son Jamie, Ashley Walters as DI Luke Bascombe, and Erin Doherty as forensic psychologist Briony Ariston.
Who plays Jamie Miller in Adolescence?
Jamie Miller is played by Owen Cooper, a young British actor whose performance as the 13-year-old accused of murder drew widespread critical acclaim.
How many episodes does Adolescence have?
Adolescence consists of 4 episodes, each filmed in a single continuous take with no cuts, making it a unique technical achievement in television.
Who created Adolescence?
Adolescence was created by screenwriter Jack Thorne and actor Stephen Graham, who also stars in the series. Stephen Graham's wife Hannah Walters also appears in the production.
Where can I watch Adolescence?
Adolescence is available exclusively on Netflix worldwide. It premiered in March 2025 and became one of the platform's most-watched limited series.
How we build these cast lists
For background on how Cast.biz compiles and orders cast credits, see understanding billing order, how TV show casts are built, and our glossary of cast credits.