Stephen Graham unrecognisable in forgotten Coronation Street role

Stephen Graham is one of Britain's most acclaimed actors, known for his gritty performances in This is England, Line of Duty and Boiling Point. He has also conquered Hollywood, working with Martin Scorsese and sharing the screen with Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Pacino. But before global stardom, he appeared on the cobbles of Coronation Street in a role many fans have long forgotten. Back in 1999, Stephen played Lee Sankey, a petty criminal and drug-dealer who caused havoc in Weatherfield.

Just a year later, he would land his breakout role in Guy Ritchie's Snatch. But his early turn on the ITV soap saw him cross paths with none other than Steve McDonald, played by Simon Gregson.

Stephen's character Lee first met Steve in a pub, warning him to keep off his turf when it came to selling tobacco. Recognising Lee as an ex-jailbird, Steve later struck a deal to offload all his black-market cigarettes to him at a rock-bottom price.

For a while, Steve regularly sold to Lee - until his dad Jim McDonald found out. Jim was furious, throwing Lee out of the family home and threatening to send him back to prison if he caught him dealing again. But the storyline didn't end there.

A few weeks later, Lee lured Steve back in with a scheme involving a trip to Amsterdam. Jim accused him of turning his son into a drug runner, but the twist revealed that Steve had only smuggled a dog named Polly into the UK.

While the plot ended well for Steve, it was the opposite for Lee. After falling back into his old ways, he was arrested for drug dealing and disappeared from Weatherfield for good. The brief role was just the beginning for Stephen, who has since become a household name.

His career highlights include playing Al Capone in HBO's Boardwalk Empire between 2010 and 2014, as well as appearing in Peaky Blinders, The Walk-In and A Thousand Blows.

His film credits range from Gangs of New York and American Cousins to This is England, where he delivered one of his most career-defining performances.

In recognition of his extraordinary body of work, Stephen was awarded an OBE in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to drama. Acting talent also runs in the family - his younger brother Aston Kelly has appeared in Coronation Street too.

Speaking to the Royal Television Society in 2019, Stephen shared: "If I'm honest, that particular job was where I grew up as an actor. It really [helped me to] understand the [acting] process completely."

Having swapped the North of England for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, he reflected, sharing: "There was a part of me at the very beginning [that thought] this is me and [Liverpool] is where I'm from - and authenticity is beautiful. I'm very proud of where I come from."