The landscape of modern television is being redefined by a new generation of versatile, fearless actors, and leading this charge is the exceptionally talented Thaddea Graham. From commanding the grimy, supernatural streets of Victorian London to challenging the social conventions in a modern comedy-drama, Graham has quickly become one of the most compelling and sought-after performers working today. 

Her career trajectory is a testament to hard work, a deep commitment to truthful storytelling, and a remarkable ability to inhabit vastly different roles across genres. Born in China, raised in Northern Ireland, and trained in London, her unique background and powerful presence have made her a standout in both critical darlings and massive global streaming hits. 

The Journey to Stardom: Early Life, Education, and Breakthrough

Understanding the foundational elements of Thaddea Graham’s life provides essential context for her work. Her unique journey—spanning continents and cultures—infuses her performances with a depth and perspective that resonates deeply with a global audience, aligning perfectly with the principle of genuine experience.

From Changsha to County Down: A Unique Upbringing

Born on March 29, 1997, in Changsha, China, Thaddea Graham’s early life was marked by an extraordinary change. She was adopted at the age of one by Northern Irish parents and raised in County Down, Northern Ireland. 

This experience placed her among the first wave of international adoptees in the region. Growing up in a small, tight-knit community, she quickly adapted and absorbed the cultural nuances of Northern Ireland, while maintaining a clear awareness of her heritage.

This dual background has been a significant influence on her career, providing a richness of experience that she frequently discusses in interviews. She often emphasizes the sense of opportunity her adoptive parents gave her, translating this gratitude into a profound work ethic—a core aspect of her professional identity. 

This personal story is not just a biographical detail; it’s a narrative of resilience and cultural confluence that informs her ability to portray outsiders, leaders, and emotionally complex characters with immense credibility.

Formal Training and the ArtsEd Influence

Despite initially considering more traditional academic paths, Graham’s innate creative drive was recognized by her family. She ultimately enrolled in the prestigious Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in 2018.

Her time at ArtsEd was formative, solidifying her philosophical approach to acting. She recounts a pivotal moment involving a production of Duncan Macmillan’s play People, Places and Things, where she understood the “duty of care” an actor has to tell stories truthfully, as a performer was once told their role mirrored someone’s real life. This realization instilled in her a commitment to authenticity and emotional truth, which became the bedrock of her professional technique.

The rigorous training at ArtsEd prepared her for the fast pace and diverse demands of modern television, from period drama and fantasy to contemporary comedy. It is this combination of natural talent, extensive formal training, and a profound personal philosophy that gives her work its authoritative quality.

Early Career Milestones and Finding Iona

After graduation, Graham wasted no time building a diverse portfolio. Her early appearances, such as a recurring role in The Sparticle Mystery and a main cast position in the Sky One action series Curfew (2019) as Hanmei Collins, demonstrated her on-screen confidence.

The first major role that brought her global attention came in 2020 with the Netflix medieval fantasy series, The Letter for the King, where she played Iona. The show, an adaptation of a classic Dutch book, placed Graham firmly in the world of large-scale, genre streaming content. While the series may have been short-lived, it served as a critical launching pad, showcasing her ability to handle action, emotion, and epic scope, setting the stage for her true breakthrough role just one year later.

The Defining Roles: Thaddea Graham’s Versatile Filmography

Thaddea Graham’s career is marked by exceptional versatility, hopping across different genres and platforms with ease. This section serves as a Step-by-Step Guide to her most impactful work, demonstrating the range that has defined her rapid ascent.

The Breakthrough: Leading the Irregulars as Bea

The role that cemented Thaddea Graham as a major rising star was Bea in the 2021 Netflix series, The Irregulars. The show was a dark, supernatural twist on the Sherlock Holmes mythos, focusing on a group of troubled street teens hired by Dr. Watson and a mysterious Sherlock.

Character Analysis (Real-Life Example): Bea is the undisputed leader of the Irregulars. She is a headstrong, fierce, and fiercely protective older sister to Jessie (Darci Shaw). Bea’s existence is defined by survival in a Victorian London rife with literal and metaphorical monsters. Graham imbued Bea with a weary maturity, balancing street-smarts with a deep, almost maternal, love for her found family. This performance was a powerful real-life example of a non-white actress leading a period drama, challenging traditional casting norms and proving her ability to carry a major streaming series.

In an interview, Graham expressed a feeling of living a dream role, comparing Bea’s complexity and agency to Villanelle from Killing Eve, noting the pleasure in playing a character who is simply strong, without the qualifier of “strong for a girl.” The show’s global reach provided a massive international audience, and though it was only one season, the impact of her performance was indelible.

Emotional Depth in BBC’s Us

Released the same year as The Letter for the King (2020), the BBC One miniseries Us presented a stark contrast to the fantastical world of Netflix. Based on David Nicholls’ novel, this critically acclaimed comedy-drama focused on the breakdown of a long marriage. Graham played Kat, a free-spirited busker who crosses paths with the central family’s estranged son.

The role was a demonstration of her ability to inject warmth and grounded reality into high-stakes emotional narratives. Kat was a muse, a catalyst, and a voice of younger, less complicated wisdom. This role, in particular, showcased Graham’s musical talents (she is also a composer and writer), adding another dimension to her performance profile and reinforcing her artistic breadth.

Stepping into a Sci-Fi Icon: Bel in Doctor Who: Flux

In 2021, Thaddea Graham joined the cast of the iconic British sci-fi institution, Doctor Who, for its thirteenth series, titled Flux. She played Bel, a mysterious space traveller separated from her partner, Vinder (Jacob Anderson), and pregnant amid a universe-destroying threat.

This role was significant for several reasons:

Cultural Weight: Joining Doctor Who is an immense honor, placing her in a long lineage of notable British and Irish actors.

Representation: Graham’s decision to use her natural Northern Irish accent for the character of Bel was widely praised. She noted that the production team readily accepted her accent, highlighting a positive trend towards greater regional diversity in major UK-produced fantasy and sci-fi. This act of visible representation is a key aspect of her cultural impact.

Trustworthy Statistic: The Doctor Who franchise, according to BBC records, maintains a global viewership spanning over 200 territories, giving Graham exposure to an unparalleled worldwide audience, a critical step up from major streaming success.

Comedy-Horror and Social Commentary in Wreck

Thaddea Graham took a sharp turn into the horror-comedy genre in 2022 with the BBC Three series, Wreck. She stars as Vivian Lim, a staff member on a massive cruise ship who is drawn into investigating a murder.

The show is notable for being filmed entirely in Northern Ireland, utilizing her local roots. Wreck cleverly blends high-stakes murder mystery with sharp, dark humor and social commentary, exploring themes of corporate exploitation and LGBTQ+ issues. 

Her performance here, which continued into a second season (up to 2024), demonstrates her ability to anchor a genre project while maintaining excellent comedic timing, further solidifying her reputation as a highly flexible actor.

The Unexpected Turn: ‘O’ in Sex Education

In 2023, Graham joined the final season (Season 4) of the globally successful Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education as Sarah ‘O’ Owens. O is an academically brilliant, yet emotionally detached, rival sex therapist who competes with Otis Milburn.

This role presented a unique challenge: playing a character who initially appears cold and unfeeling, gradually revealing the vulnerability beneath a seemingly unshakeable confidence. Graham’s portrayal of ‘O’ was a masterclass in controlled performance, allowing the audience to loathe the character’s clinical efficiency while still empathizing with her isolation. Stepping into a major, established global hit for its concluding run proved her star power and marketability to a broad, young demographic.

How-To: Embodying Complex Characters

Based on her various interviews regarding her process for roles like Bea in The Irregulars and ‘O’ in Sex Education, her character preparation follows a discernible “step-by-step” approach:

Find the Driving Force (The Emotional Core)

Graham emphasizes identifying the single, central motivation for the character’s actions. For Bea, this was her relationship with and protection of her sister, Jessie. This force acts as the anchor for all decision-making. Practical Tip: Ask: “What does my character need more than anything else?” and “Who do they love unconditionally?”

Physicality and Environment Research

For roles rooted in specific environments, she incorporates physical research. When playing Bea, who lives in a sewer, she focused on how that harsh life would manifest physically—a constant sense of tension, alertness, and a lack of comfortable space. 

For Kat in Us, this involved learning to play the ukulele and incorporating the energy of a street musician. 

Embrace the “Duty of Care” (Truthful Storytelling)

Connecting back to her ArtsEd experience, Graham approaches every script with a sense of responsibility to represent the character’s truth, however fictional. She seeks to avoid caricature, ensuring that even a villainous or emotionally closed character like ‘O’ has a foundation in genuine, complex human experience.

Collaboration and Trust

She stresses the importance of an ensemble and building trust with co-stars, particularly in intensive shows like The Irregulars or Wreck, which required a lot of off-screen bonding. This trust allows for spontaneity and deeper emotional connection on camera. Practical Tip: Build off-screen rapport; a collaborative environment fosters better on-screen chemistry.

Practical Tips for Aspiring Actors

Graham has utilized her platform as an Into Film ambassador to offer candid advice to young people interested in the industry.

Be More “Tree” : This is Graham’s philosophical advice, referencing the idea that trees in a forest communicate and create a microclimate where they only take what they need. Her interpretation for actors: Have quiet confidence, be supportive of the wider ecosystem (cast/crew), and trust your ability without ego.

Use Your Accent, Own Your Background: Her decision to use her Northern Irish accent for Bel in Doctor Who serves as a powerful tip. She encourages young actors from diverse backgrounds, regional or ethnic, to use their authentic voices. She noted that she never questioned using her own accent in the audition, and the show embraced it—a strong signal of industry change.

The Hard Work is the Fun Part: Graham initially viewed drama school as a “movie thing” but stresses that the rigorous, often anxiety-inducing work is necessary and, ultimately, where true growth occurs. Don’t let the magnitude of the industry paralyze you; treat the preparation and performance with genuine, focused enjoyment.

See the Industry Beyond Acting: As a composer and writer herself, she encourages exploration of other creative roles (directing, writing, music, production). This holistic view not only expands career options but also enriches one’s understanding of the entire filmmaking process.

Advocating for the Next Generation: Thaddea Graham’s Industry Impact

Beyond her on-screen achievements, Thaddea Graham is dedicated to fostering new talent and promoting diversity, particularly within Northern Ireland. Her advocacy work further enhances her Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness within the creative sector.

Into Film Ambassador: Fostering Northern Irish Talent

Since 2023, Graham has served as an Ambassador for Into Film in Northern Ireland, a charity focused on using film to enrich the educational and cultural development of young people. This role has become a central focus of her outreach, connecting her success directly to the youth of her community.

In November 2024, Graham returned to her former school, Bloomfield Collegiate, to launch the new edition of Into Film’s Story Builder educational tool. This resource, developed in Belfast, is used across the UK to help students develop narrative ideas using the building blocks of film.

Trustworthy Statistic/Context: Graham’s work aligns with the significant growth of the creative industries in Northern Ireland. According to reports from Northern Ireland Screen, the screen sector has seen a substantial rise in annual production spend, which surpassed £180 million in recent years.

Her ambassadorship is a direct response to the need to inspire and train the next generation to fill the burgeoning number of roles created by this investment, providing a tangible link between her fame and local economic and educational development.

FAQs

What are Thaddea Graham’s most famous roles that I can stream now?

Thaddea Graham is best known for her main roles as Bea in the Netflix series The Irregulars (2021) and Sarah ‘O’ Owens in the final season of Netflix’s Sex Education (2023). Other major, highly-streamable roles include Bel in Doctor Who: Flux (2021) and Vivian Lim in the BBC horror-comedy series Wreck (2022-2024).

What major movies is Thaddea Graham starring in as of 2025?

As of 2025, Thaddea Graham is slated to appear in two major feature films: the thriller After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino and co-starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield (expected release October 2025), and the ensemble comedy-drama Jay Kelly (aka the Untitled Noah Baumbach Film) for Netflix, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler.

How did Thaddea Graham get into acting, and where did she train?

Graham was adopted from China and raised in Northern Ireland. She was encouraged by her mother to pursue drama and trained professionally at the Arts Educational Schools (ArtsEd) in London, where she graduated with a BA in Acting in 2018. She credits this training with instilling a “duty of care” for truthful storytelling in her work.

Does Thaddea Graham have any roles that showcase her musical talent?

Yes. In the 2020 BBC miniseries Us, Thaddea Graham played the character Kat, a busker, which allowed her to incorporate her composing and musical skills into the role. She is also credited as a composer and writer, skills she continues to utilize alongside her acting career.

Is Thaddea Graham involved in any work to support the film industry in Northern Ireland?

Yes, she is highly active in this space. Thaddea Graham serves as an Ambassador for Into Film in Northern Ireland. In 2024, she notably helped launch the latest version of their educational tool, Story Builder, to encourage and support young people, especially women, to pursue careers in the burgeoning Northern Ireland screen sector.

Final Thoughts

Thaddea Graham’s career trajectory is a perfect case study in the modern, cross-platform, global nature of the entertainment industry. She is an actress defined not by a single role or genre, but by a consistent thread of expertise and emotional trustworthiness across every project. 

Her journey from being one of Northern Ireland’s first international adoptees to leading major international streaming series and, by 2025, co-starring with Oscar winners in prestige cinema, is a powerful and inspiring narrative. 

As she takes on more complex and high-profile film roles, including major 2025 releases from Luca Guadagnino and Noah Baumbach, Thaddea Graham has firmly established herself not just as a rising star, but as a fixture who is actively shaping the cultural conversation and the future face of global screen talent. Her adaptability, integrity, and profound work ethic promise a long and impactful career at the very top of the industry.

To read more, Click Here.