Stephen Graham’s Golden Globe win for Adolescence came with an unexpected post-ceremony twist: the actor was briefly separated from his trophy amid a whirlwind international journey.
Speaking on the UK radio show Capital Breakfast, Graham explained that celebrations were cut short because he had to rush out of Los Angeles almost immediately after the ceremony. “I had to go straight from L.A. the day after to Madrid because I had to be on set the next day,” he said, adding that he had only “three minutes to catch the plane.
What followed felt surreal even by awards-season standards. Graham recalled being whisked through the airport at breakneck speed. “As I came off, a woman stood there with my name, and she took me down the stairs, threw me in a car and drove me across the airport on the runway,” he said, describing it as a “next-level kind of thing.”
Amid the chaos, Graham had a sinking feeling about his luggage. “My case isn’t going to make it,” he remembered thinking, and he wasn’t shy about voicing that concern. “I went, ‘Excuse me, love? There’s no way you’re getting my suitcase on this plane if I’m in a car now,’” he recalled. Although he was assured repeatedly that everything would be taken care of, his fears proved justified.
The suitcase never arrived. According to Graham, it was left behind in Atlanta, along with essentials like his clothes, shoes, and, most importantly, his Golden Globe statuette. “It didn’t land,” he said plainly.
The actor clarified that he hadn’t casually misplaced the award. Because of its weight, he chose to pack it securely. “I never left it,” he stressed. “I put it in my case because the trophy is heavy. I wasn’t carrying that on me.”
Fortunately, the story didn’t end there. Graham eventually got his belongings and his Globe back. “Thankfully, thankfully, it turns up the day after. Two days after,” he shared, relieved.
The Golden Globe win added to an already strong awards season for Graham, who had earlier picked up the Emmy for lead actor in a limited series, anthology series or television movie for the same role in Adolescence.
