Entertainment
Stephen: Real-life people behind the ITV drama on investigation into murder of Stephen Lawrence
The Lawrence family are fighting for justice in the ITV drama (Picture: Laurence Cendrowicz/ITV)
ITV series Stephen is a sequel to the 1999 film The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, exploring the investigations that were conducted into the murder of the Stephen Lawrence when he was 18 years old in a racially motivated attack.
In the new three-part drama, Steve Coogan plays DCI Clive Driscoll, a police detective who volunteers to take charge of the investigation in 2006, 13 years after Stephen’s death.
With the help of new modern forensic technology, he manages to make headway in the investigation, all the while staying in close contact with Stephen’s parents, Doreen Lawrence, played by Sharlene Whyte, and Neville Lawrence, portrayed by Hugh Quarshie.
The series offers a stark reminder of the injustices that continue to surround Stephen’s death, with several of the individuals involved in his murder still at large.
Hugh is the only person to reprise his role from the 1999 film, playing Neville Lawrence, the father of Stephen.
From Sharlene Whyte as Doreen Lawrence to Adil Ray as Imran Khan, here’s the real-life people behind the ITV drama.
Sharlene Whyte as Doreen Lawrence
Sharlene hasn’t had a chance to meet Doreen yet (Picture: Rex/ITV/PA/Backgrid)
Following her son Stephen’s death, Doreen launched a campaign for justice with her ex-husband Neville.
Several investigations were conducted into Stephen’s murder, with a 1998 public inquiry led by Sir William Macpherson into the original investigation concluding that the Metropolitan Police was institutionally racist.
Through her campaign work, Doreen – who founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust – has promoted reform within the police force.
In 2003, she was appointed to the Order of the British Empire for services to community relations, becoming a Life Peer a decade later.
In a Q&A conducted before Stephen’s premiere, Doreen said that she hasn’t met Doreen yet.
‘I feel like I was trying to keep a respectful space from Doreen, and I didn’t feel that it was right that I go to her and start asking her questions and asking her to relive the experience yet again, because I can imagine how raw and traumatic that would be,’ the Small Axe actor said.
‘I haven’t met Doreen. I’m hoping that we’ve got her blessing and that she’s happy with the story that we’ve told and the way that I’ve portrayed her.’
Sharlene added that while it was ‘unfortunate’ that she hasn’t met Doreen, she ‘really didn’t want to be too coloured by what she had to say or her feelings about it’, because she ‘wanted to give an honest portrayal by servicing the story and servicing her as well’.
Hugh Quarshie as Neville Lawrence
Hugh is the only actor to reprise his role from the 199 film (Picture: Rex/ITV/PA/Backgrid)
Along with his ex-wife Doreen, Neville campaigned for justice following the murder of his son Stephen.
Hugh, as the only actor to reprise his role from the film, explained that the first time he played Neville, he spoke to him ‘at some length’ about his performance, as he was ‘very aware of the fact that I don’t sound anything like him’ and ‘I don’t look anything like him’.
When it came to playing Neville for a second time, the actor felt that he ‘had the impersonation in the bank’, so he felt that it would be ‘kind of intrusive to ask a man whose son had been murdered: “How did you feel about the second investigation?”’
Hugh outlined that for the ITV drama, the script was more a ‘dramatic interpretation of events’, differing from the film, which felt more like a ‘reconstruction’.
‘I feel that this was more of a conventional drama, while the original one was more of a dramatic reconstruction,’ he said, which is why he felt that this time around, his performance relied more on ‘being faithful to the script.
Steve Coogan as DCI Clive Driscoll
Steve said he was honoured to play someone with ‘integrity’ (Picture: Rex/ITV/PA/Backgrid)
In 2006, Clive took charge of the investigation into Stephen Lawrence’s death, working hard to uncover new evidence that could help successfully convict two members of the gang who committed the atrocity.
More than 18 years after the attack, the two men, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were found guilty of murdering Stephen.
In February 2014, Clive retired from the Met, going on to release a book the following year called In Pursuit of the Truth about his career as a police officer.
After being cast in the ITV drama, Steve spoke to Clive, sharing a ‘long conversation’ over Zoom, in addition to watching ‘all the material that was available to get a sense of who he was’.
‘It was an honour to play Clive really, because as an actor, I don’t often play nice people so it was a nice change for me to play someone who had integrity, sort of simple, unannounced integrity, if you like,’ Steve said ahead of Stephen’s launch.
Steve explained that in his experience, it’s ‘easier’ as an actor to play a real person, because ‘they’ve done all the research, all you have to do is honour who they are in the way you play them’.
The actor also paid tribute to Sharlene and Hugh ‘who really did the heavy lifting because they were playing people who had this awful thing happen to them’, he said.
Richie Campbell as Duwayne Brooks
Duwayne was with Stephen when he was killed (Picture: Rex/ITV/PA/Backgrid)
When Stephen was murdered in 1993, he was with his friend Duwayne Brooks at the time.
At the time of Stephen’s murder, Duwayne was treated as a suspect, rather than a witness, and he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of the attack.
A claim he made for damages due to his treatment by the police was rejected.
Duwayne eventually embarked on a career in politics, becoming a councillor for the Liberal Democrats in the London Borough of Lewisham in 2009.
In May 2018, Duwayne joined the Conservative Party and was long-listed to be their 2020 London mayoral candidate, although he was not selected.
Richie Campbell, who plays Duwayne in Stephen, has starred in TV shows including Death in Paradise, Liar and The Frankenstein Chronicles, and films including Anuvahood and The Last Photograph.
Jorden Myrie as Stuart Lawrence
Stephen was two years older than his younger brother Stuart (Picture: Rex/ITV/PA/Backgrid)
Stuart was 16 years old when his brother Stephen died.
Now a motivational and public speaker, he has more than 20 years of experience working as a youth engagement specialist.
He has published a book titled Silence is Not An Option: You Can Impact The World For Change, which is targeted at readers aged 10 and above.
The aim of the book is to empower young people to ‘navigate their lives through finding their own voices, and understanding how to manage outside influences to encourage change’.
Jordan Myrie, who plays Stuart in the drama, previously starred in TV series Shepherd’s Delight and films Get Gone and Dancing in the Dark.
Yasmin Mwanza as Georgina Lawrence
Yasmin starred in Spider-Man: Far From Home (Picture: ITV/Laurence Cendrowicz/Rex/Shutterstock)
When her brother Stephen was killed, Georgina Lawrence was 11 years old.
Georgina is played in the series by Yasmin Mwanza, who’s starred in films including Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Lady of Heaven and Leave to Remain.
Sian Brooke as Cressida Dick
Dame Cressida Dick has been Commissioner of the Met since 2017 (Picture: Rex/ITV/PA/Backgrid)
Dame Cressida Dick is currently serving as the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, a role she has had since 2017.
She is the first woman to be lead the Met, in addition to being the first openly gay officer in the role.
She is played in Stephen by Sian Brooke, whose previous roles include playing Eurus Holmes in Sherlock, while also starring in productions including Good Omens, Doctor Foster and Trying.
More: ITV
Adil Ray as Imran Khan
Adil Ray plays Imran Khan in the drama (Picture: Rex/ITV/PA/Backgrid)
Imran Khan, who was born in Pakistan and moved to London when he was four years old, had been working as a lawyer for 18 months when he took on the case of Stephen’s murder.
In 2018, he was awarded the rank of Queen’s Counsel in his profession.
Adil Ray, whose roles have included starring in Citizen Khan and Ackley Bridge, recently appeared as a guest host on Good Morning Britain following Piers Morgan’s exit from the ITV programme.
Stephen premieres on Monday August 30 at 9pm on ITV.
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