Adolescence forced Ashley Walters to confront his biggest fear as a father of eight

The Top Boy star opened up to the Standard about the Netflix drama and the moment that resonated most with him

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Ashley Walters has lived many lives. From his early days as a member of So Solid Crew to his breakout role in Bullet Boy and his iconic turn as Dushane in Top Boy, the Peckham-born actor and rapper has become one of Britain’s most compelling storytellers.

But it’s his latest role in Netflix’s gripping drama Adolescence that has struck a deeply personal chord. As a father of eight, Walters, 42, found himself confronting his own fears and struggles through the lens of the show – a harrowing exploration of parenting, crime, and redemption.

Adolescence, co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, is a four-part series filmed in one continuous take per episode, a technical feat that amplifies its emotional intensity. Walters plays DI Luke Bascombe, a detective investigating the murder of a teenage girl by a 14-year-old boy. But for Walters, the role wasn’t just about police procedure – it was about fatherhood.

“I did loads of research into police procedures, but in the end, that meant nothing,” Walters tells The Standard in our cover interview.

“What I really had to get down to was why this man was so invested in the case – and it was because he was a dad. That’s why this show is hitting people so hard. Everyone is going to find a bit of themselves here.”

The series opens with a police raid on the home of Jamie, the teenage suspect, and unfolds as a devastating exploration of how a child ends up in such a situation.

For Walters, who has eight children ranging from toddlers to adults, the story hit close to home. “This show is hitting people so hard,” he says. “If you’re a parent, this has to resonate with you.”

One of the most poignant moments in Adolescence comes at the end of the second episode, when DI Bascombe’s investigation leads to a reconciliation with his own son, Adam.

Walters: “If you’re a parent, this has to resonate with you”

Jamie Keith

After seeing the environment at school which Adam is existing in, one steeped in the manosphere, Bascombe offers to take him for food and the pair chat in the car – a simple, tender moment that Walters says resonated deeply with him. “It’s the simple things kids want,” he reflects.

“It’s always time. My 23-year-old daughter is jealous of my younger daughters because they get more time with me.”

Walters has been open about his past struggles with alcohol, depression, and his time in a young offenders’ institute at the age of 19. But he credits his family – particularly his wife, Danielle Isaie, and their children – with helping him find peace.

“My relationship with my family, my mum, my wife, my kids – those are the biggest changes,” he says.

“My kids’ progress has taken off – how they are in school, their education. My wife feels she can go and do her own thing without worrying about me too much. Those pressures are relieved.”

The Adolescence cast: (L-R) Christine Tremarco, Faye Marsay, Jo Hartley, Amelie Pease, Owen Cooper, Walters, Robbie O'Neill, Hannah Walters and Stephen Graham

PA

Adolescence isn’t just a crime drama; it’s a meditation on the fragility of childhood and the weight of parental responsibility.

Walters, who has spent much of his career exploring themes of crime and redemption, says the show’s power lies in its ability to spark difficult conversations. “There’s so much power in speaking your feelings,” he says.

“Letting them be words in your mouth instead of thoughts in your mind. Sometimes things don’t come out right. But especially for men, that’s all fear-based. What’s behind anger and aggression? Fear. It’s people struggling to say how they feel because they’re scared of being judged.”

Adolescence is streaming now on Netflix

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