If you’ve ever watched a Stephen Graham drama, you’ll know how powerful his performances can be, but his role in The Irishman really takes things up a notch. The 5-star crime drama sees the Adolescence star step into the shoes of New Jersey mobster, Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano, who often faces off with Al Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa - and when we say his performance is absolutely outstanding, we mean it.
The biographical film is based on the true story of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a truck driver turned hitman who, on his deathbed, claimed he killed powerful Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa in 1975. Interestingly, many others (a whopping 14 in total) have also claimed responsibility for the murder - and it’s never been proven what actually happened.
Intrigued? With the film now available to stream on Netflix, here’s everything you need to know about The Irishman, including the plot, cast, trailer and how to watch it.
What is The Irishman about?
Based on Charles Brandt’s 2023 novel, I Heard You Paint Houses, the film is based on the real-life story of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a truck driver turned hitman and his connection to the disappearance and murder of Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) in 1975. We follow Frank as he meets the Bufalino crime family and becomes involved with some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century.
When Frank becomes Russell Bufalino’s trusted man, he’s sent to Chicago to help Jimmy, and while the pair’s friendship lasts for almost 20 years, Frank’s loyalty – and obedience - is eventually put to the ultimate test. It would later lead to his now infamous deathbed confession, in which he admitted to the murder of Jimmy – though not everyone was convinced by it.
Former FBI agent John Tamm said of the confession: “It’s baloney, beyond belief…Frank Sheeran was a full-time criminal, but I don’t know of anybody he personally every killed, no.”
Talking about starring alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, Stephen Graham, who plays mobster Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano, told The Guardian: “I don’t know if it’s quite sunk in yet. It was my Champions League final. These are the people I grew up watching, revering and wanting to emulate, so for that little kid from Kirkby to be working with them was amazing.
“But I still took that playfulness and eagerness into the performance. We improvised so much. I slapped an ice-cream out of Al Pacino’s hand, which he wasn’t expecting. I threw a line at Bobby De Niro and he came straight back with the best reply. Those scenes were a joy.”
Who’s in the cast of The Irishman?
The main cast of The Irishman includes:
- Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran
- Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa
- Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino
- Harvey Keitel as Angelo Bruno
- Ray Romano as Bill Bufalino
- Bobby Cannavale as Skinny Razor
- Anna Paquin as Older Peggy Sheeran
- Stephen Graham as Anthony 'Tony Pro' Provenzano
- Stephanie Kurtzuba as Irene Sheeran
- Jack Huston as Robert Kennedy / RFK
- Kathrine Narducci as Carrie Bufalino
- Jesse Plemons as Chuckie O'Brien
- Welker White as Josephine "Jo" Hoffa
- Domenick Lombardozzi as Fat Tony Salerno
- Paul Herman as Whispers DiTullio
- Gary Basaraba as Frank 'Fitz' Fitzsimmons
- Marin Ireland as Older Dolores Sheeran
- Lucy Gallina as Young Peggy Sheeran
- Louis Cancelmi as Sally Bugs
Is there a trailer for The Irishman?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Irishman below.
Is The Irishman any good?
Yes – the combination of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Stephen Graham is about as good as casting gets. While the film does has its fair share of violence throughout, it's far more than a gangland story as it deals with themes of betrayal, dishonesty and isolation, which gives it a real emotional edge. If you’re a fan of shows like Mobland and This City is Ours, The Irishman really takes things up a notch and will likely have you down a rabbit hole searching for more details about the real-life events.
How can I watch The Irishman?
The Irishman is available to watch now on Netflix.
What other Stephen Graham dramas can I watch now?
To see one of Stephen’s most chilling performances, we’d recommend A Patch of Fog. Stephen plays mentally unstable loner Robert Green who develops a disturbing infatuation with another man. You can watch A Patch of Fog now on Disney+. If you enjoy a real-life drama, we’d suggest White House Farm. Across six episodes, the series dramatises the story of the murders of five family members in Essex in 1985, with Stephen starring as a member of the investigating team. White House Farm is available to watch now on ITVX.
![murder in a small town: l r: fiona vroom and kristin kreuk in the mother love episode of murder in a small town airing tuesday, oct. 7 (8:00 9:00pm et/pt) on fox. (photo by fox via getty images)](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/303b7f1f-128c-48d1-a467-e0aad05c04d3.jpg?crop=0.205xw:0.308xh;0.537xw,0.0554xh&resize=360:* "FOX's "Murder In A Small Town" - Season Two")
