Did Netflix's 'Adolescence' Race Swap Its Main Character? Jack Thorne Responds to Backlash

Netflix's latest limited drama show, Adolescence, has been receiving praise worldwide for its daring portrayal of a very sensitive subject. However, recently, the show has found itself at the centre of a controversy over its casting.

The show tells the story of a 13-year-old British boy accused of murdering a female schoolmate and how his family navigate this shocking and life-changing information. TV critics have lauded the makers of the show for their unique perspective on the topic and its exploration of toxic masculinity.

But in a very recent development, some netizens have dragged the show into a new debate by claiming that the writers of the show 'race-swapped' the lead despite taking inspiration from a case where the perpetrator was a young black boy.

The Race-Swap Controversy

The show has been facing backlash over the casting of Owen Cooper, a white actor, as Jamie Miller from a conservative British family. According to some critics online, the casting misrepresents real-life cases of young offenders, particularly the tragic murder of Elianne Andram, a schoolgirl stabbed to death in Croydon, South London. The killer, Hassan Sentamu, who is of Ugandan descent, stabbed Elianne multiple times out of rage in September 2023.

A similar premise has been shown in Adolescence, which leads many to argue that the show is based on Sentamu's arrest.

Fueling the controversy, Keith Woods, a far-right ideologue, shared an image on X, comparing Jamie Miller with Sentamu, suggesting that the series was based on his real-life crime. He wrote, 'This is how Netflix portrays a 13-year-old knife murderer in the UK. Second image is the person it was based on.' The image was picked up online and was circulated all over social media. Keith's post now has more than 21 million views and over 29 lakh reposts.

On the same day, another influencer, Ian Miles Cheong, shared a similar opinion on X, even receiving a 'Wow' from Elon Musk. 'Netflix has a show called Adolescence that's about a British knife killer who stabbed a girl to death on a bus, and it's based on real-life cases such as the Southport murderer. So guess what. They race-swapped the actual killer from a black man/migrant to a white boy and the story has it so he was radicalised online by the red pill movement,' Cheong wrote on X.' Just the absolute state of anti-white propaganda.'

However, these claims have been strongly disputed by the show's creators.

Jack Thorne Responds to Criticism

Jack Thorne, co-creator of Adolescence, has denied any connection to an actual case. While speaking on The News Agents podcast, Thorne labelled the race-swap accusations as 'absurd.'

'There is no part of this that's based on a true story,' Thorne said. 'We're not making a point about race with this. We are making a point about masculinity. We're trying to get inside a problem. We're not saying this is one thing or another. We're saying this is about boys.' He further clarified that portraying a white character was never meant to be a racial commentary.

Stephen Graham, who created the show alongside Thorne and stars as Jamie's father, has also spoken out about the inspiration behind the series. While the plot touches on violent incidents involving young people, Graham insists that no single case was the direct influence of the drama.

During the ongoing press tour, Graham has been clarifying that the show is not based on one specific case; in fact, it was a series of tragic knife attack incidents which prompted him to create the show. He has referred to the case of Ava White, a 12-year-old girl stabbed to death in Liverpool, and the brutal killing of Brianna Ghey, a teenager lured into a park by two other teens. He also referenced the horrific murder of Elianne Andam at the hands of Hassan Sentamu.

The True Message Behind Adolescence

According to the makers of the show, Adolescence was created to expose the dark side of social media, where young boys fall victim to the influential culture of the manosphere and incel. Above that, it intended to portray how toxic traits in teenagers can kill their innocence and also explore the ripple effect of their violent acts on family members.

Despite the whole 'race swapping' controversy, some viewers still stand by the makers of the show and believe that Adolescence was meant to be a commentary on misogyny, and some have turned it into a commentary on race.

Expressing frustration over the race debate, a user wrote on X, 'I can't believe people are spending more time being annoyed at the alleged race swapping in adolescence rather than the message which is applicable to everyone.'

Meanwhile, the show has created history in terms of ratings by becoming the first show on a streaming platform to top the UK's weekly TV ratings.