Graham Parkhurst stars in the highly anticipated Netflix series Glamorous, alongside the iconic Kim Cattrall. Best known for his roles on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Umbrella Academy and Titans, Parkhurst is ready to take on his newest role.
The story follows Madolyn Addison (Kim Cattrall), a veteran supermodel and legendary makeup mogul who hires Marco Mejia, a young queer man, to shake up her prestigious beauty line. Parkhurst plays Parker, a stereotypical jock a self-proclaimed jock that symbolises gay male perfection who has a chance encounter with Marco that leads to a game of pursuit.
Wonderland sat down with the star to delve deeper into early beginnings, working with Cattrall and biggest lessons learnt to date…
Glamarous premiered on June 22nd, watch the trailer now…
Read the interview…
Hi Graham, how are you? What was the first thing you did today?
Hey everyone! I am great, thank you for asking! The first thing I did today was FaceTime my good friend.
You are currently based in Canada. What is the creative landscape like there? Do you find it a creatively inspiring place to be?
We have a remarkably diverse population and the art being produced by Canadians is representative of that. I find the community to be quite humble and supportive of each other. However, depending on the level of success you want to achieve, there is a ceiling to what can be accomplished here, which is why many creatives have decided to move abroad to further their careers. But, I am hopeful that will soon change as the creative industries in Canada have been growing significantly in the last few years.
Let’s start at the beginning! How did you fall into acting?
I knew I wanted to become an actor from an early age, but there were few outlets to explore that passion in the small town I grew up in. It was not until I was in high school that I had access to drama classes and started participating in the annual plays and musicals. That is when I really fell hard into acting and put all my time and energy into training. I’m still unsure if I was addicted to the attention or the discipline, but I’m grateful I was able to find those outlets when I did.
Who would you cite as the person who has inspired you most throughout your career?
Lisa Michelle Cornelius! She is a Toronto based performer and one of my greatest friends in the industry. The dedication to her craft and her unbreakable joy has been a huge inspiration for me while navigating my way through the business. She is the definition of a professional and is always happy to help others in their journey.
You are known for your work in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Umbrella Academy and Titans. Out of those roles, which one would you say you have been the fondest of and why?
I would say I was the fondest of my role in The Umbrella Academy, simply because it was the most fun I had ever had on set before filming Glamorous. The cast was incredible, and the creative team were very supportive. Also, being a fan of the show prior, it was a cool ‘full circle’ moment in my career.
What would you say is the biggest lesson you have learnt over the course of those projects?
The biggest lessons were to be prepared, be patient, and be in on the joke…it’s not that serious.
You star in Netflix’s Glamorous! Where were you when you received the news that you had landed the role?
It’s a very funny story – I was at a doctor’s appointment for a full physical examination when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I knew it was my agent calling to tell me whether I booked the part or not, but I wasn’t able to answer because I was in the middle of the most invasive part of the examination. Yes…that part. I can’t remember a word the doctor said to me afterwards, I just remember sprinting out of the clinic and calling my agent immediately, where I was told I landed the role.
And, you have worked alongside the iconic Kim Cattrall on this project! What was your time spent with her like?
I spent the majority of my time working with Miss Benny, but the limited time I was in the presence of Kim, she was the legend I always expected her to be.
What can viewers expect from the show? If you had to sum it up in three words, which would they be?
Viewers can expect a fun, upbeat, queer story of self-discovery with great fashion, makeup, and a tremendous cast of characters. Three words I would use to describe it would be: Campy. Charming. Inclusive.
Aside from everything we have discussed, what are you most excited about from the year ahead?
I have three summer trips planned that I’m excited about: New York City, Vancouver, and Montreal! It has been a little while since I’ve visited those cities, so it’ll be nice to see my friends and explore. Other than that, I have a couple projects in the works I am looking forward to getting started on in the Fall.
