Exclusive Interview: Graham Parkhurst Chats Glamorous Season 1, His Journey from the Stage to Screen, and More

Graham Parkhurst is one of the breakout stars of 2023. The gifted Canadian actor has already staked his claim on the stage and is now making the transition into film and television. Already in his young and thriving career, he’s landed coveted roles in projects including Supergirl, Titans, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. This summer, he makes his debut as a series regular in Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series, Glamorous.

Glamorous tells the story of Marco Mejia (Miss Benny), a young gender non-conforming queer man whose life seems to be stuck in place until he lands a job working for legendary makeup mogul Madolyn Addison. It’s Marco’s first chance to figure out what he wants out of life, who he actually is, and what it really means for him to be queer. Graham shines as Parker, a self-proclaimed jock that symbolizes gay male perfection who has a chance encounter with Marco that leads to a game of pursuit.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Graham about Glamorous Season 1, his journey from the stage to the screen, and landing one of his biggest roles to date.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Graham: When I was younger, I watched the Home Alone movies. That’s probably where it started. I wanted to be Kevin McCallister. I knew then that I wanted to be an actor. I just didn’t know how I was going to get there. I never really got to participate in anything until high school. After that, I found musical theater, and here we are today!

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career, either personally or professionally?
Graham: Professionally, one of my best friends is Lisa Michelle Cornelius. We actually ended up doing the Broadway tour of Godspell like ten or twelve years ago. It might have been longer than that, but I don’t want to date myself too much. She and I were in that show together. We toured across America and Canada, then we kept in touch. She’s one of the only ones that I’ve kept in touch with since. We started helping each other out with self-tapes.

She’s so kind, wonderful, and helpful. She also looks at the industry with hope and joy, which I don’t necessarily do. I can venture towards bitterness pretty easily. [laughs] This industry is insane. To see someone tackle it with a smile on her face is so inspiring to me. Honestly, I’m her biggest fan. She might be my biggest fan, so I have to give it to her.

But before that, I would say my high school drama teacher, Michelle Bannock, because she was the one who said, “This is a small town. Nobody thinks this is a possibility, but I do. You should go for it.”

PC: What has that transition been like for you going from the stage to the screen? How do those different mediums lend themselves to one another?
Graham: I always wanted to be in film and TV. That was the goal, but musical theater was all that was available in my town. I’ve never heard of anybody being a film and TV actor, but I was pretty good at it. So, I went to college and then I did musical theater for like nine years because it came easy to me. I don’t know why, but somehow it came easy to me.

I thought, “Film and TV is going to be a piece of cake. Watch me go.” But I didn’t realize how much harder it was because, I would say, the pool of talent is significantly larger. You’re competing against way more people. Film and TV is so much more about the look sometimes than it is anything else. There are a thousand of you. To stand out, you have to be someone special. Because I started really, really late, I hadn’t made any of those connections yet.

I’m on five years of pushing really hard. That’s still no time compared to a lot of people, but it was a bit of a shock to my system having gone from a successful theater career where I had accomplished everything that I wanted within a certain amount of time. It was a shock, but it made me work harder. It made me try harder. It made me get more invested. It made me want to meet people who can help build those relationships. I’m actually glad it happened that way because I’m not sure I would have been ready when I started and when I thought I was ready.

PC: You’ve had so much success already in those five years. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out?
Graham: There are a couple. When I got to be on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and I got that custom red suit made—the red ones always die, right? [laughs] But I’m sitting there and I’m like, “How cool is this?” because Star Trek was always on our TV growing up. It was so weird to be a part of that universe for a little bit. Then watching it, I was like, “I’m a part of Star Trek. That’s crazy.” Even though it was a smaller part, I’m part of that universe now. That, for me, was a moment when I was like, “Wow, maybe I can do this. This is pretty cool.”

PC: You’re also one of the stars of Glamorous. How did this project originally come across your desk? What was it about Parker and this script that resonated with you?
Graham: The audition came, and I had canceled it because it was a Netflix show produced by CBS, and I’m a gay Canadian actor. I thought, “This never happens.” It’s a series regular, and as Canadian actors, we don’t generally get opportunities like this. I also had a wedding to go to and my train was in three hours after I got the audition. I was like, “I don’t have time. I’m not going to book it anyway,” so I just canceled it.

Then somebody called me, and they were like, “Listen, I really think you should do it.” I begrudgingly put myself on tape. Then, I was like, “This casting director is never going to ask me to audition again after that one,” but I was wrong. I was in Italy, and I got the call literally as I’m eating pizza. They said that I had a callback for Glamorous, and I didn’t even know which one it was because we get so many auditions, but when I figured it out, I was shocked because it’s such a huge thing. That was the first time that I had been through the process of a big callback and then chemistry read.

When I finally read the character and spent time focusing on the script, I remember being like, “This isn’t too far out of the realm of who I am.” It was a pretty easy choice. I knew that I could nail it. That’s why I put so much time and effort into being as natural as possible and doing it. I loved the role of Parker. I’m so blessed that I got to do it, especially as a Canadian actor.

PC: When we’re first introduced to Parker, he seems to be the definition of perfection and has everything going on in his world, but as the series goes on, we learn more about his insecurities and vulnerabilities. You brought so much nuance to that. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to dive into those more vulnerable moments?
Graham: Honestly, I think I excel in vulnerability. Those are my favorite scripts, the ones where there is more behind the words. I actually find comedy is the hardest for me, even though I can do quick wit and all that stuff, but sometimes I find myself very dry.

This kind of stuff resonated so well with me, and getting to have a character that has that turning point is a dream for any actor. You’re not painted in one way. You really get this full circle, even with a light show like Glamorous. My character got so much. He got to be flirty, fun, and charming, and then we got the jerk. I was lucky that I got to show that range in the character.

PC: You and Miss Benny have such incredible chemistry. What was that collaboration like working with her and bringing the ups and downs of that dynamic to life?
Graham: It was the easiest thing that I’ve ever done. The chemistry that we had on screen is the same as when we were behind the scenes. I instantly connected with Miss Benny. It’s really hard for anyone not to connect with her because she’s so kind and giving. Honestly, our first kiss, the director came up to us and he was like, “How many kissing scenes have you guys done before?” We were like, “No, this is the first one.” He was like, “What? That’s amazing.” That’s because it was so natural. The flow was so good. Miss Benny is a star. I felt like I was in safe hands with her, and I think she felt the same way about me.

PC: You’re also a standout in this series as well. Was there a particular scene that you were excited for audiences to see?
Graham: There are a couple for different reasons. The first one is the butt scene because I think it’s hilarious. In Episode 1, it’s like, “Bam, there’s Parker, and there’s Parker’s butt.” I’d never gotten to show my butt on screen, and I was really excited about it. I wasn’t nervous at all. Then in Episode 8, there’s a turning point where he goes from charming and fun to the mean guy. There’s that one little monologue at the end of Episode 8 which I loved because I got to sink my teeth into it. Then Episode 10, where I’m dating myself. [laughs] I got to have a Lindsay Lohan moment.

PC: This is also the longest that you’ve lived with a character. Has anything surprised you about this overall experience? What have you learned about your craft that you’ll bring over to your next project?
Graham: I’ve learned not to be so neurotic about scenes. I beat myself up any time that I messed something up or mess a take up, but then you realize you do it like seven million times. The director is going to cut whatever they want from what they have. So, I learned to be easier on myself and enjoy the process. Enjoy that you’re working because that’s something we don’t get to do very often. Even the most successful actors have so much time off in between things.

I will say that I felt incredible going in. I was very nervous about it because it’s such a big role on such a big network, but eventually, I realized how it worked because I got to spend more time on set. I was able to relax and enjoy it more after the first few weeks. The next time I’ll go in way more relaxed and way more understanding of how this whole thing comes together.

PC: This industry has made slow progress in terms of representation. Often when you have queer characters, their storylines are tied to their coming out story or trauma. But with projects like Glamorous, we’re seeing a much-needed step forward in this evolution of representation. Have you had time to reflect on your own contributions through playing characters like Parker and being a part of a series like this?
Graham: Yes. How cool is it to watch a show where everyone’s gay? But there are so many different types of gay, just like how it is in our world. Nobody cares. Nobody talks about it. We’re not talking about the trauma that comes along with it, which I think is important to talk about, but we’ve seen it. We’ve seen it so many times. You get to watch a show full of queer people of all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and we don’t have to call it out. They are just regular people. How cool is that? How lucky are we that we get to be a part of that?

PC: Outside of this project, what’s next for you? What’s left on that bucket list?
Graham: I want to jump onto an HBO or Showtime series. Something that’s dark and heavy would be really fun. I’d also like to be on a cowboy show. But I’m looking forward to seeing what doors open from this because I didn’t know heading into the release of this show if anyone would like me or if anything would happen. But I’ve only seen mostly positive responses, and it’s made me say, “Maybe I will do this forever.” I’m really excited to see what comes next. Throw me in another fun one, too. I would absolutely love that.

To keep up with Graham, follow him on Instagram. Watch Glamorous on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Colin Gaudet