Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Stargirl’s Graham Verchere

Graham Verchere is an award-winning actor whose career is skyrocketing. This year, he’s starring in his first major role as one of the leads in Disney+’s Stargirl, based on the 2000 YA novel by Jerry Spinelli. It’s a timeless tale about the importance of embracing your true authentic self, a lesson that Graham’s character Leo learns along the way. And Graham’s performance in the film can best be described in one single word: magic. We put Graham in the hot seat to chat about his career and Stargirl.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Graham: I started acting in a small camp with my brother because our cousin was doing it and it looked cool! My brother stopped for a while to do sports, but I just kept doing it because I was having so much fun!

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Graham: It’s hard to pin it on one thing, but the incredible people I’ve been lucky enough to work with are a huge part of why I love my job. A lot of my closest friends I know from working in film or theater.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Graham: Doing Stargirl is probably the most fun I’ve ever had on set. It’s wonderful being able to revisit, seeing all of those people again in the movie and at events. It’s also so incredibly exciting that it’s on Disney+, and so many people will be able to see it.

Stargirl

PC: Tell us about Stargirl, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Graham: I would still consider the book one of my all-time favorites. I felt so connected to Leo in reading it. I could only hope I would be able to play him in the movie as well. Luckily for me, it turned out that way!

PC: Did you draw on any personal experiences when preparing for the role?
Graham: I feel like I can relate kind of a crazy amount to Leo. It almost felt like it was just me saying Leo’s lines. I’ve felt a lot of similar things to what you see happen to him in the movie myself, so I could draw a lot of parallels.

PC: You read the novel during your audition process. How faithful is this adaptation? Were there any nerves heading into this project given the success of the novel?
Graham: There are a few things that are different in the movie, but the most important thing is that all of the messages and the overall feeling remain intact. I was really excited about being able to do such a wonderful book! It’s such a great story that being able to do it was like a free cheat sheet to know that the movie already has a great story.

PC: How did you and Grace approach the dynamic between your characters? What do Leo and Susan learn from each other?
Graham: Grace and I both knew our characters really well and the script is so well written that there wasn’t much else we had to do for their dynamic.

Leo and Stargirl both have what the other wants, to a point. Stargirl wants to have friends and to fit in with them, and Leo wants to feel like he can stand out again.

PC: With the film out, what do you hope audiences take away?
Graham: I hope viewers can really get what the story says about individuality and fitting in. It can be really difficult at times, but it’ll always be worth it to be your true self.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Graham: Probably High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. I had more fun watching it than I probably should have.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Graham: I know a lot of people have strong opinions about them but I really enjoy the Star Wars prequels!

PC: Favorite book?
Graham: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, with Stargirl as a close second!

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Graham: Come from Away!. After that, it’s Rent and Dear Evan Hansen.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Graham: Aperture Science Psychoacoustic Laboratories—aka the Portal and Portal 2 credits songs. It definitely doesn’t match anything else in the playlist, but I just love those games too much.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Graham: Michael Cera, easy.

To keep up with Graham, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Stream Stargirl on Disney+ today.

Photo Credit: Erich Saide