After several co-star and guest star roles on action-filled sci-fi series like Supergirl, Umbrella Academy, Titans and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, actor Graham Parkhurst is stepping into the biggest role of his career in the Netflix series GLAMOROUS. Though he wasn’t sure he was right for the role that was described as “this perfect gay, cis white man”, he ultimately decided to submit for the role at the advice of a friend.
“I filmed it, edited it and sent it in and never thought about it again. Then, I got the callback when I was in Italy, shocked, and it was my first screen test,” he explained. “This whole thing has been a new experience for me. The smaller roles I’ve done before, you get booked off of your self-tape, so this feels like I was shot out of a cannon.”
Graham also spoke about the challenges he may not have faced, but perhaps felt that he would, brought on by preconceived notions other actors have toward the entertainment industry. “It wasn’t that the industry wouldn’t hire me because I was gay, but I think in my head that’s how I felt. That might’ve been a reason that I held back. I’m a big enough hurdle for myself,” he laughed.
He went on to describe the difficulties that Canadian actors face in trying to break into larger roles for the many American series that film throughout Canada. “We are often playing the baristas or cops in the American shows up here, and it’s really hard to cross that line and get a large role. We often have to get a visa and move to the States. They say ‘if you want to work in Toronto, you have to live in LA” he laughed.
