IN CONVERSATION WITH GRAHAM PARKHURST

Interview by Jana Letonja

Graham Parkhurst is a Canadian born actor who started his career in live theatre, performing on stages across the US and Canada. In recent years, his focus has shifted towards an acting career in TV and film,landing roles in many popular productions.

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Growing up, what drew you to a career in the performance arts?

I was a child with a lot of untamed energy. My first memory of wanting to act was specifically watching the ‘Home Alone’ movies and identifying with Kevin McCallister, a young hero with an unlimited imagination. I wanted to be a child actor more than anything. Looking back, I’m very thankful that never happened. I would’ve become a monster.

Having grown up in a small town with few creative outlets, an acting career for me seemed pretty unrealistic. It wasn’t until I saw a local production of ‘Les Mis’ that I had this notion “I can do that”. And suddenly a career in entertainment didn’t seem so unattainable. 

You started your career in theatre, before shifting your focus to TV and film. What acting training did you undergo for both of these mediums?

I started live theatre in high school. I joined drama class and did a few musicals, which led to me doing community theater in Belleville Ontario, and I eventually found myself participating in acting programs for young people around town. I’m still not sure how, but I was fortunate enough to get into one of the best musical theater programs in the country and had the opportunity to train under some of Canada’s legendary talents. 

After an expansive 8 years in live theatre, I wanted to shift my career to film and television. I spent some time in Vancouver because I figured it was smart to train and mess up auditions in a town where I didn’t know anybody. It was there I learned that it wasn’t necessarily professional training that mattered so much. The best way to really grow and sharpen my on-camera skills was to simply audition. I had many transferable skills from my time in theatre, so it was the fine tuning of making it translate to a more intimate medium that could only be learned by doing it over and over again. I became kind of fearless in that time, taking bigger risks and applying more of myself to the work. 

How would you describe your journey from a ‘small’ Canadian actor to an actor that is being recognized in the TV and film industry? Which role opened the doors for you?

I would describe it as chaotic. I definitely had no idea where this was going to take me, though I did have this weird delusion in the back of my head that everything was going to work out, even when there were no clear signs of that happening. I worked hard for many years without a lot of wins. Then in 2021, I started booking roles and they got bigger and bigger and then I finally booked a large role in a production that people actually watched. It’s been a big jump. I’m not necessarily used to quite this much attention so I am kind of learning how to navigate it all and also stay humble and grounded.

What do you love most about storytelling? What excites you the most about it?

Truthfully, I find storytelling the best outlet to escape the monotony of my daily life. I tend to spend a lot of time overthinking and under-preparing, but when I’m given a script, I get to step outside of that and be someone else. I get to escape my body and tell a story of someone who has a completely different perspective. I feel confident when I’m doing it. Sometimes I feel more confident in my characters than I do myself. As a lot of actors can attest, it can be quite addicting. I become more focused and it helps me accomplish things that didn’t seem possible. 

What kind of roles challenge you the most and put you the most out of your comfort zone?

I think the roles that challenge me the most are the ones that when you read them, you don’t have to add too much to them. Coming from a theatre background, I wasn’t really used to that. I’m used to really diving into a character and trying to figure out what got them to this point. The relationships in their lives, their circumstances, why they are who they are. When I get a script that doesn’t necessarily need all of that, I question if I am actually doing it right or if I am just a shitty actor.

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Do you ever miss theatre and the thrill of live performance?

Absolutely. Leaving theater was really tough and unfortunately, when you’re starting in TV and film, you can’t do both. You need to be available, you need to be able to audition and you need to be able to work. For me, that instant gratification you get from performing live is something you don’t really get on camera and I miss that very much. I would love one day to get back into it, but maybe on a higher level than what I was able to achieve already. 

As an openly gay man, what challenges did you face in your acting career?

I don’t know for sure if they were real challenges or if they were in my head, but I found that I was constantly checking myself. I wanted to be as marketable as possible. Professionally, I felt like I needed to hide my sexuality to book roles and in doing that, I was diverting further and further away from who I am, neglecting personal experiences from showing up in my work. That kind of messes with your head. Now, the freedom about being an openly gay actor is that whatever role comes to me, is meant for me, regardless of my sexuality. Let’s face it, there ain’t no hiding it now.

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What thoughts and feelings do you have now that the entertainment industry has been overall more inclusive in the recent years?

It’s long overdue. ‘Others’ have been around forever. ‘Others’ create a lot of the art that the world consumes on a daily basis. It’s only recently that visibility at the highest level has been allotted to those who have been forced to stay in the background, though I’d argue it still isn’t enough. It’s about time that the entertainment industry reflects the world we live in and acknowledges the human experience from all perspectives. It’s cool that we’re safer to tell these stories now and that we can actually make some money doing it. 

What are you most passionate about outside of performing?

I love exploring, whether that be a new part of town I live in or traveling and exploring a new city. I’ve traveled a little,but there is still so much of the world I want to see. Also, I’m very passionate about napping. Maybe if I napped less, I would have more time to explore. 

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What would you say are your biggest future personal and professional goals?

Professionally, in my delusional brain, my goals are unlimited. I would love to have my own series, star in a film, write a screenplay, start a production company where we can tell stories. I don’t want to retire. I want to work until I die. I want to take the limited amount of success and attention I’m receiving at this moment and use it as a jumping point to really level up. More specifically, and maybe more attainable at this moment, I’d really love to book a super dark, heavy role that I can sink my teeth into. Something I can exhaust all of my training on. 

Personally my goals are a little different. I really need to spend more time on my personal relationships and connections, with my family and friends. I tend to pour all my focus into one thing and push everything else to the side.It’s important for me to be able to find balance and harmony, especially as my career grows. I would also really love to get a motorcycle license, but one thing at a time though. 

talent GRAHAM PARKHURST @grammycardiff
photography CULLY WRIGHT represented by Anderson Hopkins @cullywright
fashion JULIA PLATT-HEPWORTH represented by Art Department @juliaplatthepworth
grooming ABRAHAM ESPARZA Abraham Esparza @thisisbabe
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA @timiletonja