Canadian actor Graham Parkhurst opens up about playing an openly gay character in 'Glamorous'
"Glamorous" launched on Netflix on June 22 — and is set to celebrate the queer community.
"Glamorous" takes the viewer on the journey of Marco (Miss Benny), an aspiring influencer who lands a dream job with a makeup mogul (Kim Cattrall) and begins a dazzling journey of self-discovery amid work chaos and romantic challenges.
Canadian actor Graham Parkhurst, who has previously been on shows such as "Star Trek," "Sex/Life," "The Umbrella Academy," and "Supergirl," among others, plays Parker, Marco’s love interest in the show.
“What I love about the role of Parker is that he isn’t a caricature. He’s just a normal, low-key guy who happens to be gay.” shares Parkhurst.
As an openly gay male actor in the film and television industry, the show is a personally meaningful one for Parkhurst.
“Getting the chance to play an openly gay character in a show of this magnitude is something I never thought would be possible in my career as a Canadian actor. There are certain limits we have as actors in Canada. We don’t have much of a star system here, so booking a larger role on an American produced project- and specifically a gay character- is one of those needle in a haystack situations.” Parkhurst says.
“I am so grateful for the experience and hope that once the world sees 'Glamorous,' more and more opportunities like this will open up for actors of all identities, and hopefully we’ll see more Canadians in larger roles.”
Touted as your “next big binge” by Cosmopolitan magazine, the show’s buzz is positioning it for a massive launch.
“I think the audience is going to love this show. It’s campy, quirky, fun, dramatic and just the right amount of gay!” shares Parkhurst. “I hope that anyone who feels 'othered' can see themselves represented. A lot of LGBTQIA2S+ stories focus on the trauma faced as queer people, but Glamorous focuses on the love and acceptance which I think will resonate well with audiences.”
This role of Parker is a pivotal one for Parkhurst. Not only launching him to the next level of his career, but also to be cast alongside a prolific talent like Kim Cattrall.
“Kim Cattrall is iconic. She is a true legend, through and through,” says Parkhust. “Sharing the screen with her was a Canadian actor's dream.”
Cattrall, who was originally born in Britain, spent much of her youth on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Later on, the actress moved back to England, and started her acting career at London Academy Of Music And Dramatic Art.
With the rise of streaming services and platforms more readily sharing shows and content about the LGBTQIA2S+ community, the impact and messages of championing and support are very clear.
And not just during Pride month.
“Traditionally, we’ve been told to 'stay in the closet' or 'tone it down' if we wanted to succeed in the industry.” shares Parkhurst. “To have all of these new shows celebrating queer people is an absolute game changer. Queer people have been around forever and it’s beautiful to finally see their stories being highlighted.”
Parkhurst believes the future is bright for representation in the film and TV industry. “The world is full of many different types of people. Previously, on screen, we didn’t get to see that for a very long time. I have faith that what we see on TV and in movies is soon going to accurately depict what we see in everyday life. There’s space for everyone.”
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