Actor Graham Phillips (“Riverdale” and “The Good Wife”) chatted about starring in the musical “Sunday in the Park with George.”
“Sunday in the Park with George” is being played at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in New Jersey from March 8 to 24. It was directed and choreographed by Broadway veteran Eamon Foley. “This show is going great,” he admitted. “I met Eamon when we did ’13,’ and then, we went to college together.”
“Eamon had an idea for a different version of ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ with dancers representing the colors. I actually helped him shoot his first concept video during my sophomore year, and here we are 11 years later. Now, I am playing George, so it has been pretty surreal,” he elaborated.
This show is Eamon Foley’s reimagining of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Sunday In The Park With George.” “It has been really special up there. The cast has been great,” he exclaimed.
“Eamon is the best collaborator that I could ask for. We’ve been talking about this musical for so long, and he has been so passionate about it. I’m very lucky to have been directed by Eamon because we have that level of trust and it’s so much fun,” he acknowledged.
On playing George, he said, “It is rare to play an introvert who sings so many songs. In so many musicals, the leads are extroverts. To get to play someone who is really in their own mental palace and getting to shed light on what is going on in that person’s mind has been a new experience for me, and it has been really rewarding.”
“The dancers work really well in this production because it’s a way of externalizing an internal cognitive creative process, and it is cool to be able to let it out,” he said.
This marks Phillps’ first return to the stages in the Tri-state in 16 years, and he is playing the title role of George Seurat opposite and Talia Suskauer (Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway) as Dot.
Phillips is known for his acting work in “13: The Musical” on Broadway, as well as on such television shows as “The Good Wife” on CBS (for his portrayal of Zach, the son of Julianna Margulies’ character) and “Riverdale” on The CW, where he played Nick St. Clair.
‘Riverdale’
On being a part of “Riverdale,” he said, “It was an adjustment to play a villain in ‘Riverdale.’ That felt new. It was cool to do a show with kids again. Everyone on that cast was exciting to work with.”
‘The Good Wife’
He described “The Good Wife” as a formative experience for him, especially since it filmed in New York and there were so many guest stars on there that were “great theater actors.”
“I got to learned a lot about making choices and swinging for the fences and not just playing it safe. I liked doing exciting work,” he said. “Julianna is the best. She is one of the greatest human beings I’ve met. She is so graceful and she set an incredible example on that set. Julianna is a very giving actress.”
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Phillips said, “The industry has certainly changed a lot. It is changing every day, and their streamers’ preferences are changing as they get more and more data about what people want. It’s a hard place to be if you are trying to chase the dragon, and make art that fits into a certain slot. You need to trust your creative process.”
Eric Nelsen
Phillips had great words about Emmy award-winning actor and Tony-winning producer Eric Nelsen, whom he worked with on “13: The Musical” on Broadway.” “It was so cool to see Eric in ‘1883’ because I hadn’t really talked to him in a while. Eric did such good work,” Phillips said.
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “Don’t wait for permission to do your art. Get your friends together and make it. Don’t wait for the gatekeepers to let you through the gate. Do it.”
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Phillips responded, “The Year of the Body.”
On his career-defining moments, he said, “I screen-tested for Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ for the role of Tony, and I really thought I was going to get it, and I heard —through the grapevine — that he was leaning towards choosing me for the role.”
“When it didn’t happen, I was so upset and devastated, I had to learn about releasing control and making sure that I’m not doing the work I’m doing because of any recognition I’m going to get, or because of fame,” he said.
“I learned to make sure that the effort and the heart that I put in, I’m doing it for me, and for the service of the storytelling. That was an important lesson for me to learn,” he underscored.
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be “to fly.” “Flying is something I always dreamed about ever since I was young,” he said. “Either that, or to tell the future.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, he said, “Success, to me, is not a place that you get to. It’s a state of mind where you make the decision that you have enough but also keep growing, moving and going.”
“Success is a decision deciding that you have done enough. You keep growing and finding something new about the world and about yourself,” he concluded.
To learn more about actor Graham Phillips, follow him on Instagram.
