Graham Abbey

Graham Abbey (born Graham Robert Thomson Abbey, March 24, 1971) is a Canadian film, television and stage actor, who is best known for his role as Gray Jackson in TV drama The Border.

History[]

At the then Stratford Festival of Canada, the eleven-year-old Graham Abbey took up small parts in A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merry Wives of Windsor. In the following season, he returned with roles in As You Like It and Macbeth.^[1] His first role was as a forest gnome at the Festival Theatre, and he explained his interest as: "there was a room full of doughnuts and I got to get out of school".^[2][3]

After two years at Stratford, he gave up acting. He left Stratford Central Secondary School, moved to Kingston, Ontario, and in 1994, graduated from Queen's University with a degree in political science.

In 1997, he rejoined the Stratford Festival with a leading role (Happy Loman in Death of a Salesman), a supporting role (Paris in Romeo and Juliet), and an ensemble role (the Chorus in Oedipus Rex). He has performed in over 30 productions at the Festival, and continues to be a part of the company as of 2016, during which season he debuted his adaptation of Shakespeare's Henriad, Breath of Kings

In August 2008, he married former Stratford colleague Michelle Giroux.^[4]

Credits[]

Film and television credits[]

• As You Like It (1984), based on the 1983 production at the Stratford Festival of Canada—Page
• John Woo's Once a Thief (1998) — Special Agent Elk Diller in episode "The Director Files"
• (2002), the National Film Board behind-the-scenes at the Stratford Festival of Canada's 49th season — himself
• (2003), interviews with members of the theatre community, regarding the Stratford Festival of Canada under artistic director Richard Monette — himself
• 'Til Death Do Us Part (2007) — Slade in episode "Funeral Parlour Murder"
• The Jane Show (2007) — Richard in episode "Who's Got Spirit?"
• Billable Hours (2007) — Scott in episode "Monopoly Man, the Second"
• Heartland (2007) — Steve Redding in episode "Coming Home"
• Degrassi: The Next Generation — Glen Martin
• The Border (2008) — Gray Jackson
• Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor (2008) — Michael Cassio
• Stealing Paradise TV film (2011) - Steven Collier
• Republic of Doyle (2012) — George
• King John (2015) — King Philip
• (2014) - Dave
• Frontier (2016) - MacLaughlan

Stratford Festival credits[]

• "Coriolanus" (2018) -- Tullus Aufidius
• "Tartuffe" (2017) -- Orgon
• King John (play) (2014) -- Philip the Bastard
• Othello (2013) -- Iago
• Coriolanus (2006) -- Tullus Aufidius
• The Lark (2005) -- Warwick, Earl of Beauchamp
• As You Like It (2005) -- Jacques
• (2004) -- King Henry VIII
• Macbeth (2004) -- Macbeth
• Love's Labour's Lost (2003) -- Berowne
• The Taming of the Shrew (2003) -- Petruchio
• Richard III, Reign of Terror (2002) -- King Henry VII, Earl of Richmond
• The Scarlet Pimpernel (2002) -- Lambert
• Romeo and Juliet (2002) -- Romeo
• Henry V (2001) -- King Henry V
• Henry IV, Part 2 (2001) -- Henry, Prince of Wales
• Henry IV, Part 1 (2001) -- Henry, Prince of Wales
• The Three Musketeers (2000) -- D'Artagnan
• The Importance of Being Earnest (2000) -- Algernon Montford
• Hamlet (2000) -- Laertes
• The School for Scandal (1999) -- Sir Toby Bumper
• The Tempest (1999) -- Ferdinand
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) -- Lysander
• Two Gentlemen of Verona (1998) -- Valentine
• The Winter's Tale (1998) -- Florizel
• A Man For All Seasons (1998) -- William Roper
• Oedipus Rex (1997) -- Chorus
• Death of a Salesman (1997) -- Happy Loman
• Romeo and Juliet (1997) -- Paris
• As You Like It (1983) -- Page
• Macbeth (1983) -- Young Macduff (understudy)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1982) -- Appears in
• The Merry Wives of Windsor (1982) -- Forest Gnome

Other theatre credits[]

• , Tarragon Theatre, Toronto (2007) -- Philip
• Long Day's Journey Into Night, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg (2005) -- Jamie
• Death of a Salesman, Theatre Aquarius (2004) -- Biff Loman
• , Shubert Theatre, Chicago (2003) -- Valère
• Robin Hood: The Merry Family Musical, Elgin Theatre, Toronto (2002) -- Robin Hood
• Snow White and the Magnificent Seven, Elgin Theatre, Toronto (2001) -- Prince Don "Squeeze the" Charming
• Proposals, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg/Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto (1998) -- Ray Dolenz
• Hello, Dolly!, York Minstrels, Toronto (1995) -- Cornelius Hackl
• The School for Scandal, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre—Charles Surface
• A Midsummer Night's Dream, Festival of Classics, Toronto—Demetrius
• The Baker's Wife, Equity Showcase, Toronto—Antoine
• A Streetcar Named Desire, Firehall Theatre, Gananoque, Ontario—Stanley Kowalski
• Guys and Dolls, Grand Theatre, Kingston, Ontario—Nicely-Nicely
• Fiddler on the Roof, Grand Theatre, Kingston, Ontario—Motel the Tailor

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Graham Abbey at IMDb
• Abbey speaking on "CBC Radio: Q The Podcast" episode for Monday, January 7, 2008
• Stratford Theatre Festival biography

In the news[]

• "Border star steady with sword as well as gun", The Toronto Star, September 27, 2008
• "Graham Abbey makes a run for The Border^{[permanent dead link]}", The Kingston Whig-Standard, January 26, 2008
• "Crossing those acting borders", The Windsor Star, January 7, 2008
• "Investigating The Border", Metro Canada, January 7, 2008
• "From the Bard to Border guard", The Globe and Mail, January 5, 2008
• "The Border's Niagara connection^{[permanent dead link]}", St. Catharines Standard, December 13, 2007
• "Abbey not pessimistic as he leaves Stratford", The Toronto Star, April 22, 2007