Graham Abbey

Graham Abbey
Born	Graham Robert Thomson Abbey (1971-03-24) March 24, 1971 Canada
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1982–present
Known for	Portraying Gray Jackson in The Border

Graham Abbey (full name Graham Robert Thomson Abbey, born March 24, 1971) is a Canadian actor with extensive experience in film, television, and theatre. He is particularly recognized for portraying Gray Jackson in the television drama The Border.

Early life and education

Abbey's acting journey commenced at eleven years old when he took on minor roles at the Stratford Festival of Canada, including parts in A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merry Wives of Windsor. He returned the next season to perform in productions such as As You Like It and Macbeth. His debut appearance was as a forest gnome at the Festival Theatre. After two seasons at Stratford, he stepped away from acting, left Stratford Central Secondary School, relocated to Kingston, Ontario, and completed his political science degree at Queen's University in 1994.

Career

Abbey resumed his involvement with the Stratford Festival in 1997, taking on both principal and supporting characters including Happy Loman in Death of a Salesman, Paris in Romeo and Juliet, and the Chorus in Oedipus Rex. Over thirty productions at Stratford have featured his performances, and as of 2016, he continued his association with the festival, presenting his own adaptation of Shakespeare's Henriad titled Breath of Kings.

Personal life

In August 2008, Abbey wed former Stratford colleague Michelle Giroux.

Film and television

• As You Like It (1984), adapted from the 1983 Stratford Festival staging — Page
• John Woo's Once a Thief (1998) — Special Agent Elk Diller ("The Director Files")
• Offstage, Onstage: Inside the Stratford Festival (2002) — Himself
• The Madness of King Richard (2003) — Himself
• 'Til Death Do Us Part (2007) — Slade ("Funeral Parlour Murder")
• The Jane Show (2007) — Richard ("Who's Got Spirit?")
• Billable Hours (2007) — Scott ("Monopoly Man, the Second")
• Heartland (2007) — Steve Redding ("Coming Home")
• Degrassi: The Next Generation — Glen Martin
• The Border (2008) — Gray Jackson
• Othello: The Tragedy of the Moor (2008) — Michael Cassio
• A Wake (2009) — Tyler
• Stealing Paradise TV movie (2011) — Steven Collier
• Republic of Doyle (2012) — George
• King John (2015) — King Philip
• Angels and Ornaments (2014) — Dave
• Frontier (2016) — MacLaughlan
• Stay the Night (2022)
• Black Phone 2 (2025) — Kenneth

Stratford Festival

• Much Ado About Nothing (2023) – Benedick
• Coriolanus (2018, 2006) – Tullus Aufidius
• Tartuffe (2017) – Orgon
• King John (play) (2014) – Philip the Bastard
• Othello (2013) – Iago
• The Lark (2005) – Warwick, Earl of Beauchamp
• As You Like It (2005) – Jacques
• King Henry VIII (All is True) (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, 1997) – Romeo, Paris
• Henry V (2001) – King Henry V
• Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2 (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, 1982) – Lysander, ensemble member
• ' ' Two Gentlemen of Verona' ' (1998) – Valentine
• ' ' The Winter's Tale' ' (1998) – Florizel
• ' ' A Man for All Seasons' ' (1998) – William Roper
• ' ' Oedipus Rex' ' (1997) – Chorus member
• ' ' Death of a Salesman' '  (1997, 2004) – Happy Loman, Biff Loman
• ' ' As You Like It' '  (1983) – Page
• ' ' Macbeth' '  (1983) – Young Macduff (understudy)
• ' ' The Merry Wives of Windsor' '  (1982) – Forest Gnome

Additional Theatre Work

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

External links

• Interview with Abbey on "CBC Radio: Q The Podcast" January 7, 2008 episode
• Stratford Festival biography

Media Coverage

• "Stratford Festival: Much Ado About Nothing is really something else with a little Shields added to the Shakespeare", The Globe and Mail, June 17, 2023
• "Border star steady with sword as well as gun", The Toronto Star, September 27, 2008
• "Graham Abbey makes a run for The Border", 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", St. Catharines Standard, December 13, 2007
• "Abbey not pessimistic as he leaves Stratford", The Toronto Star, April 22, 2007