It’s so Canadian for actor Graham Abbey to choose the longer road to success. After all, the St. Catharines, Ontario-native should have easily scored a lead movie role or headlined a big television series by now, with his extensive acting reel and not-too-shabby, Bradley Cooper-esque looks. Just a few years ago, Abbey was king of the Stratford Festival –- both literally and figuratively -– as he conquered the stage to rave reviews in Macbeth. And when the Toronto International Film Festival came to town recently, the red carpet cameras focused on Damon and Clooney, didn’t hesitate to also turn their lenses on the handsome, budding star in their midst.

And yet, for all his small-town success, Abbey is still searching for that breakout role that could propel his career into the Damon-Clooney stratosphere. Tucked into a booth at Toronto’s Drake Hotel on a chilly October morning, Abbey is both immensely likeable and pragmatic at the same time – a combination that’s as fitting a description for a Canadian actor, as it is a great anomaly everywhere else.

Raised in a family that encouraged the arts, Abbey caught the acting bug early and debuted at Stratford at the age of ten, in a small role in The Merry Wives of Windsor. He wasn’t familiar with the play, but relished the opportunity to perform on stage and boast about it to his friends, most of whom were still hung up on baseball cards and cartoons. But the gregarious kid who was “always a ham” became hooked on Shakespeare in high school, obsessing over the rhythmic patterns and language of the text, while falling in love with the playwright’s sense of drama and comedic timing. After high school, Abbey studied political science in university and was on his way to law school when he decided to defer for a year to give his acting dreams a shot. Within a few months, he had booked a role at Stratford. He ended up staying there for 11 years.

“My goal [for acting] was to get it out of my system and then be a lawyer,” Abbey confesses, in full leading man voice. “But I ended up being able to make a living as an actor and I couldn’t be more thankful or fulfilled.”

Abbey’s first big role on stage was as Happy Loman in Death of a Salesman and he’s since gone on to portray many of theater’s most famous, if not beloved, characters, from star-crossed lover Romeo to the title character in King Henry VIII (All is True).

But after more than a decade on stage, Abbey’s beginning to feel the itch to try something new. The stage will always be there and, Abbey points out, there are a myriad of roles for older male actors in theater. But they say you only get one shot to make it in Hollywood and Abbey’s window is slowly closing as he tries to establish a name for himself amidst the crowded arena of baby-faced contenders and established A-list stars.

“I missed the window of being the next big thing in Hollywood,” Abbey says, with surprising awareness, “but I understand that, and I’m ready to re-invent myself and see if there’s still a part out there for me.”

To wit: he’s considering a move to L.A. to audition during pilot season and maybe even score a few meetings with casting directors and producers. He’s friends with Kevin Spacey, he says, and you’re tempted to ignore the name-drop if not for the way Abbey throws the name out there like he’s earnestly trying to just catch a break or make a connection. It’s a sincerity that’s as noble as it is well-bred.

“I’m a small-town guy at heart,” he says with an audible shrug, “but the big thing this year is to try to be a little less Canadian.” And because he is Canadian, he follows that statement up immediately with, “I mean that in the nicest way possible! I’m a fiercely proud Canadian!” Patriotism noted.

What Abbey wants to do is take control of his career and be more aggressive in seeking bigger roles and connections. He’s willing to start small. Currently, Abbey stars as Detective Gray Jackson in The Border – a television drama centered around a fictitious homeland security and immigration agency. “I get to run around with guns and chase after bad guys,” Abbey summarizes. “It appeals to me because I’ve always been attracted to the darker side.”

There’s also the appeal of trying something different, after spending the acting-equivalent of his formative years on stage. But the switch from theater to television hasn’t been easy.

“I spent ten years articulating and enunciating every work I spoke,” Abbey says, pausing after each word for effect. “Now on TV, it doesn’t matter if I miss a comma or period. I’ve had to learn a whole new way of speaking.”

There’s also the constant ribbing from his co-stars: “The guys on set definitely have a good time poking fun at me about cod pieces and tights,” he admits, laughing.

But transition is something all actors must face and it seems, it’s something Abbey is well-equipped to handle. He’s proven adept to it already, having started on stage as the “young ingénue,” before graduating to more intense and complex characters. Now, he’s ready to translate his talent to a larger scale.

He had a small role this fall in Defendor – a modern-day superhero caper starring Kat Dennings and Woody Harrelson, and he’s working on his own feature film script, along with a stop-motion claymation series he’s pitching for television. He’s also actively auditioning – both in Canada and the U.S. – while continuing his work on The Border.

And yet somehow, for all his big dreams and goals, it all comes back to the stage. “I’ll always believe in theater,” Abbey says, “because it instills in you a certain sense of discipline both in your craft and your everyday life.”

“The theater is sort of like a cathedral in many ways,” he continues. “It allows you these moments in time every night where you’re sharing the same air and breath as your audience…” He takes said in breath, then smiles. “It’s definitely an experience.”

(photos taken at the Drake Hotel in Toronto by Geoffrey Knott)

- TC