Graham Verchere

Set to star in the highly anticipated Stargirl on Disney+, Graham Verchere is opening up about his role in the film, behind-thescenes set moments, and more!

words by VANESSA SALLES photo by ERICH SAIDE

Tell us about Stargirl – what is it about the project that drew you in and made you want to be involved? Every step of the way made me love Stargirl even more! Sometimes when I film an audition, it just feels like it fits. As we moved further along the process, I read the book and I absolutely loved it – I would still say it’s one of my favorite books. Reading the script, I had the same feeling. Filming was the best experience I’ve ever had on set.

How would you describe your role as Leo? What was your favorite part about bringing him to life? Leo’s a normal kid who’s so taken by the intense pressure to fit in at his school that he sticks to himself, hides pretty much anything out of the ordinary about him, and has to learn how to be himself again. I loved being Leo because of how much I related to him. I’m lucky enough to be pretty much past that whole journey, but I feel like I understand everything he’s feeling at any time in the story.

What do you hope viewers take away from this project? It can be hard to fit in and be yourself at the same time, but in the end, choosing yourself is always worth it!

Are there any memorable behind-thescenes moments from filming that you can share with us? There’s so many to choose from. Hanging with the cast was always absurdly fun. A good chunk of the kids were missing school to film so we had to do on-set tutoring to stay on top of things. We definitely did not do enough homework but there was always music and magic tricks!

How would you describe the dynamic between you and Grace vs. your characters’? Aside from the obvious romance in the movie, just having different lives than the characters and meeting in a totally different context, I feel like we’re both a little more of a blend of the characters as opposed to having 100% Stargirl and 100% Leo. Grace isn’t as out there as Stargirl and I’m not as in my shell as Leo.

What would you say has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned on the Stargirl set? A lot of the lessons from the story are things I needed to hear as well. Playing a character so close to myself, I learned a lot by being able to put myself in his situations.

Any special message for fans? Please enjoy the movie! So much love went into it; I hope you guys feel the same way we did filming it. It was something special and I hope you can see that when you watch it.