Though she's broaching corporate Hollywood, Graham isn't squiring the press
or paparazzi. Between pictures, her nose is stuck in a book or she's
"attending an acting class with a teacher I really respect. And I try to
work on myself. Acting is telling a story that's there, and you're part
of telling that story - you have to go on what's written and use your
imagination about it. I wouldn't say technique. I don't really believe in
that stuff. My acting class isn't about that, it's very straightforward.
It's sort of like being a kid, it uses kids as a role model. Kids don't
think about it too much, they don't do sensory memory and then you see them
doing this great work. It's just like they put themselves in this situation
and belieeve that it's true, and then it is true to them. They know it's
not true but, on one hand, they think it's true."
The 28-year-old thespian has sampled a spectrum of genres: black comedy,
musical, sci-fi, western, horror melodrama, surreal odyssey, you-name-it.
But Graham sagely circumvented commercial/corporate Hollywood - a black
hole for women's roles - and enrolled in boot camp (aka the low-budget
independant industry, where homogenous, cookie-cutter scripts are booted):
"I'm naturally drawn to these roles and, hopefully, can do more. And those
kind of unusual roles are one reason I've been more involved in independant
productions rather than major studio movies. Right now is a good time for
me, and I'm getting offered more things than before. I've come out of
doing a lot of independantly produced films, but haven't been offered tons
of studio movies. When you don't have the passion for something, it
translates. It's not like all studio movies are bad. Certain ones that are
formulaic and boring, but other ones I really like."
Though genuine camradeship is as scarce as originality in Tinseltown, Graham
insists that she's creatively driven by "good friends whom I count on.
They're always supportive. And also going to therapy - I have this amazing
lady who's my therapist, and I just find her brilliant. She has been so
incredibly helpful." Graham pauses, realizing that she just blurted
something not quite as impersonal as LOST IN SPACE. "At first, I wasn't
going to say anything, but then, who cares? Lots of people go to therapy.
In some ways, it helps more than acting class. You realize why you operate
in certain ways."