Graham Phillips is an American actor, singer, writer, and director best known for playing Zach Florrick, the son of Alicia and Peter Florrick, on the acclaimed CBS legal drama The Good Wife.
He began performing on Broadway as a child, later transitioning to film and television with roles in Ben 10: Race Against Time, Evan Almighty, Riverdale, and Atypical.
In recent years, Phillips has expanded behind the camera, co-writing and directing feature films with his brother Parker Phillips, establishing himself as a multifaceted creative force in Hollywood.
Profile
| Full Name | Graham David Phillips |
| Born | April 14, 1993 |
| Age | 33 years old |
| Birthplace | Orange County, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor, Singer, Writer, Director |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Parents | Father Layn R. Phillips, attorney and former U.S. district court judge; mother Kathryn Phillips, attorney |
| Siblings | Brother, Parker Phillips |
| Relationship | Previously dated singer Ariana Grande (2008–2011) |
| Education | Princeton University, B.A. in History (2017) |
Early Life
Graham David Phillips was born on April 14, 1993, in Orange County, California, to parents Layn R. Phillips and Kathryn Phillips, both attorneys, with his father having served as a U.S. district court judge.
His family, originally from Oklahoma, raised him in the Episcopalian faith. Phillips began performing at a remarkably young age, working as a boy soprano with both the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera, where a New York Times critic praised his title-role performance in The Little Prince as “smashing.”
He made his Broadway debut in 2008 as Evan Goldman in the musical 13 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, a production that also featured a young Ariana Grande. His early career combined stage, opera, and screen work, laying the foundation for his later television breakthrough.
Education
Phillips attended St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California, for his K-12 education while balancing an increasingly demanding acting schedule.
In the fall of 2012, he enrolled at Princeton University, majoring in United States History. His undergraduate thesis examined Indigenous marginalization and resistance in the United States.
He graduated from Princeton with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2017, having maintained his acting career throughout his university years.
Career
Phillips began his screen career at age nine and quickly built a diverse resume. In 2007, he played Jordan Baxter in Evan Almighty alongside Steve Carell and took the lead role in the television movie Ben 10: Race Against Time. His breakthrough came in 2008 when he joined the main cast of The Good Wife as Zach Florrick, a role he played for seven seasons and which earned the ensemble cast three consecutive Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Following The Good Wife, Phillips starred in the independent film Staten Island Summer, appeared in Netflix’s XOXO, and took on the recurring role of Nick St. Clair in Riverdale and Nate in Netflix’s Atypical. He also portrayed Prince Eric in ABC’s live television special The Little Mermaid Live! and lent his voice to Harry Osborn in the video game Spider-Man 2 (2023). In 2019, Phillips made his feature film directorial debut with The Bygone, co-directed with his brother Parker, followed by their second feature, Rumble Through the Dark. He has also taken on stage work, including a role in an Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Awards & Nominations
- Screen Actors Guild Award — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, three consecutive nominations (2010, 2011, and a further nomination) for The Good Wife
- Young Artist Award nomination — Best Performance by a Leading Young Actor in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special, for Ben 10: Race Against Time
- Young Artist Award nomination — Best Performance by a Supporting Young Actor in a Feature Film, for Evan Almighty
- Young Artist Award nomination — Best Supporting Young Actor in a TV Series
Social Media
Graham Phillips maintains a presence on Instagram, where he shares updates on his acting, directing, and music projects with fans who have followed his career since his child-actor days.
Personal Life
Graham Phillips dated singer and actress Ariana Grande from 2008 to 2011 after the two met while co-starring in the Broadway production of 13, where he played the lead role of Evan Goldman opposite her character Charlotte. Their relationship was one of the earliest public teen romances for both stars. Phillips has largely kept his more recent personal life private. He comes from a family with deep legal roots, as both of his parents are attorneys, and his brother Parker is his frequent creative collaborator on directing projects.
Net Worth
Graham Phillips has built his wealth through a combination of acting, singing, writing, and directing, with additional income from Broadway productions, television residuals from long-running shows like The Good Wife, and independent film projects with his production partnership alongside his brother.
Filmography
- Evan Almighty (2007) — Jordan Baxter
- Ben 10: Race Against Time (2007) — Ben Tennyson
- The Good Wife (2008–2016) — Zach Florrick
- Goats (2012) — co-starring David Duchovny
- Staten Island Summer (2015) — lead role
- XOXO (2016) — Ethan Shaw
- Riverdale (2017) — Nick St. Clair
- Atypical — Nate
- Blockers — supporting role
- The Little Mermaid Live! (2019) — Prince Eric
- The Bygone (2019) — Director, Writer
- Rumble Through the Dark — Director
- Spider-Man 2 (2023) — Harry Osborn (voice)
- The Pact — upcoming role
Conclusion
From his early days as a boy soprano at the Metropolitan Opera to becoming a household name through The Good Wife, Graham Phillips has built a career defined by versatility.
His evolution from child actor to Princeton graduate to accomplished writer-director shows a rare commitment to craft across every medium he has touched, and his ongoing work behind the camera suggests his creative legacy is still growing.