Actor Zane Phillips takes the spotlight in a new feature for Schön! Magazine. His latest role as Chad in the Netflix series Glamorous is the subject of their conversation. For the accompanying photoshoot, Phillips appears before photographer Elys Berroteran and is styled by Victor Lopez. The story that unfolds speaks of Phillips’ dedication to his craft, his reflections on his character, and the impact the series aims to have on audiences.
Zane Phillips Schön! Magazine Photoshoot
With Sex and the City alum Kim Cattrall portraying Chad’s mother, Madolyn Addison, Glamour dives headfirst into the challenges marginalized individuals face within the beauty industry, highlighting the authentic experiences of the LGBTQ+ community.
In this narrative, Chad is a competent salesman grappling with past traumas and the intense pressure of success. For Phillips, the character’s motivations echo his feelings of meeting societal expectations and representing oneself. “What motivates Chad is trying to live up not only to expectations of his mother but to the society around him and this idea that you grow up without a father figure at all, and suddenly you take it upon yourself to be that person,” Phillips explains.
Phillips’ role in Glamorous demanded physical preparations and a balance between intense days on set regular workouts and careful nutrition. The experience, as Phillips puts it, taught him to “trust in myself and in my abilities a little bit more…There was just such an outpouring of support from within the house, so to speak, that I think that’s something I’m trying to take more into my life.”
As for the future, Phillips remains optimistic. He views his performance as Chad as a potential launchpad for future opportunities. But for now, his focus remains on the impact of Glamorous. He firmly believes in the series. “I do think what people are going to see is the reality of these characters,” Phillips says.
The 29-year-old actor continues, “I hesitate to use the term stereotypes because I think that term can often be weaponized against queer people. Everyone wants us to be something. What I love about this show is that you get to see people move in and out of cliché, and then something else happens, and now this character has so many more elements to that.”
Phillips adds, “For me as a gay person, I spout clichés all the time. I’m like a walking Twitter thread sometimes. So, there’s an element of reality to that, and I think the beauty of our community is that we can operate in these very different ways, whether they are shallow or deep. That’s something that we had to do for a really long time. It’s how you survive and how you get by.”
