You always have my attention when you say the words Christmas Movie. You have my devotion when you also tell me that an actress that I love – well, there is nothing that can stop me. So Merry Kiss Cam – I was there for all of the things.
Especially to talk to Katie Lowes.
Katie Lowes is someone I have been a fan of for a long time. She’s best known for her role as Quinn Perkins in Scandal or as Rachel in Inventing Anna. Loved her in How We Roll (it was cancelled too soon). She’s just an actress that is relatable. She makes your feel at home.
And she’s just adorable in Merry Kiss Cam.
Merry Kiss Cam, is a story about, “two people from very different worlds meet on a hockey kiss cam, could it lead to love? Pucker Up. When Jess and Danny go on a first date to a hockey game, their team scores a winning goal after their “kiss cam” smooch! Now, Jess and Danny must continue attending the games or risk the wrath of fans who believe their kisses are a good luck charm.”
We spoke to the star about the movie, hockey, and if she’s a social butterfly.
Fangirlish: I’m so happy to be talking to you. I loved the film. I was surprised by it to be very honest with you because I’m not a sports person at all. I was like, “Oh, I got suckered into watching a film about sports,” but it was more about– in my opinion, it felt more of a movie about healing and finding yourself and really finding out what works for you. Am I way far off on that or do you?
Katie: No, not at all. I completely agree. I am not a sports person. I know nothing about sports. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a sport movie. Maybe like Rudy but I do like a feel-good movie. I know that there is something about Friday Night Lights, like the pilot or something like that that makes you feel like you’re all rooting for something in common. I remember when I was growing up The Mighty Ducks. It was like a sports movie that everybody was watching.
That was probably the only thing I’ve ever seen about hockey. I just feel like when I read the script, and it came to me, I agree with you. I would never say, “Oh yes, I definitely want to do a sports movie.” It felt more in the vein of a rom-com/Christmas movie/sports movie but for me just more about a girl who was recovering from grief and looking to find herself and her new identity and getting over a lot of fears. That to me felt completely relatable no matter their story.
Fangirlish: 100%. I got anxiety at the beginning of the film because I was like, “I’m not a social butterfly.” Seeing your character walk into that party and have that anxiety, are you a social butterfly? Do you have like —
Katie: Well, it’s interesting. I am for work and I am and I do love people. I do love people. I love being an actor and I love telling people’s stories. Completely honest, there are many days where I really don’t want to be out and about and really don’t want to be socializing. I definitely have a much more introverted homebody-type vibe. When I read that first opening scene of the movie, I was like, “I know exactly how this girl is feeling.” Now she might exist more in that mindset than I do but I’ve definitely felt it often enough to be able to play it.
Fangirlish: Yes. Hockey culture is from what I’ve learned after watching this movie because I had to ask a friend, I was like, “Is it really that superstitious?” She was like, “No.” It is so enthusiastic. People wear the same socks for six months, that kind of thing.
Katie: Totally.
Fangirlish: What did you learn about hockey doing this movie?
Katie: I’ve never been to a professional hockey game. We spent a million hours at a hockey rink shooting those scenes. The first thing I couldn’t believe it, how cold it is in there. Unbelievable. They kept telling me under your costume put a layer of long underwear and silks and like all of this, and I was like, “Guys, this is ridiculous. We’re inside, it’s going to be fine.” I said, no, you won’t believe it. If you’re doing a scene standing on ice, which there were a few scenes that I had where I was actually standing on ice and I’d be standing on it for two or three hours, you would lose complete feeling in your feet.
Thank gosh, the wardrobe people put foot warmers in my boots and all of that, that’s not really to say I learned anything there about hockey, but I learned that a hockey rink is freaking cold. Then about hockey, I just couldn’t believe what those people can do on ice. It’s like they’re better at ice skating than they are at walking. It looks like they’ve been wearing skates since they came out of the womb and they’re just– that’s what they’re destined for. It’s like they’re running on water or something. It’s so fascinating and then when they shove each other into the glass and it makes this huge sound, it’s very primal and barbaric and exciting. I really got into it.
Fangirlish: I can imagine and especially did you guys actually film in the Midwest?
Katie: Yes, we shot in Duluth, Minnesota where the movie takes place.
Fangirlish: Oh. I’m from the Midwest. I grew up in Iowa. They take their sports to another level.
Katie: This is that. This- is that. It’s exactly that.
Fangirlish: I loved your character. The art that was done, that was so beautiful. Did you guys have those works commissioned just for the film?
Katie: Yes. What was really cool about shooting in Duluth was how many local businesses and locations we got to use and local artists. I’ll have to look up the exact name or Michelle can tell you, but we definitely commissioned local Duluthian artists to do the art in the film, thank goodness, because I am not good at all. This character was supposed to be very good where people pay top dollar for her work, but all the work in the whole movie, that opening sequence we were just talking about, there’s art in the gallery everywhere.
Those are all local artists. All the art I was making. All the art that’s in my art studio. Then all the locations are local Duluth places, Duluth Candy Stop, the Comedies Pub, where Jessie Bradford’s character works is like the local pub there. We shot in all different locations wearing awesome Duluth Pack clothes and local– we just really, really were supported by the town to be there and to shoot there, and it was an incredible experience. It felt like summer camp.
Fangirlish: I love that you guys use local artists and I’ll ask later for the artists because definitely. Are you superstitious? Is that at all?
Katie: Totally. Not about sports. I don’t know anything about sports, but I’m definitely a knock-on-wood type of person. If I say something or think something poorly and I’m like, “Oh no, I don’t want that to actually happen in real life.” It’s knock on wood or if I go underneath a yellow, why I’ve been doing this since high school, I have no idea. When I go underneath a yellow turning light signal, I have to because my hand didn’t hit the roof and make a wish. If I go over railroad tracks, I have to lift up my feet and make a wish. Why? I don’t know, it’s–
Fangirlish: I don’t know but I do that. I do the same thing. It’s weird but maybe it’s our generation and stuff, but I totally get it–
Katie: I’m like ”It can’t hurt.” You’re always like, “Well, might as well can’t hurt.”
Fangirlish: All I’m going to be doing is kissing germs and getting my feet off the floor. It’s all good.
Katie: Exactly.
Thank you for the article, it was super fun to work with the crew on Merry Kiss Cam. To answer the question who one of the artists are, I am. 🙂 The opening scene my newer large paintings and then again in the other gallery scene some of my older creations. My wife and I worked with the set designers to create those scenes. It was a lot of intense fun. For more information please see my web site and many social media such as Instagram. davidaustingallery.com and Insta @david_k_austin Thankyou, David K. Austin