I’ve stared at this screen for quite some time, trying to figure out what to write. Sometimes, it’s very easy to write about someone you interview and sometimes you can’t find the words (even when you have twenty pages of transcribed words). Then again you sometimes you want to get it right and you worry about what the celebrity thinks. I don’t worry about every interview, but then again every celebrity is not Tyler Hynes.
I really don’t feel like I can write this up with the grace that it needs to have. But here we go.
If you Google, Tyler Hynes, it simply says that he’s a Canadian actor. But if you to his website or visit his social media profiles, you know he’s so much more than that. His website says that he’s an actor, director, producer, editor, and writer. His website says that he got his start in the theater and went on to star in,”various television and film productions, alongside the likes of Tim Roth, Andie MacDowell, James Franco, Sienna Miller, Henry Cavill, Elliot Page, Billy Bob Thornton and more.”
But the Tyler that we’re interested in, is the Tyler that his loyal “Hynies” see. It’s the Tyler that is everything that his website and Google mentions, of course. But it’s also the Tyler that spends time on social media, interacting with fans, listening to them, responding to their questions, and giving them an inside look at all of his projects.
He makes you feel as though he’s your friend and sitting down to talk to him is no different. It’s as if you’re talking to someone that you’ve known forever. It’s as if you you’re talking to your friend, your family, your therapist all wrapped in one.
When Tyler enters the zoom, we go back and forth about if I am going to use video or not. I said whatever he wants. He says what whatever I want. But we’re both Tauruses so I don’t see either one of us able to make a concrete decision anytime soon. But when I say I’ll record and make a choice later he agrees.
It’s as if you’re talking to your friend and not talking to a celebrity at all.
One reason, because he doesn’t think of himself as a celebrity. The actor is the first celebrity that we’ve come across that really wants to make sure to acknowledge the people behind the scenes, as much as those in front of the camera. And so for me, it was important to ask about that first.
“Well, as always it’s all the folks behind the scenes at Hallmark, like the executives. Liz Yost was our executive. We had some lovely producers, director Michael Roberson, and there was a really, really talented cinematographer named Mel Ward, it was the first time I’d worked with her, and it’s rare to see a woman behind the lens in that regard. I was really really happy to see that as well as just really truly impressed by how talented she was. She had trained as a gaffer, which is somebody who assists the cinematographer for many years, and now has moved into this position herself and just is excelling at it,” he said smiling from ear to ear, visibly making sure he could remember as many as people as possible.
He continued, “Rhiannon obviously is the star of this movie and is incredibly talented and refreshing and a kind human being. Any value found therein is certainly a result of all those people’s efforts, and hopefully, I didn’t drag the ship down to the bottom of the ocean with my existence within it.”
I didn’t want to say that he didn’t, because I start to blush on every compliment that I give, especially when I am nervous. I’d already blushed and cursed by this point, after talking about some of the questions fans had sent in, that I told him I wasn’t repeating. Some of you guys be spicy.
Really spicy. Like you made me blush.
But it didn’t mean that I didn’t ask some questions mixed in with fans questions, “One of the things I’ve noticed about the characters you play is you always seem to have something in your mouth. You also seem to like to bite your bottom lip. You always have sunglasses on your neck, like your neckline…”
He and I both laughed, him saying, “Bite my bottom lip. That’s new. I haven’t heard that. Bite my bottom lip, when do I do that?”
I didn’t know how to say that when a fan messaged me about him biting his lip, I had to go back and rewatch a few movies, to make sure of what they were saying. I’d never noticed this about him, but it’s a lot of the time when he’s giving a brooding look (you know the kind of look he gives that makes us all swoon).
I just assured him that he did.
“This seems like a naughty. This seems like I’m trying to be coy and cute and sexual by biting my bottom lip. I remember we were shooting and I think there was a note that came from someone for Rhiannon about biting her bottom lip and I thoroughly enjoyed that she got that note. I didn’t realize that I was also a culprit for the lip bite. I apologize. Forgive me,” he says, laughing, in response to my question.
Now, I definitely wasn’t looking for an apology, because I wasn’t complaining. I know fans weren’t looking for an apology. Hell, I think I could speak for all fans when I say, don’t change. He continued, “I don’t know what that’s about. Biting a bottom lip. Something I do do is I play with my mustache and if I have a mustache and it’s of a certain length, I tend to do this a lot or I play with the corners of it, which I can’t imagine is something nice to look at when you’re talking to me, but it’s something I do.”
If you’re asking yourself what “doing this a lot” means – he stuck his tongue out to the side and ran it across the end of the side of his mustache. I was distracted for a second, as I kept moving my chair back and forth, I said, referring back to the similarities noticed, “Don’t apologize. Is this a personal choice or do you like to tie all your characters together or is this just a habit of yours?”
“The reasons for which I do things. Look, we’ve made about 15 of these movies, as someone just told me on the phone previous. I’m trying to have my fun wherever I can and the games in which I play and engage myself in either for the benefit of the folks who watch them and maybe are familiar with the things that I do and maybe catch these things. Sometimes it’s for them. Sometimes it’s for me. Sometimes there’s homages to people that I know, friends of mine that I’m letting them know something through the things that I do. I keep myself entertained in these movies in all kinds of ways, and I’m just glad I’m being caught [laughs] doing so.” he says.
It’s not that I am not listening to him (I am), but I’m distracted by his dog, Rusty, in the background, asleep on Tyler’s grey sweater. He’s at peace listening to his Dad talk.
In A Picture of Her, Tyler’s character, Jake cooks and so I ask Tyler if he can and what’s his meal of choice. Rusty’s ears perk up at the mention of steak and chicken – which Tyler remarks that he is good at cooking.
“A well-balanced meal is something that I do partake in. Some salads, some greenery and asparagus perhaps and some– Yes, there’s no cool answer to this question, but within there, I can cook a few dishes and I can definitely feed myself. I’m a grown man. Luckily at 36, I can do that,” he says.
At this point, I was so relaxed talking to him that I find myself saying, “I’m a grown woman and I don’t know how to feed myself.”
We both laugh. But Tyler knows the New York life and knows that here everything is at our fingertips. If he lived this life, he wouldn’t cook either.
There’s a thing about becoming relaxed in an interview, you start to let walls down. It’s easy when it comes to Hynes. Why? Because if you’ve watched his movies, been on his social media, seen him interact at all, you know, he’s just that humble.
Me though? I find the next thing coming out of my mouth, calling him the “king of the thirst trap” before I can shove the words back in my mouth.
I didn’t expect him to ask me for examples. I don’t think there was a part of my face and neck that wasn’t as red as a tomato. I protested, but found myself talking about the pictures of him coming out of the water, all wet. But I quickly course correct and say, “Anyhow, if you were making a book of photographs, what would your subject be? Secondly, what’s favorite thing to take pictures of beside your dog?”
He smirks and says, “Funny you mentioned book of photographs because there may be a world in which that exists. Because people have mentioned about me coming out of the water and wishing that there was a way they could have these photos.”
Missed opportunity for me to ask about that. I just couldn’t go back to embarrassing myself (don’t worry, eventually I do, but that will be a part of this interview for another day).
“For me, taking photos myself of things,” he says before turning to Rusty, who has scooted a little forward, “I do like taking photos of him which I keep in my phone because I don’t want to be that much of a dotting dog dad. Look at him. You good boy? You all right?”
Rusty’s head rises, accepting his Dad’s love and affection. As he continues to love on Rusty he says, “Look at his little white lips. Look at your lips, man. What happened to you? They used to be black. Now they’re white. I don’t know where it came from. He’s like Rogue from X-Men. She’s got that little gray streak in her hair. What happened to his lips?”
TBH, I could have sat and talked about Rusty for quite sometime. But Tyler continues answering my question and says, “I really just enjoy the simple things, subtle moments. I remember when I was in New York last, there was this gentleman and his friend singing in the subway system. That moment, I could have spent forever sitting there with those gentlemen. Unfortunately, I had to get on the subway and go somewhere, but I’ve truly regretted I got on that subway not just staying there. This gentleman I reminded me of Aaron Neville and I didn’t know who he reminded me of. I was like his voice sounds like a singer and I can’t put my finger on it and I finally discovered it, so I’ve been listening to that song, I Don’t Know Much. I’ve been listening to this relentlessly. Anyways, as far as what photos I like to take, I like to point it at mundane, simple things, accompany with spa music and perhaps now Aaron Neville.”
Aaron Neville is definitely a vibe, but one this girl can appreciate. That’s the thing with Tyler, everything is a vibe, but in the best way possible. It’s a vibe that this Hynie feels really lucky to be able to talk to him about.
Now off to listen to some Aaron Neville and other music from the 90’s, because I was influenced by Tyler Hynes and because why not.
Part 2 of this interview (saving the sappy stuff) will post this weekend. Be sure to tune in for another one of Tyler’s vibes – A Picture of Her this Saturday on The Hallmark Channel.
