Welcome to my life. The life of a cynic – one that is a grinch and doesn’t believe in love over 300 days a year. The life that changes when Countdown to Christmas comes around and I am reminded of the joy that Christmas brings and how love really does exist if we open our minds to what is out there. Countdown to Christmas always brings me joy and a large part of that is because of the actors.
They give us a part of themselves in the movies that they make.
And yes, partly cause of the movies too.
I know that the actors of Hallmark movies know that they affect people with the movies that they make and how their ideas touch the hearts of many. Especially this time of the year. The first Countdown to Christmas movie that I watched was A Christmas Angel Match. A movie that is absolutely moving and reminds you of the absolute beauty of love and the joy of making others believe that love can exist for anyone.
You just have to open your heart to let it in.
Sitting down with Meghan Ory and Benjamin Ayres – all I can find myself thinking about is the way if I have to outrun Christmas angels trying to make me fall in love, I need to upgrade my cardio program. Like this person can not handle outrunning cupid and angels.
But these angels – I loved. I sat staring at them and asked what they loved about making Christmas movies and why they love doing them.
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Benjamin answered, “I was at Hallmark for a bit before I did one of the Christmas movies. I don’t think I was really aware of the culture around just the season alone at Hallmark. Then it wasn’t really until I went to my first Christmas Con and really felt the impact of these movies. It reminded me of, and I have kids, but it reminded me of the spirit of myself, that feeling of Christmas. There’s a real beautiful warmth about Christmas and getting to do it over the course of many months and prolong that feeling and be involved in invoking that feeling in others. I think it just feels nice to be involved in spreading that hope and love and giving everybody Christmas for as long as possible.”
Meghan added to what Ben said, “I definitely echo and agree with everything Ben said. Well also add that filming them is so much fun as well because the crew and just the feeling on set– How many have I done? I’ve done four Christmas movies now, I think. People are just always in such a good mood, I find. It’s like you’re not filming at Christmastime, so you’re filming at some other time of year, and you walk into work and everything is decorated for Christmas.”
She smiled and added, “It’s woven into your core from childhood and things of Christmastime and getting to have treats or it being warm because it’s cold outside or whatever your memory is of that season usually, even if there’s bad things associated with it, there’s usually something warm or good or something in that time period. Then if they’re not, then you can identify with one of the characters in the Christmas movie who doesn’t like the season.”
My cynic heart was melting
Now I love Benjamin Ayres, but there was something about the way that Meghan was answering questions. She has this beautiful innocence and sense of conviction in her eyes. Both want to make a difference and connect with the people that watch Hallmark.
When I watched the movie – I felt as though every scene that these two were in together, they moved in sync. The interactions seemed like they were either choreographed or I am overthinking it. But one thing that was apparent to me was the chemistry that they two shared. Sitting there, speaking to them – I was scared and nervous, but also put at ease, because these two have a natural connection.
When you’re talking to actors and it’s something you are passionate about – naturally nerves are a part of it. At least for me. But I also believe that when someone is passionate about things – it shows and makes for a different kind of interview. And most importantly – that’s a good thing.
Talking about chemistry, the two said I was nice to say that they had chemistry on screen, but it was Meghan’s response that made me laugh, “We’re really good actors. It was really hard.”
CHEMISTRY
She was being funny, but I loved that about her. She didn’t take herself too seriously – but neither did Benjamin. He added, “Listen, you can be really good friends with somebody and come in and shoot, and sometimes it’s just like the chemistry’s not there or something. Sometimes there’s a bit of magic that we can’t even explain because it’s like you can’t force it. I think that the fact that they had such opposing views and also underneath had these feelings for each other but didn’t know how to deal with those feelings because they’d never felt them before, yet they’re so wise and been around for so long. It just created such a fun internal conflict. I think in watching it, it’s the same thing.”
And then continued, “I was just talking to Meghan before. I just watched the screener. Meghan hasn’t even had a chance to watch the movie yet. I said, there’s so much of this is up to Christy and editing and we played so many of those scenes so many different ways, so for me, it’s like I can’t wait to watch it to see which version you go with. Our job is just to go in and make choices. Then if we’re redirected a different way, go a different way, and then do something that’s completely different.”
And then added, “Ultimately, each scene could be done three different ways. Then it’s the job of the editor and Christy to shape it. For me, that’s always the most exciting thing to go in and see what they took and what they left out because there were things where I was like, ‘Oh, I wanted that.’ I was like, ‘Oh, but it actually wouldn’t pay off here,’ or actually it’s too soon to show that emotion or whatever it is.”
THE DREAM TEAM
The two were filled with joy talking about the movie and each other. I have to admit, I was appreciative of that. Secret? Benjamin Ayres, I walked into this interview thinking that he was so intimidating. The man is filled with a ton of confidence and self assurance. Intimidating is the last thing that that he is.
He’s charming.
He’s aware of what is going on around him.
But most of all, he can make you feel like you’re the only person in the room and he’s hanging on your every word.
I learned a lot from the both of them with my ten minutes of conversation, but I was more interested in what they’d taken from each other after working on the film.
Meghan said, “Oh, my gosh. Working with Ben was such a dream. I think, honestly, I feel like a big part of why the movie– The movie would have lived or died on Ben because he has to be so funny, and also grounded, and also charming, but kind of snarky. There’s so many different levels to making that character, making you connect with that character. I feel like he just brought everything and the dog. [laughs] You just like– The puppy, as I should say. I think that so much of that was just, he was doing his thing, and I just tried to keep up, really.”
BENJAMINS GENUINE HEART
Ben and I both smiled. He said to her, “Thank you for saying that. The same goes the other way. It’s like, there really is acting is just reacting, and it was cynical or those types of moments where I’d want to play it one way, look at Meghan. Look at those eyes. It’s like looking at an actual angel. It was so easy to fall into this. Just think, your eyes and we’re in it, and it was like we’d both sort of get lost in these…”
He took a breathe and continued, “Again, I think that’s what was so beautiful about it is they never experienced intimate internal feelings towards another person. Getting to play people that are that wise and been around that long- because that was our conflict too. It’s like, ‘Well, they would know this. They would know that.’ You’re like, ‘Well, no, they wouldn’t.’ Then it almost made it easier because you get to play a child. You get to be a child in discovery mode. I think we both are really good at just playing children in a way.”
I was thankful for the time I’d spent with the two of them. For those ten minutes, I started to feel my cynicism fade and my grinch heart grow a size.
