Jessy Schram has been one of our favorite actresses ever since she was Cinderella in Once Upon a Time. So, of course, seeing her in Chicago Med as Hannah Asher has been a particular treat. And her new Hallmark holiday movie, A Suite Holiday Romance, gave us just the cozy, holiday romance we were looking for. Fangirlish sat down with Schram to discuss the movie, her role on Chicago Med and why she thinks holiday movies are so beloved in general.
For Sabrina Post, A Suite Holiday Romance, there’s a lot of her story that’s a lie—or at least, not the full truth. But who she is on the inside, that isn’t. “On Sabrina’s part, she wants to get to know this guy, the Royal side aside,” Schram shared. “But what was happening with her is that her insecurities of not feeling like she could match that world… or like, she doesn’t belong, is what kept her from [being truthful].”
However, there’s truth even within the omissions. “Because they were trying to put those other things aside, they got to know each other more.”
And the guaranteed happy ending that’s a trademark of Hallmark and of romance is one of the things we have to look forward to, and one of the things Schram really loved about Christmas movies. “Turning on one of these movies and knowing you’re going to get a happy ending,” she said about the reason why people watch. “Like, that’s not the case with everything we’re watching. And even if things will work out no matter what at the end, we still love going on the journey of how we’re going to get there.”
Comfort. “It’s nice to have your nervous system get to be like: ‘hey, no matter what happens here, I know it’s going to be okay.’”
It was a departure from Hannah Asher, that’s for sure. “I noticed myself smiling way too much when we first started,” Schram said with a laugh. “Because, you know, one is life and death scenarios, and then the other is literally walking into this magical opportunity that this writer has, her dreams come true and getting to be present in all of that. So, it really is two different vibes. And I needed to bring my smiling back a little bit.”
Hannah Asher hasn’t had all that much to smile about lately. Well, there is her pregnancy, but even that is complicated. “I think she finds her joys, but there are way more life and death scenarios on a daily basis. And there’s way more consequences to her actions.”
And people are worried about Hannah’s future and her pregnancy. Schram has seen a bit of it and confessed that it makes her very happy to see the level of investment. “I do know that there is a lot of worry, because, again, there’s a pregnancy on a medical drama. There’s so much more that could go wrong than right.”
Way too much. Please, let Hannah and her baby be okay.
“So, I think that people are holding their breath in that regard for good reason. And then I think people really want to continue to see Hannah succeed, and they really want her to find a safe landing, and they’re feeling just as uncomfortable as Hannah is.”
But there’s also, for Schram, a level of satisfaction that the story is resonating. “To read comments where people are so invested that they’re feeling things, whether it’s happy or sad or angry, it does make me really happy to know that people are affected by the storyline and the work, and that’s what you wait for as an actor.”
She has also seen those fanvids about the love triangle! “I’m so far in the future from what’s airing that it is actually like a nice walk down memory lane of realizing what I’ve been through. So, when I do see fan edits and stuff like that, I actually really love it. It makes me feel a certain kind of way as a fan of our show.”
Filming A Suite Holiday Romance was very different from her experience on Chicago Med. For one, it was not filmed in New York. But, at least it wasn’t that warm! “I’ve filmed where you’re overheating from your scarf or have a tin cap on your wool coat, and the snow is melting. And, you know, the barrels are full of water instead of ice.”
“Thankfully for this movie, though, I had just wrapped up Chicago Med. The winter was leaving, and it was getting warm, and then I went right to Winnipeg, and winter was still there. I thought I was going to get away from the cold weather, and I didn’t, which was a benefit for our movie because it really made it feel like it was that time of year.”
Chicago winters are, no surprise, brutal. Enough that Schram looked back on it in comparison. “We don’t get out often, but when we do, we definitely get a taste of the weather.”
Stepping into the role of Sabrina and making sure she is a distinct character from Hannah Asher, the role she’s playing every day, took some work for Schram. “I would say the most important thing is remembering the tone of what you’re saying. You know, for 10 months out of the year, I’m acting as if I’m in the hospital.”
“So, it is a minefield to try and remember the environment that you’re in, but that also doesn’t mean that there are levels of depth or discomfort. I’m not just in the magical world. So, it can be hard to get out of your daily routine or habits when you’re so used to one tone, but I would say the script helps dictate that tone. And then also just remembering the tone of what you’re doing. We’re doing Christmas for Hallmark. “
And a soft Christmas romance, at that. “I think you can plan for a romance to look one way on the screen, but you have another character and another actor that’s dictating what you’re doing. So, I feel like what we had kind of developed within the script was what we were both bringing, which gave it more of that soft romance, quote unquote.”
“I also think it was such an interesting movie within the romance, because we’re following two other love stories as well. So it was, for me, there was that interesting journey of crafting, ‘wait a second, I can’t allow myself to love this guy or fall for this guy. I have so much that I need to still do in life, and also, I don’t belong in his world, ’ while also learning lessons through the other romances that are happening, as well as Dominic’s character, Ian, learning through his friend’s romance as well.”
“So, there was so much love in this movie, and I think that that soft romance really came from how we both played our characters, and that was kind of the natural presence that came out of it.”
We can find comfort in this movie, but what movies does Jessy Schram find comfort in? “One of the classics that I love, and it’s a really funny perspective now being an adult, is Home Alone. A John Hughes’ movie is always going to be the classic for me.”
But there’s more. “I would say if I were to put on a Christmas movie right now, it would be Elf, because that I usually start around, like Thanksgiving night. And then there’s, I don’t know what they’re called. But the core memory of what I used to see every Christmas was, it was like Claymation figure skaters and a snowman on the ice [probably Rankin/Bass Productions]. And then there were the chipmunks in the tree. Like, there were just certain things from my childhood that now that you ask this, I want to look up, because that was every year for me. But now as an adult, it’s Elf.”
There are a lot of holiday movies starring Jessy Schram to watch. Or, maybe, your comfort TV is Chicago Med. Either way, if you love the actress, you’ve got plenty to choose from.
A Suite Holiday Romance is now streaming on Hallmark+. Chicago Med returns to NBC in January.
