One of my earliest interviews ever was with a gifted, young actor named Matthew MacCaull, and I knew about his character on When Calls the Heart long before the vast majority of Hearties ever did. Matt and I made an instant connection back then, and from that point on, I have been his indisputable champion. As he has become a handsome fixture in Hallmark’s Hailey Dean Mystery movies as Hailey’s love interest Jonas, I was very gratified to recently reconnect with this brilliant gentleman.

Photo by Kristine Cofsky

RH: Hey, Matt, it’s so good to talk with you again. It’s been awhile.

MM: Hey, Ruth, good to talk with you again, too. And yes, it has.

We’ve enjoyed seeing you in the Hailey Dean films this month. We have seen two here and we have one more this Sunday. I’ve talked with Viv {Leacock} about them, and he said you guys had a blast shooting those films. And then I chatted with the executive producer, Josh Sabarra. And then I’ve got an interview posting soon with Alvina August, who plays Viv’s character’s love interest.

Oh, yeah, Viv, he’s great, and that’s fantastic about Josh. And Alvina…she’s lovely.

Legends of Tomorrow

But the last time I chatted with you was right before your recurring character first appeared in Legends of Tomorrow.

Oh, yes, Commander Steele. And of course, I remember when we chatted about my character Wade from When Calls the Heart.

Oh, yes, quite memorable there. The Hearties remember you. But Hallmark viewers are certainly noticing you on Hailey Dean. Sometimes I’ll get messages where people ask me, “Who is that guy who plays Jonas?” They often recognize you, but I guess some still forget your name. I think you and Kellie Martin have a really good chemistry on screen.

Oh, and she’s so lovely to work with too. It’s such a blast to work with her on that show.

I know everybody is speculating about who killed her fiancé, and all I seem to be reading is that Chad Lowe’s character did it. I haven’t seen any other theories.

{laughs} It’s so interesting to hear all that, Ruth. But I actually did read one where this guy has proposed that Jonas is somehow behind it.

Really? Well, that I hadn’t heard. Now, while I don’t want you to spoil anything, is there anything you can tell us about your character as we go into this third one in the series?

Photo: Viv Leacock, Alvina August, Kellie Martin, Matthew MacCaull Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

Um, you’ll just see more of Hailey’s and Jonas’ relationship development. When this third one airs, you will know what’s going on with Will’s killer, and there will be a big reveal. What we’ve done in the third part of this trilogy is really set up Hailey and Jonas moving forward at that part of her life. We focus on the relationship aspect of these two and hopefully set things up for future movies.

Good, I was kind of thinking it would be headed that way. I know at the end of the second movie, you had Fincher and his new girlfriend and Hailey and Jonas are all eating at a place together like they’re having a double date. And I figured that romance was going to blossom a little bit more between Hailey and Jonas. 

Yeah, I think it’s gonna focus a more on those relationships and seeing where they go, and definitely, some more mystery solving.

What I have noticed about Jonas is how patient he is with Hailey. 

{laughs} He is!

Photo: Chad Lowe, Kellie Martin, Matthew Maccaull Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

He really is! I sit there sometimes and think of how many guys in his position would be jealous because she’s spending more time with this old college friend than she is him. And he’s giving Hailey all the space she needs. 

Indeed, Jonas is very patient. And it’s interesting because moving forward past this next film, there’s nothing to say that it could go either way. So you’ll have to wait and see what happens with Hailey and Jonas.

When I talked with Josh, he said they were planning more Hailey Dean films for next year. So hopefully Jonas will still be around. I think the fans would be disappointed if he’s not. 

Yeah, he’s popular with the fans. And I think a lot of people really do appreciate the fact that he is such a patient person. Certainly, Hailey and Jonas have both connected over the course of their tragic pasts. I think they’ve formed a partnership, and there’s a lot of deep understanding there, which is really nice to see in terms of story.

I know we’ll all be tuned in for this one for sure. Now, I know that you aren’t usually able to do any live tweeting. But does your Twitter feed get filled up a lot when the movies are on?

Photo: Kellie Martin, Matthew Maccaull Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

Oh, yeah, absolutely it does. I try when I can to respond, but I don’t have the channel up here in Canada, so I can’t usually watch the show and tweet along with everybody. But it is really lovely to see all the fan interaction and the support from the fans.

It has been such a joy to have this trio of films this month. 

It has been really good for the show, and the producers are definitely behind it as is the network.

I was talking with my mom about the show and trying to figure out what it is that makes Hailey Dean stand out. I love all the mystery films, but I have to say Hailey Dean is my favorite. And I think we decided this is the only series where you have this underlying mystery that goes through every film and connects the story together. Regardless of any other murders that happen, she is looking for her fiancé’s killer. And the question is always, “Are they gonna find Will’s killer?” I think that makes Hailey Dean unique.

Yes, I think it is a real testament to the writing and to this series that they do have this overarching character arcs that span through multiple shows versus the one-offs that the other mystery shows do. I think that adds an extra layer to the story we’re telling, and it’s just another factor for engagement for all of the fans. So despite the reveal that will come on Sunday, no doubt that they will continue those long-standing character arcs

Photo: Matthew MacCaull, Kellie Martin, Giacomo Baessato Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

Oh, definitely. We’ve gotten so invested in the characters that we want to know more. It’s not just about the murders; it’s also about the relationships between the people. While I love Jonas, I love the way Fincher and Hailey interact on screen as well. Viv and Kellie just crack me up!

Oh man, Viv is such a great guy. And it’s no surprise to me that his character is so well-liked.

We have so much fun watching them. There’s the romantic element between Jonas and Hailey, but then she’s got other relationships too. And it’s neat to see these other relationships. 

Absolutely. It helps to show the various sides of her character, and you’ve got such fantastic performers in our series that really bring those character arcs to life. You know, I think Fincher, as played by Viv, is easily my favorite character on the show. But he’s also probably my favorite actor in our show as well. No offense to Giacomo {Baessato} or anyone else, but Viv’s just such a likable, fun guy and a really down-to-earth, sweet individual.

Oh, yeah, when he and I talk, we spend so much time discussing everything else besides the projects because he’s just so much fun to chat with. I can imagine it’s got to be fun to have him on set. Not that it isn’t fun to have everybody on set, but there is just something special about Viv.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Add to that that his main love is food…I think a lot of people really associate with that.

Photo: Viv Leacock, Alvina August, Kellie Martin, Matthew MacCaull Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

I love that about the show because they’re not sitting around being a bunch of health nuts. I’m not saying I’m not healthy, but on so many shows, they are eating vegan and gluten-free, and while I’m not putting those down, I have a hard time relating to people who eat like that all the time. Sometimes I’ll look at what people are eating in some of these shows and think, “No one’s gonna eat that.” And then you come to Hailey Dean, and none of the characters seemed obsessed with healthy eating. Finally, a show where they eat “normal” food. 

One of the running jokes that the cast has is that it seems like we’re always either eating pizza or egg rolls.

And then Fincher is always looking for burritos.

Fincher and his burrito truck. Oh yeah!

{laughs} And it’s not just one burrito; it’s six burritos!

Oh yeah, that guy loves his food for sure. And Viv’s not far from the character on that one.

So we have Hailey Dean: A Will To Kill on Sunday. And I know they said that they are going to show all three on Sunday. They will replay the first two as they lead up to the third one. So if anyone has missed any, they can get caught up. 

Oh, that’s great, I wasn’t aware of that.

Yeah, so your Twitter feed should be pretty full because some people might tweet about all three of them. 

Photo: Giacomo Baessato, Matthew MacCaull Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

I want to let everyone know too that I plan to hop on the Twitter feed this Sunday. I would love to be able to interact with everyone and enjoy the show with everyone.

In addition to Hailey Dean, do you have anything else coming up that you can mention?

Absolutely. I have a few things in development and that I’m currently filming that I sadly cannot talk about right now. That’s the way of the world. But one that I’ve got coming up and that we’re all really excited about is a Netflix release on July 1st. It’s called Counterfeiting in Suburbia. It’s going to be released on Netflix both in the U.S and Canada on July 1st. And the cast and director and producer are all talking about getting together and having our own little viewing party.

So what can you tell us about this film?

It’s about two young girls who get in over their head with some counterfeiting, and I play their high school art teacher who has some dubious motives of his own. And things get very dramatic.

According to IMDB, it’s saying the movie is called Lethal Tender.

That’s the name we shot it under, but as far as I know, they changed the title to Counterfeiting in Suburbia.

Okay, thanks for clearing that up for me. Hopefully, IMDB will update the title change. It’s cool that you’re playing an art teacher.

Absolutely, it is great for me because I didn’t even start acting until after high school. In elementary, middle school, and high school, I was always the art student. I was that kid in the art class painting and drawing and sculpting. So it was really great to pick some of the pieces from my favorite art teachers over the years and also add some aspects of villains I have met over the years.

As I look over the cast list, I recognize a lot of the actors involved with this film. A lot of great Vancouver talent. 

with Jason Bourque

Yes, and Sarah Butler, a lovely actress from Los Angeles who came and helped us out with the show. And the director is Jason Bourque. I have worked with him a number of times, and I worked with him and Sarah on a previous show called Woman On the Run.

Of course! And I absolutely loved that movie. For once, you were a nice guy.

I sure was!

So often, you play a bad guy in these Lifetime movies, and you do it very well. Even on When Calls the Heart, you were this bad guy. So when I started watching Woman On the Run, I was sure you were going to be bad again, and you weren’t! I also remember that you have been doing some writing, and we typically talk about that when we do these interviews. Are you currently writing?

Yes, I certainly am. I’ve been outlining a project for about a year, and I just haven’t had the time to attack the script as of yet. But it’s something that I really want to do. I think here in Vancouver what people often do is we have so much access to equipment and wonderful talent that people really want to jump on board and make something. Which I think is fantastic. But I’m truly a story-driven individual, so I want to spend the time putting something together that I would want to see myself. So I just decided to take the time, and I’ve also been busy acting. But I’ve taken the time to put together a genuinely good outline and have some great payoffs before I actually get it down into a script. With other projects, I’ve jumped into writing a draft or two, and I often think, “I should have spent more time outlining this project and understanding where I’m gonna go before I actually start writing it from the beginning.”

Heart Felt

Well, that sounds great, and I hope it all comes together for you, Matt. 

Thank you, Ruth, I appreciate that.

Now, you have never been in an actual Hallmark film with the exception of Hailey Dan, have you?

No, I think my only Hallmark experiences have been When Calls the Heart and now Hailey Dean.

I know you were in the movie Heart Felt, which though it was not Hallmark, it is airing on Hallmark’s streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now.  But what would you think about being a lead in a Hallmark movie? Like maybe even a Christmas movie?

I think that would be great. I can remember filming one Christmas movie many years ago and filming it during July which seemed pretty strange. But I would love being in a Hallmark film, Christmas or otherwise.

Matthew MacCaull (Wade) When Calls the Heart

Well, that’s great, Matt. I hope that Hallmark considers it for you. I think the fans would love to get to see more of you on the network.

With me, I do tend to choose projects that give me a little bit of diversity. I don’t always want to play the handsome good guy. I do enjoy getting to play the villain here or there or the oddball friend or just something that presents a nice, creative challenge for me.

Of course, Matt, I can understand how that would keep your work interesting. And I bet Hallmark could put you in a role just like that. No actor really wants to play the same role over and over again. I think that would get boring. And that’s one thing you never are, Matt–boring. I would never describe you that way.

I’m certainly not opposed to doing a Hallmark film. I think it would be fun. And Hallmark always has such lovely fans.

Matt, I thank you so much for taking some time to chat with me today. 

Ruth, it’s my pleasure. It’s always nice to get to talk with you, and I hope everyone tunes in on Sunday and then to Netflix on July 1st!

Photo: Matthew MacCaull Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

One of the things I have invariably treasured about Matt is that he tends to think outside of the box in a variety of ways. I remember that he and I originally connected over vocabulary and grammar use, and the way in which Matt words things is genuinely unique to him as an individual and as a professional. In addition to that, he consistently provides that distinctively extraordinary quality to all of his projects and roles, whether as a supporting role or as a lead. In fact, listening to Matt elaborate upon this project he is preparing to write demonstrates the innovative and ingenious way in which he is attacking it. While he is careful to point out that quickly producing projects in Vancouver is not a bad thing, there is no doubt that Matt is focused on doing something just a little bit different from the typical run-of-the-mill, conventional project. Moreover, whenever Matt appears on screen, there is no disputing his impact, his attentiveness to detail, and his profound perception and depiction of the character. While I may prefer him as the proverbial “good guy,” there is no doubt in my mind that Matt could play with consummate precision the most diabolical fiend who ever lived (and I’d probably have nightmares about his character for the rest of my life!). One thing the viewer will regularly discern about Matt is that he is an unabashed individual who perpetually contributes an extra essence and energy uniquely suited to his talents and gifts to each role he is blessed to play, and that absolutely ensures an entertaining spectacle every time his name appears in the credits.

So please be sure to tune your channel to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on Sunday, June 17th for the third in this phenomenal trilogy of Hailey Dean Mystery films that will bring this limited series to an end (with more to come in 2018, if all goes well). Likewise, please consider following Matt at the links below so that you never miss a moment of his passionate brilliance in whatever medium he may be appearing next. While Matt can effectively infuse himself into any role he is given, at the heart of everything, he irrefutably transmits graciousness and gratitude towards all who have continued to support his journey that proceeds to reach unparalleled elevations to the delight and pleasure of captivated audiences all around the world. While I have no idea what trajectory his career will take next, I am convinced I desire to follow this man’s adventures for as long as he pursues the arts and attains every goal within his heart and mind.

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