From the beginning of the Hailey Dean Mystery franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, I have been a tremendous advocate for every member of the cast, but the supporting cast always holds a particularly special place in my heart. And in the case of Viv Leacock, not only has his star risen since our first interview, but he and I have connected on a very real level. Recently, he and I spoke about the series that is so close to his heart in addition to several other things concerning his career, his outlook, and his family.

Photo: Viv Leacock Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

RH: Viv, I can’t tell you how great it is to speak with you again!

VL: Same here, Ruth. Always so much fun.

I went to your IMDB before we chatted, and I didn’t know you were on Lost In Space. My daughter and I just started watching that, and so now I know I have something to look forward to later in the season.

That’s so cool. My kids like Lost In Space too. They’ve taken to watching it with me and by themselves. So I know it’s good if they’re going to watch it by themselves.

Oh, that’s nice. Even my mom has shown interest in watching the series. I guess she remembers the old one, so I think she may watch it at some point. I often feel like I have to preview stuff before I recommend shows to her. She doesn’t always want to watch the stuff with too much violence or language.

I understand that. I have an aunt who will say, “Whatcha workin’ on?” Anything Hallmark, she’s all over it. Then she’ll ask, “Is there any violence in any of this stuff you’re working on?” And I’m like, “Well, uh, yeah, some people get hurt.” But the Hallmark stuff she’s fine with. That’s more implied violence. You don’t see people get hurt.

So Hallmark viewers finally got to see you in a Christmas movie this past year.

Yeah, I did Maggie’s Christmas Miracle with my buddy  Luke Macfarlane. That’s my dude right there. We totally hit it off.

That movie was honestly a family favorite from this past season. It was a great film.

It was. We had a lot of fun with that one. What’s really cool about that one for me too is that Michael Robison, who directed that, he also directed the Hailey Dean films.

That is cool. You know, when these three Hailey Dean films were announced for the month of June, that got me really excited. And it’s so perfect because June is my birthday month. In fact, right before it was announced, I got a survey from Hallmark asking what mystery series I would like to see as a special limited series, and I chose Hailey Dean. And shortly thereafter, the series was announced. 

Oh, that’s something. We can just say it happened because of you, Ruth!

Well, I’d like to think it was because of me. 🙂

To be honest, there’s not a lot of companies that listen to their fans as much as Hallmark does.

That is so true. Hallmark has some of the most committed fans in the TV world.

It’s so cool when you see your fanbase go to bat for you. I witnessed that a little bit with Dirk Gently. When it got canceled, I was blown away by what the fans did and what they said. And even what they continue to say about us. The social media presence that show had was pretty phenomenal. It still is. I’m very proud of that show. We reached a lot of people. And the thing that’s really cool is that there are some fans that I chat with on a somewhat regular basis, and I’m really proud to be able to connect with people like that. The show’s tagline is literally “everything is connected.” And it couldn’t be more true.

I noticed that too. And there were so many Leo Awards nominations for that show. I was going through the list of nominations, and Dirk Gently kept showing up in several different categories. Pretty cool for a show that just got canceled.

You know, I am convinced that show really was something special and unique. That’s the first show I’ve ever been on where, when I would run into crew members who would ask, “Say, what are you workin’ on?” I would tell them, “Dirk Gently.” And they would get excited. In this town, people don’t usually get that excited because they’ve seen everyone. They’ve worked on every show, every Marvel movie, so they don’t really get excited about shows and actors like the general public might.  But every single person that I talked to about Dirk Gently, they were like, “Oh, man, I want to be on that show!” And they want to be on it just to watch us do it. It’s not like me as an actor when I say, “Oh, I’d love to be on that.” I say that because I want to be in the scenes with people and connect with them. These crew members just want to be on set! I did love that time I was on there. I met a lot of people that I call family now.

I wonder if that show will ever get picked up again.

I don’t know. But I will say this. If any one of the fans that we have ever get a big sum of money, I guarantee it! {laughs}

I was actually surprised when it got canceled. 

Well, I think that Dirk Gently was only supposed to be a two-season deal. So it doesn’t matter what the fanbase was saying. Unfortunately, Netflix is such a massive corporation that they don’t need to care about what people like and don’t like. It doesn’t matter because they have so much content that they’re not going to be affected by a group of people going, “Oh, we love Dirk Gently.” Because those same people will still go to Netflix and watch something else.

Very true. But you never know. Maybe one day. I know, wait ten years and they’ll do a reboot. 

{laughs} I think it will be one of those things where it will resurface somewhere. Someone who watched it now is fifteen years old, and they will one day be in a position to redevelop it. Most everybody has talked about a “Rowdy Three” spinoff. And I have a feeling that will happen at some point.

Well, we’ll see what happens with that.

We will. But in the meantime, I had so much fun working with Kellie {Martin}. That’s my girl.

I love watching you guys together! Now and then, they will rerun the movies I’ve seen and whenever you two are on screen, I just have to stop and watch your scenes. 

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

We have so much fun together. Kellie and I get each other. And what’s really cool about this is that Kellie comes to my house for dinner. She’s almost like “Auntie Kellie” in my house. She comes over. The kids and my wife know Kellie. When we have parties and Kellie’s in town, Kellie comes to my house for the party. It’s just been really cool.

You know, the last one you guys did, Dating Is Murder, I actually put that movie on my top ten list for Hallmark movies of 2017. Speaking quite complimentarily, I describe that particular movie as one of the edgiest mystery movies that Hallmark had ever done. I thought they took some great risks. I really was on the edge of your seat, and I never knew what was going to happen next. 

I agree. They really knocked it out of the park with that one. Unfortunately, this movie deals with a scenario that is a real possibility. People go online to meet people, and it’s definitely not too far off.

Some of my friends won’t watch that one. They think it will hit too close to home, and they feel like they would be scared to talk to people online again after watching it. 

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

You should reassure them in terms of the storyline that it’s done really well. It’s still Hallmark, and you’re not going to see anything that’s gone too far. In fact, that’s one of the best things about working on Hallmark productions. Since I’m a father, I want to be able to share the things that I do with my kids. A lot of times, I can’t. There are other productions where I definitely cannot. They’re just not old enough to see some things yet. But Hailey Dean is just great because not only can they watch the show, but they know Kellie. She’s the same person in front of my kids as she is on the show. She’s not vastly different. We don’t do anything that’s not in keeping with the standards of the network. And after all, that’s Kellie. That’s who she is.

I think we’re all looking forward to the three movies this month. And we’re all looking forward to seeing her reunion with Chad Lowe, since that’s how I first knew Kellie–from Life Goes On. I grew up watching that show, and we never missed it. 

Yeah, I watched that show when I was growing up too. Which is another really cool thing about hanging with Kellie. I grew up watching her. My wife always calls Kellie by her characters’ names she’s seen her in. It’s really funny.

And Hallmark viewers know her from Christy, even though that wasn’t a Hallmark production. And Mystery Woman is another one.

Kellie has been in so many great things, and she always knocks it out of the park. It’s so cool that now we’ve been in so many films together now that we are always watching each others’ work. She checked out Lost In Space. And then she said, “Ah, you’re great!” She’s got my back, and it’s a great feeling. I hope these go on forever.

What can you tease about these upcoming Hailey Dean films in regards to your character?

Photo: Alvina August Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

Well, I can give you a little bit of something that’s going on with Fincher. Fincher is gonna meet a girl. Or let me get that right. Fincher is gonna meet a WOMAN! {laughs} Fincher is venturing into territories uncharted. And, of course, he needs Hailey’s counsel to navigate this. He can’t do it without her.

Oh, I can imagine! That sounds like fun.

It’s a lot of fun. He’s pretty useless without Hailey.

That’s definitely something to look forward to. Now, I remember that Nancy Grace usually has a cameo in each movie. Does that happen in these three films?

She is very busy, but yes, she is in the films. This time, she appears as Nancy Grace herself. She comments on the case, and we see her on the television screen. It’s a little bit different than it was before. Those days were always fun when Nancy would come on set and have a small role. Nancy is funny. She’s got comedy chops, man! You know, comedy is my first love. So I would say to her…she’d always say, “Can we run this? Can we rehearse this scene?” And so we’d go over the scenes together, and she would go to do something, and I would be like, “You’re funny. You’re really funny.” And she was like, “You think so?” And I’m like, “I know so!” This is what I do. I did stand-up comedy for two years. So I told her, “If someone is funny, I tell them. I don’t throw funny at anybody without it being true.” That’s my business! But Nancy’s got it. She’s got natural timing which is something you cannot teach somebody.

I can see that. In fact, I think Nancy is probably one of those people who can do it all. 

At the same time, what I was impressed by was the way she was on set. She told us, “I don’t do this normally. I’m not one of you guys.” A lot of people come in, and they don’t want to say, “I don’t do this like you guys.” So they don’t ask to go over stuff. So when we go through it, their nerves get the better of them. But she was like straightaway, “Can we go over this?” She’s a really cool lady.

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

That’s so great to hear. We are definitely looking forward to all three movies. My mom and I enjoy them, and sometimes I can get my daughter to watch them too when she’s not busy with all of her art stuff and so much more. I am blessed to have a great daughter.

That’s great to hear. My daughter is great too. Going forward, I am blessed that my daughter is one of the nicest people that I’ve ever met in my life. Then I have two sons to send out as spies to help me to keep everyone safe, especially her. Like you, I’m lucky enough to have a daughter with a good head on her shoulders.

You definitely need that this day and age. I still go out and do some substitute teaching, and sometimes I look at these kids and think, “You’re not even ready for the real world!” You feel bad and you want to sit them down and try to prepare them, but of course, they probably wouldn’t listen if you did. 

Viv and wife

I’m the same way. It’s kind of interesting because I’ve never not had a teenager in my life. My wife has a huge family. Actually, we both have massive families. My wife is one of nine children, and she’s the baby of nine kids. So her older siblings all had kids. When my wife and I started dating… we’ve been friends since we were thirteen and we started dating when we were eighteen. And at that time, I instantly had a bunch of nieces and nephews ranging from ages one through fifteen or sixteen. So like I said, I’ve always had teenagers in my life, as far as people I was giving counsel to. And oh man, things have changed! It’s a different deal now. These kids want everything right now. They don’t have time to wait for anything. I know it’s hard to wait. I remember I was like that. I wanted to grow up faster than I should have. But it’s even more sped up now. I have to calculate what someone’s thinking about by adding three years to what I was thinking about when I was that same age.

Oh, that is so true! 

It’s just not the same as when we were kids. But I’m very thankful, as are you, that we have some good kids.

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

So we have these three Hailey Dean films beginning June 3rd and then the next two Sundays after that. And people can check out Lost In Space. 

Yes, that is correct. And there is also a show called Loudermilk. Season one has already aired. but it’s coming back for season two. It’s on AT&T Audience Network.

That’s good to know. I remember hearing about that show, and I have been meaning to check it out. 

I should warn you. It’s not Hallmark-friendly.

I was already aware of that, and for me, that’s okay. I do watch things that edgier than some people realize. There are shows that I watch when no one else is around, and that show sounds like it would fall into that category.

Loudermilk
with Matty Finochio

Yes, there are things that I am in that I cannot watch when the kids are around because they’re not age-appropriate. There is also a lot of content that is not necessarily me. I don’t curse in real life. But Loudermilk, I tell you. Whew! I guess it’s a slice of life. That’s the way I started looking at things. There was about ten years or more where I refused to say any words like that. But then I felt like I couldn’t do a disservice to the material and I can’t leave my co-star hanging if they are expecting that this person is supposed to be somewhat unlike me. That’s not fair. If I sign on to do something, I’ve got to do it. I changed my worldview a little bit. But that didn’t change the fact that I don’t do it in my real life.

I understand completely. It’s funny. There are things that my daughter and I watch that are a little edgier since she’s older now. And so I will say to her, “Okay, there are some bad words in this show.” And she’s like, “Mom, it’s okay! I hear worse than that at school!” 

I understand that. I was a kid who grew up hearing people say all kinds of stuff, and I still decided that I was not going to swear. I don’t drink. I don’t swear. I’ve never smoked and I’ve never done drugs. That’s my choice! It didn’t matter what went on around me. I made that choice. And my wife and I make the decision about what our kids can and cannot see. And it all comes from the fact that I made the choices I made, and I turned out pretty good. But they’re definitely not watching Loudermilk!

Photo: Viv Leacock Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman

Definitely! That will be one I’ll have to check out after everyone’s in bed.

My aunt is always very interested in what I’m doing, and she’ll ask me about what one of my shows entails. After I tell her, sometimes she’s like, “No, I don’t think I’m gonna watch that one.” And I’m totally fine with that. I fully respect that.

I always go into things with an open mind–much more so than I once was. And sometimes I’ve been very challenged when stepping out of my comfort zone to watch something I wouldn’t normally watch. And every time, it’s been a good experience. If nothing else, it always expands my worldview. 

That’s kind of how I came around to the idea of saying something in a show that I don’t say in my real life. In fact, playing certain characters has been liberating sometimes. It’s not me; it’s them. And it is interesting because I’m kind of in a class of one. I don’t think I’ve come across anyone else who thinks the same way as me. People are often surprised that I don’t swear.

Actually, I think Jesse Hutch might be in the same class, at least what I know of him.

Oh, yeah, of course! Jesse and I have talked about that before.

Yeah, I think you two have a somewhat similar outlook.

Yes, Jesse and I are one of the few in town who have multiple kids and have been with the same person {married} for a long, long time. And we both structure our lives around that instead of the part that we have.

I think you were also in an episode of The X-Files.

Yeah, that was fun. Those two in that show are hilarious. People have no idea how funny they are. David Duchovny was cracking me up. We were cracking each other up all day. We just got each other. He’s got a really dry sense of humor. And Gillian Anderson was a sweetheart. She’s so nice. It was a lot of fun because that’s an iconic show.

I did notice something else listed on your IMDB. I think it’s called Redemption.

Oh, that’s actually an old project for me. It was a web series. I’m not sure why it’s listed now as being something coming up, but maybe they’re getting ready to release it. I play an angel in that. And this angel has never experienced life. I come down to earth, but I’ve never experienced anything physical. So I have like a religious experiment finding and discovering things that humans get to do. And I’m helping these two sisters that are awful people. I’m trying to help them find redemption; that’s my task.

Okay, well I’ll keep my eyes open for it in case it gets released.

What’s nice about being at this point in my career and life is that I don’t have to worry about what’s coming out and what’s not coming out.

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

I know that you have gotten a lot of work in the time that I have known you. A couple of years ago, things were just starting to pick up for you big time. You’ve had a nice streak of works.

Yes, it’s a good feeling, and my wife is very happy about that.

I can imagine. I know it’s not easy being a working actor.

It’s much like being a poker player. You don’t know whether or not the things that you’re doing are going to pay off in any way, shape or form. You can have the greatest audition ever, and then you lose out because they went another way because of something that is outside your control.

Well, I am just so happy for you, Viv, and the wonderful way your career is going. Let’s hope this streak continues. 

Thank you, Ruth. Actually, with Lost In Space, I had an amazing situation come up. I was originally supposed to do six to nine episodes of that series, but I was filming Dirk around the same time. And Dirk had the rights to me based on the fact that I was contracted to them first. So I was only able to do three episodes of Lost In Space.

Well, at least they didn’t cut you completely out.

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

True. And I am looking forward to Hailey Dean as well. I do hope that everyone gets a chance to watch all three films. My character definitely has some fun with Kellie and Matt MacCaull. And my love interest is Alvina August. And we have a lot of fun! {laughs} The fans are going to love Alvina. She fits right in. She’s super funny and very talented. I think she fits in like she was always meant to be there.

Last summer was sure good with August being Garage Sale Mystery month, so I’m hoping this one is just as successful for Hailey Dean.

Oh, that’s the series with my friend Kevin O’Grady.

Oh, I’m a huge fan of his. I’ve gotten to interview him, and he just does so well in that series.

Kevin is one of the funniest people you will ever meet, and he does amazing impressions of people. He calls me up sometimes as different characters and different people and I just fall out laughing.

That’s good to know! I’ll have to remember that the next time I chat with him.

Thank you for reaching out, Ruth, and I can hardly wait to see what everyone thinks of Hailey Dean. I hope all the Hallmark fans will watch.

Photo: Viv Leacock, Kellie Martin, Giacomo Baessato Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

I honestly don’t know how to begin to speak of my admiration for the wonder that is Viv Leacock. From the outset, he and I understood each other, and this third interview of ours was by far my favorite. We spent thirty minutes or so amplifying our kids’ accomplishments and swapping parent stories. And to be candid, as much as Viv is an actor/comedian extraordinaire, there is no doubt that he is a husband and father first and foremost. At the heart of everything in his world is his family and the responsibilities that are attached to that title and role. In addition to this, Viv has a way of connecting with each person he meets on an authentic and personable level. While there are probably the select few in this world who have no desire to familiarize themselves with this engaging human being, with the vast majority of people in this world, Viv is equipped to determine and discover common ground which will immediately put the other person at ease. His affability, philanthropy, and commitment to a positive, upbeat outlook practically guarantee that in Viv’s world, there are no strangers.

Viv’s connection with Kellie is something that can be readily perceived in every interaction these two share. Whether exchanging quips on social media, shooting a scene together, having a lively behind-the-scenes moment or simply visiting in a relaxed atmosphere, Kellie and Viv enjoy a friendship that rings true on so many levels. When Fincher tells Hailey that she’s his best friend and she concurs with that pronouncement, these two actors become living proof that art often imitates reality. Viv and Kellie are an on-screen duo that I relish every time I see them in these Hailey Dean Mystery films, and I only hope that this series will continue forever, as Viv said.

While the first of the three Hailey Dean Mystery films premiered on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel Sunday, June 3rd, there are still two more to come (June 10th and June 17th). Furthermore, the Hallmark Network regularly replays their movies in the event that fans missed the show or movie the first time around. Therefore, I invite everyone to look up the first if you missed it and make plans to watch the next two (be sure to check local listings for exact times and dates). Additionally, if you are not following Viv on social media, I strongly suggest you abandon all other plans at once and visit all his links below. After all, this guy has had some unbelievable experiences and still continues to do so. While not every work may be something that Hallmark audiences will feel comfortable checking out, I can definitely assure you that if it passes the “Viv’s Aunt” litmus test, it should be acceptable for viewing (Hallmark and Lost In Space should fit the bill). And regardless of whether you enjoy everything Viv has done or ever will do, this man is a family man with strong values, a charming sense of humor, and a crackerjack set of acting chops! Don’t you want to keep in the loop so that you don’t miss any of his extraordinary updates? I mean, after all, the biggest mystery of all we “Sleuthers” know is, “Did Fincher ever find his food truck and get his six burritos after all?” No spoilers here! You have to watch to find the answer to that question!!

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