I know that I regularly mention Cedar Cove and the actors with whom I connected on that very special Hallmark Channel show, but in so many ways, I wouldn’t be the entertainment journalist I am now without that show. Giles Panton was only a part of season three, and in spite of the fact that his role was somewhat meager at times in relation to the show as a whole, I have to state that he has become one of my dearest friends (something I never would have imagined in a million years). This year, Giles is in a record five (😮) Christmas movies (three are Hallmark movies), and to say I am excited is the understatement of the millennium! Recently, not only did I visit with my friend again in person, but I had the supreme honor of chatting with him extensively about all the projects that are current and upcoming for this phenomenal actor and human being.

Picture Credit: Liz Rosa

RH: Giles, it is so good to speak with you again!

GP: Ruth, same here. And it was great to see you again while you were in Vancouver. And now I see you again within a week!

The last time we did an interview was back when you were in Aurora Teagarden. And your career has taken off incredibly since then.

It has been an amazing year for me.

Till Ex Do Us Part

I was so glad I got to see you in that recent Lifetime thriller Till Ex Do Us Part. I was very glad you happened to tweet out you were in it or I might have missed it.

I’m glad you had the chance to see it.

I was very impressed with your performance in this movie. I hope everyone looks it up and checks it out. It is well worth watching. And you probably told me, but I forgot that you are going to be in an episode of Travelers season three.

Thank you so much. And yeah, I am. I guest star on one of the episodes. I’m really excited about that one. My understanding is that season three will be streaming on Netflix in December, so keep an eye out for it. It was amazing to work with that whole team. Amanda Tapping directed my episode. She was just phenomenal and so great to work with. She cares so much about everyone on the crew and cast, and she has been doing this for decades. What an incredible woman and director.

Till Ex Do Us Part

I am way behind on watching Travelers. Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve only watched the pilot! I actually heard that next year there’s supposed to be like a thousand different TV shows to watch.

That sounds about right. Worldwide, I definitely believe it. The marketplace has become increasingly competitive. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to watch everything that you want to.

That’s so true. Speaking of TV shows, Hallmark fans just had the opportunity to watch you in the third season of Chesapeake Shores.

Absolutely, such a joy to be a part of that series.

And I’m sure, people are going to remember the “Waffle King.”

Of course! I was very happy with how that all played out. I would say my character, Chris Smith, left a large waffle footprint.

What was something that stood out to you while you were filming Chesapeake Shores?

with Jesse Metcalfe
Chesapeake Shores

That crew and production team were just great. Every day there was something special. Like one day, they had an ice cream truck show up for us. Another day was really hot, and so they were bringing freezies {freezer pops} around for everyone. I made a mistake and took a grape one, and it turned my whole mouth purple. So I had to take some drastic measures to change that back before I shot on camera. {laughs} Also, where they shoot is such a beautiful community. And it felt like a bunch of friends working together; it was really nice.

Was this your first time working with Jesse Metcalfe and Treat Williams?

Yes, it was my first time working with both of them, and I settled right in with them. In fact, Jesse was very kind. Before my first episode, he was tweeting about my character and saying how I did a great job.

Well, hopefully, if we get a season four of Chesapeake Shores, we’ll see Chris Smith, the Waffle King, again.

We’ll see what happens. There was some kind of hinting by the writing department that if we get a season four, Chris Smith just might get to come back. Fingers crossed for sure.

Chesapeake Shores

Kimberley Sustad’s character, Caroline, is supposed to be moving to Chesapeake Shores, so maybe we can get Caroline away from Simon and get her interested in Chris. There could be a whole romance between you two.

We could have a Waffle King romance! I actually think that would be amazing. Especially since Kimberley and I shared so much screen time in A Godwink Christmas. We get along great already. Honestly, Chesapeake Shores is such a great show, and there is so much they can do with it. It’s so popular among the Hallmark fans. It was a nice, delightful surprise to get to join that universe.

Stepping outside Hallmark for a bit, I know that we can see you in season three of The Man In The High Castle which is streaming now on Amazon Video.

Yes, it is such an incredible show. Emmy-award winning and it deals with a very heavy subject matter. But it’s important to make those shows too, because we don’t live in a perfect world. And there’s no better way to explore the dark side of what it means to be human than through a fictional show like this so we can better understand and possibly even deal with situations where something awful like this might happen.

Were you aware of the series before you were cast?

The Man In the High Castle

Yes, I had been hearing about the sci-fi book for years because it had won so many awards. When I found out the show was being produced, I got really excited because I knew that a studio like Amazon would be able to do the series justice. When I got the opportunity to audition for Billy Turner, everything clicked really well. I read the lines for the audition, and I was like, “Oh, I know this guy.” It was a very weird, interesting fit because Billy is like a 1960’s ad man, or at least as close as you can get to that kind of character in that universe. As long as he gets what he wants, he’s not really thinking about the effects he’s having on others and the world as a whole. I think it’s an interesting parallel for the world. As long as we feel comfortable in our lives, we don’t really want to see what’s going on outside that bubble. And as long as we keep getting what we want and what those closest to us want, we don’t really think about the effects we have on others.

I remember reading something like that in one of your interviews about this show. And I completely agree. Well, it’s nice to know that people can see you in The Man In the High Castle. But I think they shouldn’t really jump into season three without having seen seasons one and two, right?

The Man In the High Castle

That’s right. It’s definitely a series that you need to watch from the beginning. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s an amazing show and very different from almost anything else being done. And I think it’s very important too because it explores how bad things could have been if things had turned out differently. And in a way, I think we’re always in that position. If we sit back and are complacent and put off responsibilities and don’t pay attention to what the people in power are doing, I think that’s often how very good-intentioned people can get caught up in very bad things.

And it’s good to point out that this show is edgy and not Hallmark-friendly.

Yes, it’s mature content. It deals with awful things, but as I said, it’s a very important show.

Now before we get to the Christmas movies, I understand that season two of Tarzan and Jane is now on Netflix.

Tarzan and Jane

Yes, seasons one and two of Tarzan and Jane are available. Season one, I was the voice of Tarzan. But in season two, I play Tarzan and Midas. Midas is a new character, and he is a little, troublemaking monkey. There are a lot of scenes with just Tarzan and Midas, and it was kind of wild to do. I would run through and record as Tarzan, and then I would run through and record as this crazy monkey, who’s adorable and troublemaking and mischievous. It might sound kind of funny, but I was actually more excited to play the monkey this season. {laughs} I’ve been wanting to play a little animal for a long time, and I FINALLY DID IT!

I seem to remember that when you were first preparing for Tarzan that you had to a lot of work and practice to get the voice just right.

Yeah, I had to learn how to yodel. The “Tarzan yell” involves a yodel. When he yells as he swings through the forest, there is yodeling involved, and I had to get my voice to crack like that. I watched a bunch of tutorial videos to figure that one out.

“Midas” from Tarzan and Jane

How did you prepare to voice the monkey?

Well, I’m pretty sure since childhood that I’ve been making crazy animal sounds, like when I would play with my toys. I tend to be a lot more vocally active than the average person, I’d say. Even when I’m home alone, I’ll walk down the hall and make up a song about the closet door or something. Or I’m always throwing on different voices around my wife. She loves it–no, I’m kidding! {laughs} She’s actually both delighted and sometimes like, “Can we not right now please?” I did a little bit of research because Midas is not a traditional chimpanzee. I watched a couple of videos online, and then I came up with my own version. So there was a little bit of experimentation, but for the most part, I relied on my general, high-energy, noisy self and channeled that into a little monkey.

This weekend (November 10), your first of five Christmas movies this year premieres. It’s Christmas, Eve on the Hallmark Channel. And then on November 18th, we’ve got A Godwink Christmas on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

Yes, and then A Gingerbread Romance will be back on the Hallmark Channel on December 16th.

So you have three Hallmark Christmas movies, and the other two are on Lifetime–Christmas Pen Pals–and UP network–Christmas on Holly Lane.

You know, Christmas on Holly Lane is so interesting. In fact, I understand they edited two different versions of the movie. One of them is a happier version with a little bit less of me, and one is a less happy version with a little bit more of me. I’m the main source of all the trouble in the movie.

{laughs} Well, of course, you are! That’s your wheelhouse!

Christmas On Holly Lane

In all seriousness, Christmas On Holly Lane is a different kind of movie. For a lot of people, the holidays are an amazing time, but for others, the holidays are a very painful time because their families aren’t in the best place. One version of this movie deals with more of the friendships and everyone working together, and the other version is more about the hardships. I have a sense that UP and Super Channel Heart & Home will probably be airing the happier one, but we shall see. The basic premise of the story is a couple going through a really tough time, and the friendships they rely on to get through it all.

I know I talked with Jaime Callica about this movie, and I understand that originally, it was not going to be a Christmas movie.

That is correct. What I loved about the script when I first read it was that it was just an honest story. It had a lot of human fragility and vulnerability in it. It wasn’t about some guy swooping in to save some person. It was more about this woman who wants to rely on herself and the strength of her own friendships. So I’m very curious to see how it ends up. In truth, the movie could have leaned either way–Christmas or not. But I noticed the PR package tended to lean towards it being a Christmas movie. But whichever version ultimately is shown, it will be very unique because it will give you a whole spectrum of emotion. And as a side note, if you are in Canada, Christmas On Holly Lane will be premiering this weekend on November 11th. The U.S. will have to wait to see it on the UP network on November 16th.

Giles Panton Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

I understand they had to do some work in post-production to make it look more like Christmas.

Yeah, they had to brighten it up. It wasn’t originally shot with the bright colors that are typical for a Christmas movie. But that’s what you call movie magic.

My mom is very excited about all your Christmas movies. She’s kind of the objective one I go to, and I appreciate that I hear what she really thinks rather than what she thinks I want to hear.

I like that. I think there’s a difference between constructive criticism and just being mean about it. I think some people get confused about that so they err on the side of flattery, which doesn’t help anybody. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not being good at something. I think it takes work to get great at things. Whatever angle you want to believe…even if you’re born with a gift, you still have to hone it. It doesn’t just happen.

It’s Christmas, Eve

Back to It’s Christmas, Eve, how does your character figure into the overall storyline?

I play Brad James, the husband of Darcy, Eve Morgan’s (played by LeAnn Rimes) childhood best friend. When Eve comes back to town, she finds herself getting reconnected with so much of her past.  Darcy, who is played by the incredible Lara Gilchrist, and I have twin boys, played by Christian Convery and Beckham Skodje.  In truth, Darcy would be the first to say that she has three children, not just two.

Well, knowing you Giles, this sounds like a perfect role for you. And it seems like an amazing cast.

Absolutely the best cast we could ask for. And I think I would describe my role as the fun-loving dad who loves his kids, loves his family, and loves his job. And incidentally, Brad plays a very important role in helping Eve save our little town. In fact, you might even consider me the Labrador of the film!

Was this your first time to play a dad?

Killer Ending

Well, it’s so funny because the first time I played someone who was father-age-ish was for the movie Killer Ending with Emmanuelle Vaugier. When I first got the audition for that role, I was like, “My character is supposed to have been in a relationship with someone who has a thirteen-year-old daughter!” I thought, “No way am I booking this!” And I ended up booking it. And after that, I had a string of father roles. If I remember correctly, I shot Christmas On Holly Lane right before It’s Christmas, Eve. In Christmas On Holly Lane, I actually have a thirteen-year-old daughter. But in the story, my wife and I were high school sweethearts and had a child early on. Then in It’s Christmas, Eve, I am the father of twins–two seven-year-olds. It’s like when you say, “I feel like I’m still a twenty-year-old.” But then you hang out with twenty-year-olds, and you quickly realize you’re not twenty. You are definitely growing up, so I guess that is happening to me now with playing all these father roles.

We’ve touched on A Godwink Christmas, but what do you think is so special about this film?

With SQuire and Louise Rushnell

I think so much love and time has gone into this movie. It’s been fifteen years in the making. You’ve got SQuire and Louise Rushnell, who are just the sweetest and most wonderful people you could ever hope to meet. They got the word “Godwink” added into the dictionary. And SQuire’s story is so awesome as well. He worked in mainstream television for NBC, and now he and his wife have put in so much time into making this project happen, along with Kathie Lee Gifford. It was a long-term project of love. And it’s also based on a true story, and because of that, I feel there was a lot more intention and care invested in this movie so that it honors everyone involved. And when you do that, it creates a beautiful, unique work. I felt so honored to be a part of this. And the whole atmosphere was a great set to be a part of. I’ve known Paul {Campbell} and Kimberley {Sustad} for a while. And Kathie Lee…I think she could fit in anywhere. I think it really was the fact that it was so much time put in and that it’s based on a true story. All of those elements seemed to give it a different level of depth. I think it’s going to be a very special Hallmark movie.

With Paul Campbell

I know this movie is already a Hallmark favorite, and as much as they love It’s Christmas, Eve, I think A Godwink Christmas is going to be even more of a favorite. It appears to be a very special one to Bill Abbott. I predict it will be one of his new favorites, and it will be one of mine as well.

That is great to know. And let me just say–just so the fans know–I love interacting with them on Twitter. I have gotten to make so many interesting connections. And I love that Hallmark has been so supportive of me as has the Super Channel Heart & Home. Twitter has really grown on me, and it’s probably my favorite platform for engagement with the fans. Just a lot of fun people out there. So you will see me live tweeting for all of these Christmas movies that I can.

Is A Godwink Christmas your first time to be a part of a true story?

Flash Magnus
My Little Pony

Well, as far as I know…well, My Little Pony is a true story. I’ve been in that. {laughs} Kidding, but wouldn’t that be wild if my character the legendary Flash Magnus was real? {laughs}  Anyway, looking back at my credits, A Godwink Christmas is my first true story film.

Now you also have A Gingerbread Romance on Hallmark. Okay, how on earth did you get to be in three Hallmark Christmas movies? That’s insane!

I don’t know, but it’s pretty special. And for A Gingerbread Romance, I auditioned for that one literally from my trailer as I was shooting Christmas Pen Pals. I was so busy with this other movie that I didn’t have time to go in for the audition. But the good thing was that I was already in a suit, full makeup and hair. But I have no idea how I’ve been so blessed. At the beginning of this year, I thought, “I’ve only ever done one Christmas movie.” And now I’m doing five!

You did one Christmas movie previously, and that role in The Nine Lives of Christmas is so small that if you blink, you miss it.

Yes, I play a jerk in a restaurant. I basically show how nice Kimberley {Sustad} and Brandon {Routh} are. I was on screen for maybe forty seconds. So as far as Christmas movie footprints go, that wasn’t the best. Fun role, of course, but not one that is overly memorable and certainly not a nice character. This year is much better.

With Tia Mowry

Did A Gingerbread Romance always have that title? For some reason, I was thinking it was called A Gingerbread Christmas, but I realize I’m getting confused with all these Christmas titles.

As long as I’ve had the script, it’s been called A Gingerbread Romance. You can definitely tell that it’s a Christmas movie because of the…uh …gingerbread and Santa! {laughs}

So with this movie then…

Tia Mowry is the sweetest woman! She blew me away! She had a child four months before she shot this movie. She’s amazing, and her attitude was unbeatable. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as humble, as funny…she was always laughing. There were some days that were very long, but she was always a pleasure to work with. Duane Henry was a lot of fun too. He’s a very chill guy.

Now, you and your wife are both in this movie, though you’re not playing husband and wife.

With Duane Henry

Yes, Jocelyn {Panton} and I are in it together. It’s crazy. We don’t share any dialogue, but we’re in many scenes together. The whole movie centers around this life-sized gingerbread competition between my architecture firm and Tia’s. It’s really cool because these gingerbread creations are life-sized houses, and for a bunch of the shots, they were using real gingerbread. Jocelyn is not on my team. She’s a rival. She’s with Tia. It’s a really sweet, fun movie. No pun intended because there was a lot of candy and gingerbread involved. Or pun intended if I look cooler. I’ll take it. {laughs} That’s “dad cool.” That’s a dad joke. I’ll take it. After all, lately, I’m playing all these dads.

So let’s talk about Christmas Pen Pals.

Oh, that one is really great. It stars Sarah Drew and Niall Matter, and I’ve known Niall for years.

How does your character figure into the story of this film?

Christmas Pen Pals

I won’t give anything away, but it’s really sweet. I’m basically the town doctor. I’m the charming, likable, local doctor. And I may or may not have eyes for Sarah Drew. {laughs} We’ll see what happens.

This movie has quite a cast. I notice Michael Gross is in it as well.

I know, right! A great cast! I honestly feel so immensely grateful for this year that I’ve had. I’ve gotten to work with some legends. I’ve gotten to work with people who I watched when I was growing up that I really look up to. I really can’t put into words just how lucky I feel. I want to be sure that I thank all the fans and viewers and give a huge thanks to Hallmark for creating so many of these opportunities. They’ve been amazing.

With Carley Smale, writer of Christmas Pen Pals

You know, Giles, one of the things I admire about you is that in general, you’ve established your career goals and you’ve been willing to work towards them. Even when you might get a role that is seemingly insignificant or not the role that every actor craves, you didn’t give up. In fact, you’ve made the most of every role that has been sent your way.

Thank you, Ruth. I don’t know if everyone realizes this, but it’s so important to honor every single role in every project. It’s a true collaboration, and at the end of the day, these projects mean something to people. Whether it’s the ones involved with them, the ones who watch them, or a combination of both.

I agree with you completely, Giles, and I appreciate your perspective. There were moments I wondered if you might ever get to play a lead. I knew you could do it, but it wasn’t until I saw you in Sleepwalking In Suburbia that I really saw that you could do it. And you continue to raise the bar and challenge yourself in every role, regardless of the size or nature of the role. And while you have yet to play an official lead in a Hallmark film, I tend to think that day is coming quickly for you.

Picture Credit: Liz Rosa

Ruth, thank you for your confidence in my abilities and continued support. I would love to do a lead role for Hallmark. It would be an honor. But regardless of the size of the role it’s always been about diving in and enjoying the projects I work on and having opportunities to play and build rich and fun characters and share them with the audience.

And, Giles, you have continued to hone your craft and mature over the past few years, and the roles you have created have just been amazing.

Thank you, Ruth, I would agree about this being a maturing process for me. I used to view it like I was somehow separate from the rest of the production as an actor. Like I was just brought in to do a job. But now I view things as a team of colleagues who are all working together to create something meaningful and impactful.

Now, is there anything else coming up that you can mention?

For those who have kids, there’s a cartoon called Super Book. It’s a Bible cartoon and in this new season, I play the youth pastor. I’m not sure when that season is coming out, but I appear throughout the entire season as my character helps the kids develop their relationship with God. As a side note, my grandfather was a minister, so playing this youth pastor was an interesting throwback to my family past.

Of course, there’s Tarzan and Jane, two seasons of that on Netflix. There will be another cartoon coming out that I cannot mention yet… All I can say is that I don’t play people in it, I play monsters. I’m also in the second season of Kong on Netflix playing Lukas.

I do have another cartoon, and although it’s been out for a while, I think any parents with kids who like the Beatles would really like it. The cartoon is called Beat Bugs.  I play this artistic rat that helps the Beat Bugs. His name is Salvador Rat. It’s geared towards younger kids, maybe eight years old and younger. It’s very family friendly, wholesome and fun with great music. They actually got a license for the Beatles music. You can find it on Netflix.

I believe you were one of the voices on Far Cry 5, right?

Yes, which is an incredible game. It is a very violent game, and the character I play is insane! He was so much fun to play. He’s basically this D-list movie director with zero credits. He lives on coffee and Red Bull; he probably drinks forty of them a day. He’s absurdly hyper and incredibly inappropriate… one of the most unique characters I’ve ever played. His volume basically starts at nine and then goes to ten, and that’s where he sits. He’s very crass and has such a potty mouth. For those who can handle that, he’s hilarious.

Giles, I cannot thank you enough for spending so much time with us an talking about all your projects. I am so excited about your Christmas movies this year, and I hope everyone will tune in to as many as they can.

Ruth, I thank you always for your support and the support of all the fans. Without the fans, the movies wouldn’t even exist. I can hardly wait to see what everyone thinks about these movies. I encourage all the fans to tune in and to let me know what they think!

Picture Credit: Liz Rosa

First of all, people like Giles Panton are rare, and finding people like him in show business is even rarer. There is no doubt in my mind that most would be hard pressed to locate a more charming, humble, respectful, and trustworthy person who genuinely cares about everyone within his sphere of influence. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I see him reach out to fans on social media in an attempt to encourage them and even answer their endless questions. His patience is extraordinary, and while I’m sure he does get angry at times as every human being does, he makes the conscious decision to be consistently courteous, appreciative and optimistic when interacting with others. I cannot begin to detail just how many times over the past few years that I have “run” to him with good news, bad news, and even silly stuff that no one else would begin to comprehend. I always say that anyone who can tolerate my verbosity and my extremism is a friend worth maintaining, and Giles is all that and more.

What thrills me the most in terms of his career is that the arduous effort I have witnessed him investing over the past few years is paying off for him in spades this year. It is as though everything has crystallized for him, and those solid working relationships, valuable connections, and positive vibes that he has injected into the world have finally blended with his exceptional talent and diligent work ethic to afford him all the impressive opportunities he has experienced this year. While he never takes anything for granted and he continues in his pursuit of self-improvement in all areas of his life, he is reaping the rewards of his labor. And I just perch here in the background, energetically promoting his work and attempting to spread the knowledge and appreciation of his skill and expertise as far and as wide as possible. I sincerely couldn’t be happier for my dear friend, Giles!

I invite everyone to tune in to all of Giles’ movies this Christmas (beginning this Saturday, December 10th with It’s Christmas, Eve on the Hallmark Channel), and I have even given you a “cheat sheet” below with all five Christmas movies along with the dates and networks listed as of now (which can all change), and I hope that scores of people tune in and support as many of these movies as possible. Additionally, be sure that you are following Giles at all the links below (he really likes Twitter!), and make plans now to come back and live tweet with him whenever you can. There is no uncertainty in my mind that Giles Panton’s extraordinary journey within the world of film and television has only just begun (although he’s been acting professionally for well over a decade), and something assures me that the best is yet to come! Fingers crossed that his first Hallmark lead will happen next year!!

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IMDB

Premieres on the Hallmark Channel November 10th

Premieres on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries November 18th

Premieres on Hallmark Channel December 16th

Premieres on Super Channel Heart & Home on November 11th

Premieres on UP Network on December 16th

CHRISTMAS PEN PALS

Premieres on Lifetime Channel on December 15th

Premieres on Super Channel Heart & Home on December 22nd

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