There was a point in my life not so long ago when I struggled to separate an actor from the role he played. In fact, I can remember intimating to my mother that I didn’t like the character “Will” in Cedar Cove, and I wasn’t sure if I liked the actor who played him either. In fact, when I found out that Will figured into the plot more principally in season three, I was a bit disgruntled at first. However, the reviewer within me compelled me to watch season three with an open mind. And I will admit once I made the decision that Cameron Bancroft was merely a masterful actor portraying the role, I realized what an adept actor he is. Furthermore, he has treated me with nothing but kindness from the moment of our initial contact, and that is always the key to winning me over. Since that time, I have been a fervent supporter of his talents, and I was elated to be able to interview him recently. We discussed all things Hallmark and more, including his upcoming film, The Wedding March.
What inspired you to become an actor? What kind of training have you received?
I was inspired to become an actor after my high school musical theatre and drama teachers encouraged me to pursue further training in the craft of acting. That is the short answer. The long answer is I had an accident that led me to have a significant concussion and joining the school productions helped me to find a new passion outside of sports where I could make strong connections with other people. I use sports analogies often when speaking about acting because playing on a team and learning your role in the shared pursuit of obtaining your goal is very similar to being a part of a cast. I love focused rehearsal. I love practicing. I love the excitement and challenge of performing and trusting your teammates/ cast mates to be there with you and give it your all. The camaraderie you get to experience every new job. Pretty cool.
I went to a great high school for drama in North Vancouver, Handsworth, and then I went to Cal Arts in Valencia, California for my BFA in Theatre. I have recently finished a Bachelors of Education from UBC. I have been taking courses for coaching sports for the last ten years and will always sign up for acting workshops as often as possible. So much to learn, so little time!
Mail Order Bride
Cameron Bancroft, Daphne Zuniga
What do you like about working for the Hallmark brand?
I am very grateful for my relationship with Hallmark. I was in a movie called Mail Order Bride with the wonderful Daphne Zuniga back in 2008, that coincidentally was written by Neal and Tippi Dobrofsky who also wrote, The Wedding March.
Cameron as Charles Ingalls
Hallmark picked up the six-hour miniseries remake of Little House on the Prairie, where I was Charles Ingalls and more recently, the first Garage Sale Mystery in that franchise. It seems to be doing alright without me. (laughs) And of course, Cedar Cove.
Cameron Bancroft as Will
Anyway, Will Jeffers was an incredibly fun character to play because he was the black sheep brother to Andie MacDowell’s overachieving and loved judge Olivia Lockhart, which she played amazingly well. Off camera, she and I kept it very light and laughed a lot. If we were arguing in the scene, it was sibling arguments which are different than between two people in love. We had an unconditional love as family and therefore, it made the scenes we had together slightly lighter and more playful. We had fun, even if we were yelling at each other. I miss her and the rest of the cast very much.
KWIK KWOTE
KWIK KWOTE
As you’ve played a wide variety of characters over your career, how do you approach getting into character, especially when it’s the “bad guy,” or the “other guy who doesn’t get the girl”?
KWIK KWOTE
Cameron Bancroft,
Garage Sale Mystery
What was it like working on the first Garage Sale Mystery?
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5 Comments
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Hi Ruth,
I wanted to thank you for your Cameron Bancroft interview. I’ve been a big fan for ages. I teach English in a small school in France and got a photo + autograph of him a long time ago. I had to wait for 5 years to get it but I now display it in my classroom in order to encourage my pupils to believe in their dreams and stay patient ! I don’t know if you still have any contact with Cameron Bancroft but if so, I would be honored if you could mention this anecdote to him (I would have liked to attach a photo of my classroom but I can’t do it via the “contact us” section of the website). Thanks in advance. Love from France, Claire -
Hi Ruth, thank you for sharing this. I really, really appreciate it. I recently had a crush on Cameron after I saw him in Code Name: Eternity and I really have fallen in love with him (although he’s 2 years older than my dad. Is that normal? lol). Anyway, I’m so glad that I found your website and I’m sure will come back again!
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Author
Adni, thx so much for stopping by. You don’t sound strange at all. Cameron is a great guy. Thx for the support.
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He is definitely a great actor and nice to look at. I did not know he played Charles Ingalls on Little House. I am so glad you had the honor to do this interview. I am happier that you shared it with us. Thank you for sharing
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Linda, my pleasure. And just to clarify, this is a mini-series they did where he played Charles, not the old TV show. Sometimes it is confusing, but I really liked him in that!
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