Back when The Irresistible Blueberry Farm premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, I had the opportunity to chat and connect with the amazing actress, Rebecca Staab. I was never a soap opera fan, so I was unaware of her considerable and tremendous body of work, but she and I had an instant rapport. When I discovered she was going to appear in an upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie, I immediately contacted her for a follow-up interview, and of course, Rebecca did not disappoint! We chatted about a wide variety of topics, and I am thrilled to be able to present this fabulous interview to my lovely readers today!
RH: Rebecca, I am so happy to chat with you again!
RS: Me too, Ruth. But you are so busy! How do you even keep up?
You’re telling me! Interestingly enough, I just had an interview with one of your co-stars from Somewhere Between. Greyston Holt. And he said to tell you “hi.”
Oh my goodness! My son! My adopted son. I love him!
His Christmas film, A Very Country Christmas, just premiered, and so that’s why I interviewed him.
Oh, I will have to look that one up. You know, there’s just not enough hours in the day to watch the things you want to watch.
Isn’t that the truth? I’m glad my daughter and I were able to watch Somewhere Between this summer. We really enjoyed it.
It was pretty gripping. Even though I read the script and knew what was going on, I was still jumping at some of the things that happened. And some of the things I even forgot happened. I found it so suspenseful. I’m so glad you guys watched it.
Well, you played your part really well. My daughter and I both definitely remembered your part. While you didn’t play your role with the intent to be evil, your character–
I know! Everybody’s like, “You are so evil!” And I was like, “Weee-lllll–”
Yeah, I know. You were being a mom. You were trying to protect your son. And, of course, your approach to the role is the only way an actor can do justice to a character like that. You had to come at it from the angle you chose.
You know, even when we were shooting it and we got to the last two episodes–we shot the episodes in blocks of two so we had the same director for episodes nine and ten–I had my ideas, and the director had his, and you have to work with their ideas and vision. He wanted Colleen a little bit more panicked and unraveled than I had envisioned her. I saw her with a sole purpose. And I think left to my own devices, she probably would have come off even more cold and calculating. In my mind, I figured she didn’t have time to panic. This is what she has to do, and panic just gets in the way. So it was a compromise. Thank you for watching. That’s nice to hear. I appreciate it.
My pleasure. And thankfully they changed your appearance so much. It was good that you didn’t look like the nice mom that I get used to seeing you play in Hallmark movies.
It was very important to have that change so people could believe I was that character. But Colleen’s character was calculated from the beginning. The writer, Stephen Tolkin, wrote Colleen to be a little bit more under the radar. If you’re blonde, they pay too much attention to you. If you wear bright colors, they pay too much attention to you. As a character, she had the muted hair. She always wore beige or khaki. We didn’t want my character to stand out visually. The character was introduced, but then you forget about her, and there’s no way you’re gonna suspect that woman. Even with the costuming. There was this beautiful red suit for Colleen, but he said, “No, no, no.” Or a beautiful pink dress–no!
As an actor, this was one of the best roles I’d ever had because I could metamorphosize. As soon as I got there and put on that wig, there was so little fuss as a character because I didn’t really wear any makeup. It was like mascara and powder and some chapstick. With less detail and attention to my physical self, I could really put all my attention into the scene and the situation. I didn’t have to split my attention between my appeal. Lots of times, you convey your character by your appearance and the way you look. But since my physical appearance didn’t really matter, it was easy for me to blow past that and be more potent. I was able to say and do things that were really grounded because it was just about the dialogue and the intention. So as an actor, I loved it. I wish I could always wear a wig and not have to wear any makeup again!
I don’t exactly know how ratings were for that show.
I don’t know either. I don’t think they were great which is unfortunate. But it really depends on their expectations. Sometimes they produce a show and while it’s a bonus if it’s a blockbuster, lots of times they just have a number that they want to hit. It doesn’t always have to be the biggest show. We just want to keep that time slot, and hopefully you build what they expect. And you know these days, the way they calculate viewership is cryptic. Everybody I know taped it and watched it later. I didn’t even watch it on regular TV because I was traveling around. I actually bought the series from iTunes. It’s really hard to calculate viewership because nobody watches like a traditional Nielsen household.
At this point, we haven’t heard anything about future seasons. There was talk maybe of a second season, but even that was ambiguous because they don’t know how they’d do it. They might have to do it like True Lies on HBO, where the next season, they came back with totally different characters. And I think this show lends itself to that well. You could have a totally different situation and people or try to backtrack and rewind and take some things that happened in our season and go, “Well, maybe that didn’t happen either. Maybe we never got on that plane.” Everybody was excited about the possibility, and they said they’d even love to have the same cast, but have them play totally different characters. I would love that! And I had always hoped that because I did look so different, if there was a second season, I could come back either as Colleen or someone else.
It was hilarious with me looking like that; everybody in the cast and crew knew me in the way Colleen looked. At the wrap party, I was just me with a little black dress and my blonde hair. Nobody talked to me ’cause nobody knew who I was. In fact, Matt Visser, who played my other son, and Greyston knew me as me. Hair, makeup and wardrobe and the people from the production office knew me as me, but most of the other cast and crew had no idea it was me. I kept confusing Devon {Sawa} because on set I would talk to him as Colleen with the wig, but at the party, I was talking to him, and I think he was just too nice or a good enough actor not to let me know he didn’t know who I really was. Like, “I have no idea who this girl is, but I’ll chat with her anyway.”
I was so glad you tweeted out a picture of your character. I was looking for you and your blonde hair, but after seeing that picture, I couldn’t believe that was you. I had to look intently at you to recognize you.
I had a picture we took the first day of shooting of the governor’s family, and I sent that picture to my mom. My mom was like, “Who is this?” I told her it was me with my set family. She was like, “Who are these people?” I kept trying to tell her, but she couldn’t understand. She looked at Cindy {Busby}, who played my daughter-in-law, and my mom was like, “That’s not you.” I said, “Mom, I’m the brunette.” Without missing a beat, my mom said, “That’s not you. That doesn’t even look like you.” I said, “Exactly. That’s why I sent it to you. This is the first episode of what will hopefully be a new series.”
I had that picture of Colleen on my phone, and I showed it to my producer. He said, “Who is that? She’s an actor?” I said, “Yeah.” He said, “She looks familiar. Who is she again?” I was like, “You don’t know who this is?” He was like, “What show? I think I might know her, but I can’t quite place her.” It was so funny. I kept fooling people like that. I said to my producer, “That’s me.” And he was like, “No way!” He took my phone over to the other producer, and he was like, “Hey, I was thinking maybe about using this gal.” And the other producer was like, “Who is that?” We were just cracking up. We kept doing it to everyone.
So you are in Coming Home For Christmas this weekend on Hallmark. And it looks like you have a really good part from what I can tell.
Yeah, I’m the mom. No surprise there. Danica {McKellar} and Lindsay {Maxwell} are my daughters. I can tell you there is a really beautiful scene at the opening with Danica and I which I really loved when we were filming. I’m looking forward to seeing that scene. We have Christmas at our house. There’s a big event we go to. It’s such a sweet movie. Well, all of their movies are so sweet.
Had you worked with any of these actors previously?
No, I hadn’t. But I was on The Wonder Years as Miss Farmer. I was the social studies teacher. Danica wasn’t there when I did that episode. We kind of passed in the night way back when. But this was the first time I met her and Lindsay. I knew of Andrew {Francis} from Chesapeake Shores. So no, I didn’t know anybody. So it was one big happy family.
What can you tell us about the main story?
I have two daughters, and Lindsay is a real estate agent and she is in the process of doing this really big deal with a very wealthy family who is selling their family mansion. At the opening of the story, Danica has been working in advertising, but she just lost her job. Lindsay comes to her and helps her get set up managing household things while Lindsay is doing the sale. Danica was always a huge Christmas fanatic, and for the three of us, Christmas is everything. There’s a big event at the mansion, and the two sons appear, Neal Bledsoe and Andrew. Neal is the one who has been kind of separate from the family for awhile, and Andrew is the younger one who is the jet setter and party guy that everyone loves. Their grandmother has a strained relationship with Neal, and I think I’ll leave the story there. You might be able to guess who doesn’t want to sell the house. And you can probably guess who the two brothers fall for.
But when the three of us get together–Danica, Lindsay and I–we’re really close. It’s just us girls. My husband passed away years ago, and my character takes the love, joy and security she has for Christmas that we’ve always celebrated in our family and shares it with the other family. Actually, the relationship I have with the two girls is special. The three of us got together a couple of times on our own before shooting so we could just hang out and really build a relationship and get our story established for our background so that it was rich and it had depth and had a lot of meaning for all of us. This Christmas exuberance–the core of it is in the family of us three women. We wanted to make sure we had a solid gift to share. Our scenes decorating the tree and at home on Christmas Day in front of the fire…it’s funny ’cause we were shooting it in the summer. But it is amazing how it feels like Christmas. As soon as you’re on set and that house is decorated and we’re in our Christmas jammies, it was so lovely. And I’m glad we took the time together personally outside of the set so that when we were on set, we felt like a family and we already had a love and fondness for each other. I’m just sitting here with the hugest smile on my face remembering shooing that. I’m just like the hugest Christmas fanatic in the world. I’ve always wanted to do a Hallmark Christmas movie, and so I was like, “Yay!” It was really special to me, and I’m so glad I got to share it with both of the girls ’cause we had such a wonderful relationship.
That just sounds wonderful, but then I always think every Hallmark Christmas movie sounds wonderful. How can you not like a Hallmark Christmas movie?
Everybody that I know or even people who are my friends on Facebook who I don’t know well–everybody is so excited for Hallmark Christmas movies! They are so excited I’m gonna be in one, and of course, so am I. I’m going over to Nina Weinman‘s house–she wrote the script. I know that Danica and Neal and I will be there with her. I think it was so sweet of Nina to do that.
I’m really looking forward to this movie. I always love Danica’s movies; she’s already a big drawing card for the network. And then Hallmark just keeps breaking records with all their movies. It’s incredible!
I am so happy for them. They have such a loyal audience and they keep producing really good content.
We love the network, and all ages can watch. My parents and I always watch together, and sometimes my teenage daughter will watch too. It’s so wonderful to watch something where you don’t have to worry about seeing something offensive or inappropriate on screen. It’s family-friendly content. It’s something I really appreciate about Hallmark.
Me too. And it’s funny how unique that is. They’re the only ones that are really like that. Unless you’re watching Animal Planet or something like that. But to be scripted content, it’s absolutely true. That’s the only network you can turn to and expect that and not have those surprises. I think they really have a niche that people want.
So do I understand you’re already working on another show that might get picked up?
Yes, just last week, I was down in Del Mar, which is North San Diego County. We shot the first episode of a new show called Manopause. It’s hilarious! It’s about three men in their mid-fifties going through what men go through when they’re at that age. It’s really smart and funny. It’s not necessarily a comedy and it’s not necessarily a drama. When I read the script, I got a little vision in my head of what was going on, and when I heard who they were casting, I was like, “Oh my gosh, that’s genius!” They’re these really good-looking guys, so it’s not like what everyone pictures in their heads when they think of guys in their fifties and sixties. They’re very successful men, and in the story, they’re wealthy and good-looking and have relationships with their wives, so it gives a different face to being in your fifties. These guys seem to have it all have to go through the typical man things at that age. It’s almost a male version of Desperate Housewives meets This Is Us. There’s three men, and each has their respective wife. And it’s based on three real-life guys. I mean art imitating real life! One of the three guys wrote it and two produced it, but unfortunately, the third guy in their trio tragically passed away earlier this year. It gave the other two a real impetus to make this series and get it done. So there’s endless material because these guys have lived it.
Our week filming this was the best week. It was such a collaboration. It was one of those projects where there wasn’t much money as some productions have at their disposal. It was a limited crew and limited shooting schedule. But it’s these kinds of productions that become collaborative. It really becomes people’s heart and soul and passion. We had the greatest crew and you would never know there was limited time or money. We got so much in the can every day. While we had a grueling schedule, we got it done in such a way that we never felt rushed or pressured. They got really good actors that worked really well together. And since we were all seasoned and experienced and worked on our own off the set, when it came time to shoot, we came to set not only prepared with the scene, but we added layers and depth and brought stuff that surprised even those guys. It became a group project. It was absolutely one of my favorite work experiences ever.
The guys who wrote it and produced it–they and their families got involved too. Their wives were there with their kids and the in-laws, and so it was really just one big happy family. I know we probably overuse that term and you hear it a lot, but that literally is what it was on this project. I have been missing everyone since I got back. In fact, I’ve been struggling with separation anxiety, especially at first. I keep asking them all what they’re up to. We keep talking back and forth as much as possible. You know, there are movies where you get along so well, and the audience assumes you’re friends in real life. Nine times out of ten, no, you never talk to them again, except for the days you were working together. This project, however, is not like that. We really are friends.
Well, let’s hope it gets picked up and that more episodes are ordered.
That is our hope. Our group is cohesive and we really know, love, and feed each other. It was amazing how they went about casting everyone. In real life, we actually have the qualities our character has. Because of that, we have so many more layers we can show, and our interactions were amazing. In some of these scenes, the guys would just improvise and go off and take a joke to another level. They were going back and forth rapid fire with the jokes, and it was so hard standing off to the side not to laugh. They were constantly one-upping each other. It was so rewarding since there were two producers who are new, so this is like their pet project because they have put so much into it. It was joyful as performers to see them so pleased because every day was above and beyond their expectations. I am proud to be a part of the show, and for the sake of these guys especially, I would love to see it get picked up. It makes your joy compounded because you know everyone wants it for these guys. We’re looking forward to seeing how they edit it together, and once it gets sold, we hope we’ll be coming back together very soon to shoot the rest of the season. I don’t know what it is, whether it’s the law of attraction or just that blessings sometimes just pour out. I think that the best things happen sometimes when you least expect it.
Now, I didn’t do anything direct or specific to get this role. The executive producer, Julie Caruthers, was the executive producer when I was on Port Charles. I’ve been off of that show for fourteen years. She texted me about two or three weeks ago, and she’s like, “I’m producing a series, and I have a character and you are absolutely the only person I know who can play this role.” She was just checking my availability, and I was like, “Thank you, God!” it was amazing how it materialized and was made to be. She called me and the next day, I got together with her and the two producers, and we locked down the deal. It’s amazing how things happened. Richard Burgi, I’ve known him literally since 1990. That’s like twenty-seven years ago. Actually, he and I were on this series One West Waikiki back in 1994. We met because we have a mutual friend, Glen Larson, and when Glen produced this one, we got to come on. I played Richard’s ex-fiance so it was funny because we had worked back in the day. We had no problem playing husband and wife. We’ve always been friends, and to play husband and wife on screen was almost destiny. We already had so much time in our lives already together. We hadn’t been best friends and hadn’t hung out in a while. But it made us so familiar as husband and wife. You’re just kinda like yeah, it’s so believable. Everyone else was like, “OMG, you guys seem instantly perfect for each other!” And we were like, “Yeah, we pretty much are.”
Rebecca, what you’re talking about reminds me of what I hear about filming shorts. That camaraderie and help that we always talk about when discussing independent film projects sounds like what you are actively doing.
That is kind of what it’s like. It’s an intangible that really comes across on the street. There is no way it looks low budget. We had the most unbelievable director of photography. It’s just luscious! We would watch some of the playback and it’s like you just want to eat it off the screen.
Also, the director was the greatest guy. He had his ideas, but the director really had to be on the ball technically. He also had to be on par with what was going on in the story, but he always deferred to us. He understood this was our creation as well, and he would tell us how he saw it. He would tell us how he would shoot it, but he asked us to show us how we would do it too. We were able to work together. He made it feel fun for everybody. He wasn’t like, “Hurry, hurry, hurry! We’ve only got fifteen minutes to do this, so come in the door, cross over there–” It was none of that. I think that when people hurry, you almost get more behind. Trying to all get on the same page at the same time is harder. Instead, it works better if the person says, “Hey, this is a clean slate. It’s wide open. Let’s build this thing hand-in-hand at the same time.”
It was so fun working with the crew. With so many productions, you’re the talent, you come on and do your scene, and that’s that. We were there hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm. I love when you know every crew member’s name! We would sit around and laugh behind-the-scenes. There was one day where us three girls were in a swimming pool for this one scene, but we were in the pool six hours. But the hilarious thing was…so was the cameraman and a couple other crew members. There were those three guys in their suits in the water with us the whole time. It was amazing. When we got cold, we could just jump out and put on a robe and stand by a heater, but those guys were running the camera and they couldn’t. They were like, “That’s okay. I’ll just stay in the water.” They would just spray sunblock on each other. You know, it’s those kinds of things where it just becomes like putting on a show and “let’s just play.” So it definitely had an indie feel. Everybody learns and grows together.
As to the rest of the year, I’ll probably be here for Thanksgiving, and then I will probably go back up to Vancouver. It’s great that I have the freedom to be in both places. I have the best of both worlds. Winter is in Vancouver, and then here in LA, it’s warm and sunny. I love my apartment in Vancouver, and it’s a very creative space for me. It’s nice because I’m only ever there for work, so my head is always clear and sharp when I live there. I am literally right next to Stanley Park and English Bay. So nature is at my fingertips. I also have enough friends to do things with if I want or I can isolate myself if I need to concentrate for work. I love it up there, but I am also excited to come home. People think it’s hard to go back and forth, and while it kind of is because I miss my family while I’m up there. I have to make sure someone is taking care of the roses in my yard and everything, but I’m so blessed that I have a full and rewarding life in both cities. I’m so happy and content in my real life that it makes work richer for me and vice versa. I’m so excited and fulfilled in my profession and still growing. You know, when we get off the phone, I’m gonna go make some banana bread because I have some bananas that have been sitting there for some time. It’s a wonderful balance, and I never take it for granted. At this time in my life, it just keeps getting better. I’m extremely grateful.
Rebecca, hearing you talk like this gives me hope for the future. I love talking with women like you who are inspirational and living their dreams. I’m not saying you’re old, but you’re older than I am, and I can say that even in my forties, I’m not done yet like society likes to tell women. Women like you who have been in the business a while and still enjoy life and continue learning and growing–that is such an inspiration to me.
You know, you’re right. The other day, we were doing some press for Manopause, and they wanted to know the best and worst thing about being in your fifties. Well, I think I’m better now than ever before. I’m a better actor. I’m in the best relationship of my life. I think I’m a better athlete now. My health has become my lifestyle. I am constantly improving. I think I know more at this stage in my life. I’ve read more and lived more. I’m a better friend, a better listener. To think that these things wind down…if anything, they amp up. We’ve got more in our backpack now than ever before.
The frustrating thing can be the lack of good roles. But having the opportunity to work in Vancouver means I can audition for a range of roles. When I was younger, I was pigeonholed. I was the beauty queen or the trophy wife. That was all I was allowed to play. But now I can be the mom. Even in Coming Home For Christmas, she’s a single mom who’s a nurse, and she’s still working. So they wanted me to look like a working mom. So even though I’m older, there’s fewer rules and I’ve been allowed to expand the range. I can take off the makeup–they’ll let you now.
If I’m professionally working less, there are some things I’ve wanted to do with my life that are really interesting to me, and now I can do those things. There are new doors and avenues open to me. You know, I constantly forget how old I am. My age just gets further from me every year. If we didn’t have to look in the mirror or have our face on camera, I wouldn’t know I’m any older at all. I feel more potent. I wish we could erase the numbers. I know people who even if they hit a dead end, they go, “You know, I’m fifty, but I’ve got so much life left and I’m not gonna make this my dead end. I’m gonna do something totally different.” Society has been very supportive of people following their dreams. You get to a certain age where your kids are gone and you can collect your pension, and you feel free to do what you’ve always wanted to do. It brings out the child, the youth, the inner fire. While in previous generations, you were done, but now even when you’re a grandma, you can do so much more. I really appreciate you saying you appreciate my perspective and the way I’m living life. That’s really nice to hear. A lot of my friends from college had their lives turn out totally differently from what they had imagined, but a lot of them now are just starting on chapter two.
Also, social media has totally changed things. I prefer to think of the positive effect of social media. The accessibility, the support. You have opportunities to inspire and communicate with other women that you wouldn’t have been able to before even ten years ago. Remember when there was no Facebook?
Yes, I have so many friends now I have not physically met or just barely met, but I am closer to some of them than my real family members.
I know exactly what you mean! There was a girl I only briefly met at an event, and we became Facebook friends. One of our Chihuahua dogs had a Chihuahua personality, and she had a male Chihuahua that mirrored that personality. So we became very close friends because of these dogs who are sadly both gone now. She even stayed with me when she came to California. So even though I had never really met her, I knew her.
And there are people from high school that I only barely knew–maybe they were a few years older or something. And now all these years later, we have gotten to bond. I have friends from high school and college who I’m a thousand times closer to now. Before, they were basically just a name or a face, but now we have much more in common. It’s been so heartwarming. Sure it takes time to cultivate these things. Sometimes I think back to the time before we had social media and I had more free time. In fact, one time I saw this picture right after I had moved to LA. It was from Thanksgiving and on my table was this elaborate, gorgeous centerpiece that I had made. I was looking at that and wondering when in heaven’s name I had ever had time to craft that! I didn’t have a home, dogs, a yard, or a cell phone. My life may have been simpler, but there’s more benefits to the life I have now.
Rebecca, is there anything else upcoming? I just want to make sure we haven’t missed something.
Well, there is Live Like Line, but that’s now scheduled to be out in April of 2018, the last I heard.
Oh, yeah, we talked about that a lot the last time we interviewed. Glad it’s going to finally be coming out!
Yeah, they wanted to release it at the right time so that it doesn’t conflict with school stuff or summer. So they decided April was a good month. That’s going to be an amazing one when it does come out.
I also did Moonlight in Vermont earlier this year for Hallmark. Lacey {Chabert} was in that, and she is just lovely! We shot that in January, and I couldn’t believe she was still nursing her baby. She was losing sleep, and she had a little baby to care for. It was freezing, and those hours we had to be on set were really early sometimes. But I watched Lacey, and you would never know it. She had so much energy and was just wonderful to everyone. She’s my hero! She had all the love, commitment, and focus, and looking at the final product, you would never believe she was a new mother. I have so much respect for that woman.
And Jason Cermak. I just love him! We had so much fun on that shoot. We were on location, and mostly everything was shot in that house. We had such camaraderie staying in that house together. We weren’t constantly in and out of the trailer. We were just right there in that house ninety percent of the time. We had a great green room downstairs, and it was cozy and comfortable. It’s amazing what that kind of thing does to the heart and soul of the production.
And Fiona {Vroom}. She’s actually my neighbor in Vancouver. She’s just a little pistol who’s working all the time and involved in so much. I sure am looking forward to and hoping for more Hallmark down the pipeline. I just love this network!
That’s just great, Rebecca. Thank you so much sharing today. It was wonderful catching up.
My pleasure, Ruth. It’s just like chatting with a friend when we do these interviews. I really enjoy it.
With someone like Rebecca, who is vibrant, enthusiastic, artistic, and industrious, I don’t believe there is much I could state in addition to what she has already discussed. However, what I can assure you of is the following–Rebecca is authentic in every way imaginable. She never draws attention to herself on purpose; she merely has a resplendent aura and an innate sparkle that attracts people to her. (Rememer what she said about blondes, right?) Her smile, her animated way of speaking, and her natural joie de vivre do not permit her to remain incognito for long–unless they slap a brunette wig on her, that is. 🙂
In the world of Hallmark actresses, I absolutely adore every one I have met and/or interviewed. Notwithstanding, I do tend to connect more richly with those women who are older due to the fact that these women have witnessed and experienced a part of life that is still in my future. In chatting with them about real life, I have discovered that it is possible to continue learning and growing well beyond society’s established norm, and they give me unshakeable hope for the future. Rebecca is one who “will not say die,” as the old saying goes, and her outlook and belief system resonate with me on varied levels.
I hope that Saturday, November 18th, everyone will tune in to the Hallmark Channel to see Coming Home For Christmas, the next premiere in the ever-popular network holiday fare. While I have no doubt that Danica, Lindsey, Andrew, and Neal will comprehensively dazzle and delight the viewers, it is Rebecca, who I plan on watching closely as I have become so much more than just a fan of her work. While I have never met this phenomenal and electrifying woman, I have no doubt that she will continue to encourage and challenge women for many years to come, and the fact that she takes the time to personally speak with me and apprise me of her career to date is something that I do not take lightly. I sincerely hope that everyone will check out all of Rebecca’s links below and consider following her where applicable. In my humble opinion, Rebecca’s best years are yet to be, and I greatly anticipate what the future holds for her! And the fact that I can consider myself a miniscule part of her success is enough to remind me of how blessed I am to call her “friend.”
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{All photos courtesy Crown Media Press and Rebecca Staab.}
1 Comment
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I’ve enjoyed seeing her in Hallmark and other productions