Those who have followed my posts on here for at least a couple of years are well aware of the fact that the Hallmark original show Chesapeake Shores, which premieres its third season this weekend, is my favorite Hallmark Channel show. Yes, it runs a close second to When Calls the Heart, and Good Witch boosted its game this past season, but my heart remains devoted to the Chessies. Within the framework of the show, I was instantly drawn to the character Connor O’Brien (played by Andrew Francis), and I made it manifest to anyone within my sphere of influence that he was my favorite character on the show. Even before the show premiered, I noticed that Andrew was going to be a part of the cast of this show, and I requested an interview with this talented, young actor. Amazingly, he agreed rather quickly to my inquiry. Alas, that was the last time in which speed was a commodity regarding this interview. Approximately three years later, after much persistence on both of our parts and frenetic management of rather tricky scheduling at times, I am honored to share my Andrew Francis interview with all of my readers today in anticipation of Sunday’s (April 5th) premiere of season three!

Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

RH: First of all, Andrew, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to chat with me today.

AF: Ruth, thank you for your patience and persistence. I’m glad we finally got our schedules to work out.

While I know you from Hallmark movies and Chesapeake Shores, my daughter knows you as one of the voices of My Little Pony. 

Oh yeah?

My Little Pony Shining Armor

I was watching you one day in Mr. Miracle, and my daughter overheard your voice in the film, and she said that she knew you were one of the voices on My Little Pony. I figured she was wrong, but I looked it up, and of course, she was right.

That’s pretty cool. I do go to some of the My Little Pony conventions. I did one in St. Louis in the middle of filming for Chesapeake Shores.

Last year, we went to one in Seattle, Washington, and that’s where we met Nicole Oliver, so that was really neat. I’ve had the opportunity to interview her several times.

Oh yeah, our cartoon mother! Any time we’re in the studio together and one of us is feeling sick, she’s the first one who gets out her bag of tricks. She’s got every essential oil and every cough drop imaginable.

Well, this is the long-awaited interview that has been nearly three years in the making!

Yes, that’s how to create anticipation!

Photo by Ricardo HubbsRicardo Hubbs © Crown Media United States, LLC

{laughing} Absolutely! So many of the fans have been pushing for this, and my two friends over at the Hallmarkies Podcast have REALLY pushed for this to happen. We had just been discussing whether this interview was going to happen, and they and the rest of the Chessies will be quite pleased, I am sure! One of the ladies calls you her “boyfriend.”

Oh, is that right? My girlfriend from afar!

Yes, the girlfriend you haven’t met yet! So, Andrew, you have an incredible list of credits. In fact, I’ve seen you in many things. Sometimes I’ll be watching an old Lifetime network film, and you’ll just pop up, playing some young, bad guy or the wayward youth. Or I’ll go back and watch something again, and then I realize that you were in it, and I didn’t notice you the first time. And then you have lots of voice work. So how did you get started doing all this?

I actually started when I was six years old. I told my mother that I wanted to be “inside the TV.” She didn’t know exactly how to take that, but she thought she would take me to an agent and see if I was theatrical and if that was going to scratch my performing bug. So I went to an agency that is incidentally no longer in business, and I went to a Fisher Price roller skates commercial. I got a part as a background performer, but on set they quickly upgraded me to one of the featured kids in the commercial. That was my first gig. After that, I did about forty commercials before I was nine years old. That’s when I got braces and I had to pivot because they don’t really like hiring kids with braces to sell cereal.

I also officially started on camera when I was six. I was a part of the show  Lamchops Play-Along, though sadly, Shari Lewis passed away. I did quite a few seasons of that. And then I moved into Charlie Horse’s Musical Pizza, which is what it evolved into. And then that entire franchise ended when she passed.

Wow, Andrew, you’ve had a very long career! 

Well, if my credits weren’t that long, I wouldn’t have been doing that well, right?

So after you got braces, what was your next step? You said things changed, but I’m assuming you still wanted to pursue a career in acting.

Yes, I definitely still wanted to pursue a career in acting, but I was just limited on what I could go out for since braces represents a certain type of character on camera. But it has no influence on voice work. So I went to my first voiceover audition at Ocean Studios, which is a well-known studio here in Vancouver. It’s obviously been around for a long time. I went in for the show Sammy the Squirrel, and I was cast as Sammy. It really helped that I had had the direction and the time on set from ages six to nine so I would be able to take the direction from the voice director quite easily. They’re always looking for actual kids to do kid voices. A lot of times, you’ll find that older women will play younger voices, both boys and girls. Much like Nancy Cartwright in The Simpsons. When they find a kid who can actually put the performance through, a lot of people can hear the authenticity, and they’ll gravitate towards that. So they scooped me up quite quickly, and my teen years were spent doing quite a bit of voiceover.

That made a very easy transition into voice work for you. Sometimes I hear stories about how hard it is to break into voice work, especially in Vancouver. 

Yes, that’s right, it can be difficult. It’s quite the bubble. I was blessed by being introduced to it at an early age and being surrounded by professional voice actors, most of who are still around today. Such as Scott McNeill, Brian Drummond, the Dobson brothers, Kirby Morrow, and so many others. I was able to learn pretty quickly the different techniques and the different styles. I’ve actually never taken a voice acting class. My classes were just spent in the studio, learning from the best in the business. Ian Cortlett, David Kaye and another David A Kaye, who is the voice on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and a few other well-known things. Being able to watch how they worked and how they were able to take direction…it was a real blessing to be invited into those rooms.

I’m not overly surprised that you haven’t taken a voice acting class. You started so young and you were surrounded by all this talent. I would say that was an education in of itself, just watching those people and learning from these greats in the business. Sometimes that can be just as effective, if not more so, than going to an actual class. I think it just depends on the person, but it sounds like your situation worked to your benefit. 

Most definitely. I was very, very interested in what they were doing, how they were doing it, and how they were modulating their voices. The different techniques that it takes, for instance, of doing a certain line and knowing there are three different ways to say it and you have three separate choices, and then you can whittle down from those choices. In the voice acting classes, you’re usually in a larger group, and whether you do well or you don’t do well, you’re learning and you’re slowly growing. Whereas, when you’re in a studio environment where big bucks are being spent on the executives who are there on the studio time with all the other voice actors and the time they have them there, you really get put under the gun. You have to sink or swim. You become put into that fight or flight mode. So I wouldn’t say I was forced, but I had to learn the proper style and what the director and the executives were looking for quickly and on the spot. That kind of pressure, I think, helped propel my talent faster than it would have necessarily in a classroom environment.

As one who took a non-traditional route to become a teacher, I know for a fact that on-the-job training can be some of the best. All too often, there’s not enough real-world experience in the classroom. And from what I know of you, Andrew, I tend to think that your preference would be to get in and do the work and learn that way rather than sitting in a classroom. You strike me as one who is an experiential learner.

Most definitely. I think that starting at the age that I did, I was given a little bit of leeway in finding the correct choices to make with the lines I was given. In a classroom, where you would do your piece and you’d get advice on how to do it would not have been as beneficial for me at such a young age.  A voice actor who’s trying to break in now, not necessarily a kid, but if you are an older voice actor trying to break in, an acting class or a voice acting class wouldn’t necessarily hurt, provided that you know the basics. Like technique, popping your “p’s”, mouth position in relationship to the microphone, different code phrases that a director might give you. That kind of stuff is good to get in a classroom. But being a kid and being able to be put right into the mix, I was forced to learn those things faster than you probably would in a classroom. I was blessed to be given that leeway and to find my voice and find what they’re looking for in a really professional environment.

I truly think that is a great way to learn. I had classes in education after I became a teacher, and it was great to be able to use what I was learning as opposed to learning it in theory and not being able to put it into practice. 

I’ve found that to be true with the private coaching that I do. I started a company between season two and season three of Chesapeake Shores called Zenden Wellness. We have three branches: Zenden Meditation, Zenden Skin, and Zenden Perform. Zenden Perform offers different levels of private coaching as well as acting classes. What we have found in that coaching is that a lot of people have taken a six-month intensive for acting, but there’s just so many people that they often don’t get the attention they need to excel in an audition or on-set. They’re just sort of thrown in the mix with a lot of theory and not a lot of practical knowledge. When people come to me for these private sessions, that’s sort of what we work on is the practical knowledge. Because you know that being in an audition room and being on-set are two completely different things. A lot of times in an audition room, a director will ask you after you’ve done your first read to do it in a completely different way with a completely different direction.  A lot of times, actors or voice actors will go into an audition with an idea of how it’s supposed to be done, and they want to “get it right.” Whereas auditions are a time when casting directors, producers, and whoever else is in the room want to see you get it wrong. They want to see you take chances. They want to know that on the fly, they can tell you to do something different, and you can absorb that information, know what they are looking to attain out of that direction, and quickly give them what they are looking for, while still staying true to yourselves in the character.

Andrew, I tell you, I am quite impressed with you so far in this interview. I mean, not that I didn’t plan on this being an incredible interview; of course, I did. But you have a lot of practical knowledge–more than I expected, to be honest. 

Thank you very much.

I love finding that. Not that I underestimated you, but sometimes it’s hard to decipher what someone actually knows and how much they know. And you’ve certainly amassed a lot of knowledge through your experience in your career and all your interactions with people. It’s amazing, I think, and you’ve done very well for yourself, in my opinion.

I appreciate that. To the dismay sometimes of the voice actors in the room. When I was young, I would copy the voices of these other voice actors. For instance, when we were working on X-Men Evolution, I was playing Bobby Drake/Iceman and Scott McNeill was playing Wolverine. At one point, I gave my best Wolverine–I was somewhere around twelve, thirteen, or fourteen at the time–and it was almost dead on. And I think the voice actors looked around and went, “Uh-oh! Stop learning so much, Andrew! Go back to whatever you’re doing! Take your headphones off and get out of here!” {laughs} No, no, no, I’m kidding about their reaction. They were always very, very generous.

I think I know what you mean. Sometimes your expectations are low when it comes to kids or those that haven’t been in the business as much. And then you come along, and they’re like, “Wow! This is a kid we have to watch. When he gets older, he’s gonna give us some competition.” 

Looking back, there are very few young voice actors who made the transition into being an adult. I mean I can count them on one hand off the top of my head. Myself, Chantal Strand, and Andrea Libman. Those are the two I can think of off the top of my head.  A lot of young voice actors come and go. You really can get lost in the transition when doing young people’s voices and then jumping to adult voices. There’s so much competition when you get to that place. You have to go against the guys who have been doing it for many years already and they’re ages ahead of you. So breaking into that upper echelon and that bubble as it were where you can play big ogres and you can also play little dwarves and you can play the whole variety of characters from high voices to low voices…you really have to have that range. Especially in the way they have things set up in our contracts here in Vancouver, they actually save money hiring the same voice actor to play multiple roles. They’re looking for that person that has a diversity in their voice and range, especially range.

I’m glad you made the transition and you are able to continue doing all this voice work.

Photo by JACK ROWAND Supernatural © 2012 THE CW NETWORK, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

I had a little bit of help in my voice change. I was doing a show called Monster Rancher. I went away for a little period of time, and they were doing the episodes that were set to air. So when I came back, I had to do three days, back-to-back: 9-6, 9-6, 9-6. On the end of the third day, because my character does so much screaming–he wears roller blades and he jumps off a cliff so he’s screaming these long battles. Well, I actually devel0ped nodes on my vocal chords. For anyone who doesn’t know what nodes are, they’re kind of like blisters. I was given the option to either have surgery or not talk for two weeks. I decided to not do the surgery. I had a pen and paper, and I wrote everything down, and that’s the way I was communicating for a while. When I came out of the recovery process, I had a high voice and a very deep voice. So I was able to push in either direction. If I had to be a young kid, I could do the high range. Or like in Slugterra, I play Kord who’s four hundred pounds. But that situation actually helped me to develop my range in being able to play multiple characters.

When did you step back in front of the camera?

Photo by JACK ROWAND Supernatural © ©2012 THE CW NETWORK, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

I was in front of the camera throughout my teen years in TV movies and guest-starring in various episodes of different series. I was on Supernatural, The Outer Limits, and other shows like that. But I wasn’t in anything too substantial. When I was in my early twenties, I enrolled in acting school, and I did that for three years. I was taught by a very talented coach, Michèle Lonsdale Smith. While there, I learned the art of relaxation–how to relax the body and let the emotions come out in a more genuine way. I learned different techniques, such as substitution, which is when an actor in a scene puts someone who is really in your life in place of the character that you essentially have no relationship with. It might be that you talk to that person or maybe it’s even more emotional than that. It all depends on the scene and who you need to put there. It was techniques like that and others that furthered my growth in being able to stay true to human nature, while also depicting what needs to be depicted in the scene and story.

Fakers

Right after I got out of acting school, the first film that I did was a film called Fakers with a very good friend of mine, Greyston Holt. We traveled to Montreal and did that film, and I was surprised a few months later to hear that I had been nominated against such talents as Barry Pepper–his performance in The Kennedys as Bobby Kennedy. I was nominated alongside him, Ian McShane and a few other talented individuals for a Gemini Nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film. That was a really nice surprise. I had no idea I had even been submitted. So when someone called and said that I had been nominated, I was quite taken aback. A few weeks later, I was off to Toronto for the awards show. I definitely credit it to learning the different techniques for on-screen acting. I can be in the room with talented individuals for voice acting and learn a lot, but when you’re on set, things are moving so fast and you’re really concerned about what you’re doing. And being only a day player or a few episodes at a time type of actor, you don’t really get a chance to hone your craft as you do when you have a twenty-six, fifty-two, or eighty-plus episode cartoon.

Since that time, I haven’t been nominated for another Gemini Award because I haven’t done anything else out east, but I have been nominated for a Leo Award for Best Supporting Actor, and I won Best Performance in a Voiceover one year as well as being nominated for Best Producer of a Short and a few other ones. It’s always fun to be able to go to the awards show and get reacquainted with your fellow thespians in the city.

I have had the honor of going to one awards show, and it was the Joey Awards for the kids a couple years ago. I had so much fun! I was there to support the kids. 

Oh, there are some really talented kids here in Vancouver. One of the kids I do private coaching with is Christian Convery.

Oh yeah, I met him and his mom at that awards show! 

He has been great to work with. He’s so awesome. I have been teaching him mostly on voiceover because he’s doing a brilliant job on-screen. He is so talented and has such a great attitude.

Trading Christmas

Absolutely! And he has matured so much since I met him. It has been wonderful to see him grow up a bit and land some amazing roles. Now back to you. I believe your first Hallmark movie was Trading Christmas if I am reading things correctly.

That is probably right.

The Christmas Clause was not a Hallmark film; that was Lifetime. 

I know a big one for Hallmark was Tom, Dick & Harriet. And that is a production where I had some of the most fun ever.

Tom Dick & Harriet

Yes, I see that one was a little bit later than Trading Christmas. So it would appear that your first official Hallmark film was Trading Christmas. It was a small role, and oh, you looked sooo young in that! Of course, I think you tend to have a young face. So lots of times, I think you look younger than what you are.

I sometimes tell people that I’m still waiting to grow facial hair. I wonder if it’s ever gonna happen. But I have my fingers crossed. And toes.

I do know that Trading Christmas is still a big favorite amongst the fans. 

Yeah, I didn’t have a huge role in that one. It was with Emma Lahana. It was a fun shoot, but not the hugest role. I have worked with Britt Irvin quite a bit on Hallmark projects. We did Mr. Miracle together, and she plays my girlfriend in Chesapeake Shores. And we were also in Ms. Matched together. They really like to pair us up. We’ve done quite a few cartoons together as well from way back. We actually shared the same agent for quite a few years.

Well, speaking of Mr. Miracle, that is actually one of my family’s favorite Christmas films. In fact, that was the film when I finally figured out who you were. Before that, I honestly didn’t pay a lot of attention to you, but I made the connection in that film. I don’t know how well Mr. Miracle did. And I really don’t care what everybody else thought because that movie was very special to my mom and me. We got to meet Debbie Macomber when that book had just been released. We both read the book, and although the movie was a little different, we liked them both. 

Credit: Copyright 2014 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Katie Yu

Rob Morrow definitely made some strong choices with the character, and he was very, very committed on set. Whether the audience gravitated towards his performance or not…the viewers went two different ways with the film and his characterization. But watching him work and watching the dedication that he put into the intricacies of that character was actually quite inspiring.

I’m not surprised because it’s our family tradition to watch it. And it was on the Hallmark streaming app called Hallmark Movies Now, but they recently took it off. I expect it will be back around Christmas time again. 

That’s amazing to hear! Hallmark is definitely on its way up and continues to expand its services. I’m very glad to hear that. I took a look at the numbers from seasons one and two of Chesapeake Shores, and it is just incredible the growth the network has been experiencing. And I can see why considering the world that we live in. People want to tune into a feel-good network like Hallmark as a way to take them out of the difficulties that are happening around them, and it brings them into a place that feels good.

And now we need to get the full Hallmark network up there in Canada. I know a few of the other Canadian networks up there eventually get the Hallmark movies and shows, and I’m grateful to Super Channel Heart & Home for airing both When Calls the Heart and Chesapeake Shores on the same day and time that the U.S. sees these shows on Hallmark. 

with the guys
Chesapeake Shores

Absolutely. And the W Network–the Women’s Network–shows a lot of Hallmark stuff too. But this season of Chesapeake Shores is going to be so much fun to be able to live tweet with the U.S. Before that, we always had to rely on one of the U.S. actors–usually, it was Treat Williams–to let us know when the commercials were on. Those of us in Canada were sent a copy of the episode to watch a few days before it aired, but it’s nice now that we can watch and tweet together.

And we Chessies really appreciate it when the actors try to tweet along with the fans. It makes the experience so much more fun. Now, of course, the fans of Chesapeake Shores definitely know you from that show! By the time Hallmark rolled out that series, I knew who you were. And Connor quickly became my favorite character, and he still is my favorite character on the show. And I’m not just saying that because I’m talking with you, Andrew. I’ve actually said that all along. And that’s one of the reasons I have been wanting to interview you all this time. 

I had to build the suspense, not only for the audience, but for you too, Ruth. {laughs}

Actually, it became a standing joke between my mom and me. She doesn’t know your name, so I always call you “Connor.” If I called you Andrew Francis, she would have no idea who I was talking about.

With Diane Ladd

Well, Diane Ladd on set, she’s often very much in character and calls me Connor quite regularly. When we’re filming, I just pretty much am Connor.

I would always tell my mom, “Okay, I heard from Connor again. We’re supposed to do an interview.” And she finally got tired of me saying that, so it just became, “Is he really gonna come through this time?” 

{laughs} Well, now you have some solid evidence that proves that I did come through.

How did you get involved with Chesapeake Shores?

I got involved with the show back when I was still making Ms. Matched with Alexa PenaVega. I did my first audition with a very talented casting director in Vancouver named Candice Elzinga. I went in for the first audition and was asked to come back for the callbacks. I was sitting in front of our showrunner at the time as well as Candice and one of our executive producers. I did the character and left the room and felt it was a good performance. I was hopeful about the role, but of course, landing a show and a series regular at that is no easy feat. So I didn’t have any expectations.

Ms. Matched

I was on the set again for about a week and a half, and I heard that they wanted me to come back in because they weren’t sure if I had enough edge for the character. I wasn’t able to come back because I was shooting–thank goodness it was on a Hallmark show, so I had a good excuse. I got offset late that night, and I went to a small studio close by, rented a space for about forty-five minutes, and put on my final callback, which had more edge. In fact, I really laid it on so that they could see that I had a dark side. About a week or two later, I got the call that I was cast, and they wanted to sign me to an option for quite a few years.

Photo by Ricardo HubbsRicardo Hubbs © Crown Media United States, LLC

When I went out for the role of Connor, I instantly gravitated towards this character. In the description, there were a lot of similarities that I felt were ingrained in myself as well. Different things, different layers that I could add to the character to make him really come off the page. That was one of my favorite parts about Connor and still is. It’s the arc that he has, starting from being quite disgruntled and having some major problems with his family and slowly growing through those problems in the episodes as the seasons go on.

He definitely has grown. Season one, he was almost that character that you knew whatever was gonna come out of his mouth was gonna be the wrong thing to say. 

He always says the wrong thing. He’s snarky. He’s got a chip on his shoulder definitely.

Photo by Ricardo Hubbs Ricardo Hubbs Crown Media United States, LLC

But there has clearly been that growth, especially seen at the end of season two. He finally made that decision that he wasn’t just gonna work for a law firm and do everything they said to do. He wasn’t happy doing that.

Yes, and he had a little bit of tension with his father obviously with Mick, played by Treat Williams. I think that led to some very interesting interactions. And that’s going to be continuing into the third season.

And of course, he’s had his love interest, as we mentioned. 

Yes, Britt Irvin, who plays Danielle.

Britt Irvin, Andrew Francis Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

I think it will be interesting to see how that unfolds for Connor in season three. What I really like about Connor and the way you play him is that you have done such a good job of showing how he is changing. It’s been very organic and believable. That’s nice because that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes characters will change suddenly, but Connor has been changing gradually.

Thank you, Ruth. Credit goes to our writers and showrunner and executive producers. Nancey Silvers is always watching over everything, and Dan Paulson and Michael Berns …they all look after the story development. And also credit goes this wonderful cast that we have. Being with such talented and seasoned veterans in the industry, I’ve learned so much. It reminds me a lot of when I first started doing voiceover and I was in a room with guys and gals who have been doing this type of work a long time. I was able to pick things up. These actors have been very generous with the knowledge they have. Barbara {Niven}, Diane, Treat–all of them have given me really good advice in places when I needed to tone things down a bit or bring things out a bit. They’ve really helped me with finding the peaks and valleys inside the overall story arc that makes Connor who he is.

With Dan Paulson

Altogether, you guys make a very believable family unit. First season, you didn’t see it as much, but that would make sense because it was a very fractured family anyway. But now we’re seeing the family come together more, and it’s really neat to see how you guys all relate to each other. And from the actors I’ve talked to who are connected with the show, it sounds like you guys have really become a family. 

Yeah, most definitely. We’ve become a family on-screen and on-set as well as off. We do a lot of hanging out together when we’re on the Island shooting. We’re all far away from our homes, and most of us are in the same hotel. So we get together and practice lines. I don’t have a lot of scenes with Mr. Jesse Metcalfe, but any chances that I do have to work with him, I always enjoy. He has an incredible wealth of knowledge about acting, writing, and really understanding a character’s motivation. And it’s been a pleasure learning from him as well as everyone else in the O’Brien clan.

With some of the ladies
Chesapeake Shores

Oh dear, I’ve left my sisters out of this! They are incredibly knowledgeable as well! Meghan {Ory}, Laci {J Mailey}, Emilie {Ullerup}–Laci and Emilie I know from Vancouver, and Meghan I just met when we started working on Chesapeake Shores. We don’t always have a lot of scenes together, but it’s great when we do. Now Brendan {Penny} and I have known each other in Vancouver for a long time. He’s given me some acting tips since he’s been on quite a few series. And I give him some voiceover tips whenever we get a chance.

With season three coming up, what are your hopes for Connor this season and beyond? 

Behind-the-scenes
Chesapeake Shores

Well, I’m hoping that my character will continue to grow as he has in the first and second season. First season’s arc was structured around mending the past emotional trauma with his family as well as finishing his education in law and passing the bar. Once he did that, he tried to get into one law firm, but he went with the law firm Mick told him to have as a backup plan. And once he got in there, he started to see the lives of the different people he was working with and just the lack of care towards the employees in some of these big corporations. That led him to meeting Danielle, or at least spending a lot more time with her. Then he pivoted and decided to start helping and volunteering with the Bay Defense League, and I think he really started to sort of find who he was in doing that. Then he wanted to help people as opposed to just being a blank face in a nameless corporation. So without spoiling anything, my hopes for Connor are that he takes that knowledge and the emotional strengths that he’s been building and utilizes all of that in whatever comes his way.

That sounds perfect, Andrew, and I think all the fans hope the same thing for Connor.

Behind-the-Scenes with Michael Berns and Kirsten Hansen
Chesapeake Shores

Michael Berns and I did discuss my character before season three filming got underway, and while I can’t tell you what’s coming up for fear I’d spoil it, I know this season is going to be awesome. And I’ll just leave it at that.

The entire writing team is amazing! But I know one thing. Chessies are very excited to see more from Connor and the entire O’Brien clan, Trace included.

And I am looking forward to the fans seeing it as well.

Now, I don’t know exactly about the status of this, but I had heard talk of a Chesapeake Shores convention. Any word on whether or not that might happen?

Oh, wow, that would be so much fun. It sounds like it’s time for the Chessies to unite to make this a reality.

I know that the When Calls the Heart convention does very well. I went up there last year, and I am headed that way again this October. That show is in its sixth season, and the conventions are always such a great time.

Connor pondering the upcoming season of Chesapeake Shores

Ruth, I would love to have a Chessies Convention happen, so here’s hoping.

I remember how popular Chesapeake Shores was with the fans last year, and I know it’s a show that has been a big hit for the network. I know a good part of the charm is that it is contemporary and appeals to a lot of different groups.

What’s nice about Chesapeake Shores is that it’s a multi-generational family. Not only does it deal with storylines of people in their forties and above, but it also has storylines for those who are under forty. The demographic is very diverse, and I think that makes it appealing to all age levels.

Exactly. I know for a fact that there are at least as many Chessies as there are Hearties. And the way I see it is if When Calls the Heart can have a convention, so can Chesapeake Shores. 

Very good point. I like your thinking, Ruth!

I think it’s just gonna take getting some people on board with it. I’m sure a lot of fans would love to be a part of it. 

As would us cast. It would be an opportunity to meet the people who we make this show for. That’s not only always welcome, but it’s a real treat for us.

Well, we also have to talk about the fact that you were actually in two Christmas movies last year!

That is true.

Engaging Father Christmas

Two very different parts, very different shows. Your character on Engaging Father Christmas was not well-liked.

No, he was a little bit of the mystery man. I had a lot of fun shooting that. I was in the midst of production on Chesapeake Shores when I was filming that. So I worked on the very first day of production for Engaging Father Christmas and the very last day. It was an interesting experience getting to see everyone on the start-up and then on the very last day. Everyone’s spirits were very high and it was a lot of fun. And working with Erin {Krakow} was such a treat. I had wanted to work with her for a long time. She was so gracious, and it was a really enjoyable experience.

You certainly added in what was needed for the movie. I know sometimes people don’t think you need an antagonist, but you do need just a little bit of conflict. 

A little bit, yes, and it wasn’t overdone in that film at all. It was just enough to show where her heart was and nudge her in the right direction.

I thought you did the part very well.

I also was in Coming Home For Christmas.

Oh, yes, you were. That was a really fun one, and my mom loved you in that one. 

Well, tell your mom “thank you.”

She said, “That is a perfect part for him.”

{laughs} I think that’s exactly what Bill Abbott and Michelle Vicary at Hallmark said. Nina Weinman Swift, who was the writer of that film…we worked on something in the past…‘Tis the Season For Love. She gave me a call and said, “Hey, I think you’re gonna be perfect for this. When you’re down at the Hallmark party, let’s float the idea of you playing this character.” That’s when I was introduced to Danica {McKellar}, who is such a talent and a beautiful human being. I was given the script, and I had a talk with Michelle, Bill, and Randy {Pope} and all the other higher-ups, and it was decided that I was the right man for the job. I was very grateful. It was definitely one of the most fun parts that I’ve gotten to play thus far. Of course, working for the Hallmark Channel is always a blessing and a treat. I mean, it’s family. So any time I get to add my personality and my skillset to the network, it’s always much appreciated.

Coming Home For Christmas with Danica McKellar

Well, even though your character didn’t get the girl, I loved the fact that your character was very gracious about it. Sometimes the other guy is not so nice about it. They can get really mean and vindictive. 

A little bit of inside info on that. My character was a source of much discussion from the beginning. Having Kip in this movie, it was decided that we didn’t want it to come across right away that he wasn’t gonna get the girl. He has his character traits and being somewhat full of himself and living a privileged life, but they wanted to show that heart inside of him. Something that I cornered at least a small bit of the market on is being someone who has a little bit of attitude that you could easily not like in some situations, but you always see his heart in him. I think that comes through a lot with Connor on Chesapeake Shores as well.

Oh yes, definitely. At the risk of me sounding like I’m just going on about these films because I’m talking to you, I promise I’m not. Honestly, Coming Home For Christmas was one of our favorites last year. 

I watched it at least three or four times, and not just for my own performance. I love watching Danica and Neal {Bledsoe} and all of them. The cast was just a knockout.

With Rebecca Staab
Coming Home For Christmas

Honestly, Hallmark had so many great Christmas films this past season. In fact, it’s hard to rank what my top favorites are because there are so many.

It’s remarkable how much content Hallmark is able to put out while keeping such consistent quality. It never ceases to amaze me.

So Chesapeake Shores season three starts this coming Sunday. Is there anything else upcoming that you can mention?

Dinotrux
behind-the-scenes

There’s a series I did for Netflix and Dreamworks called Dinotrux. I play the lead character Ty Rux. They’ve released about forty episodes of that. And Dinotrux Supercharged just came out on Netflix, and I’m playing the same character in that. I get a lot of fan mail and tweets from kids and mothers who really enjoy the show. It teaches good morals in a dinosaur-meets-trucks kind of world. Which really excites the kids. That was a really fun one that I had the pleasure of working on.

Deeper

I also went to independent producing school in my early twenties, and we have just about finished our third film. Our first film was called Deeper: The Retribution of Beth. The second film, which is in post-production, is called Welcome To the Circle. And our third film is called Last Night in Suburbia. The first one was a bit of a revenge thriller. The second one is a psychological thriller, and the third one is a comedy. We did a bit of well-rounded stuff. And all the credit in the world goes to the producers out there. I don’t know how Matt Drake does it on our show; he does such a brilliant job. But you just have to wear so many hats, and there’s so many things coming at you that being a producer is definitely a struggle at times.

Last Night In Suburbia

I have talked with several producers in my time, and I honestly don’t know how they do it. There’s a lot of work involved, more than most people realize. 

Yes, right from the very start to the very finish. They oversee it all. As actors, we finish the season, but producers’ jobs continue for months and months afterwards as it did months and months before we started. Very labor intensive.

Are you thinking of doing any writing yourself?

That’s always been a passion of mine. Our writers are so talented, and our schedule is so tight on let’s say Chesapeake Shores that there isn’t much room left for putting that hat on. I would definitely like to start writing, but I really want to start directing. If the show started going on for multiple seasons, which…hey Chessies come on! We hope it definitely does. That would be something I would love to do. I know Jesse Metcalfe has the same sort of intentions as well. It’s always been a dream of mine to direct something. So whether it be an episode of a series or something else, it is something I would definitely like to try in the future.

I could see you heading towards becoming a director. I would say you certainly have the knowledge for it. 

At the Leo Awards

Well, the years have definitely given me the opportunity to have an eye for good framing and good storytelling and good performances. And you know, for the longest time, I thought of myself as a better teacher than I was an actor or voice actor. I would listen to what the director, especially the voice director, would say on a certain line, and I’ve actually started now in sessions writing down what I think the direction would be for different lines. And then I hear the voice director reiterate the same thing I have written down. So I’ve kind of gotten a bit of affirmation that I’m on the right track in that way. I’m just looking for my first opportunity to put it to use.

Well, maybe Hallmark will give you that first opportunity. You never know.

Well, that would be an absolute pleasure.

I only say that because when I’ve talked with other Hallmark actors that have similar aspirations, it seems that Hallmark is very willing to work with their actors that have those ambitions. Whether it’s producing, directing, writing, whatever is the case. It’s finding the right project. And Hallmark is very supportive of the actors they feature regularly in their productions.

I’m so happy to be one of their regulars.

And we viewers are pretty lucky to get to see you as often as we do. And I know you have a lot of fans as well. So many were very excited when I initially said I was going to interview you two or three years ago. 

En Route to a Brony Convention (My Little Pony)

I appreciate that you kept reaching out to me, Ruth. I know I had a little bit of a social media break there for a while and unplugged during that time. I was actually setting up our meditation business. That hindered our communication for a bit.

Actually, I was noticing all that before you took that break. I know you were posting about getting the business stuff set up. So speaking of that business, how has it been going?

Well, we opened on November 18th, which is never the best time to open. We wanted to test the market and see what resonated here in Vancouver with people. Down in LA, there’s quite a few booming mediation businesses, and things slowly creep from LA up to Vancouver. I was down there for one of the Hallmark parties, and my girlfriend and I decided to take a class. I found a lot of peace and stillness. I know a lot of actors use mediation to keep themselves grounded when they’re on set. So my girlfriend and I wanted to bring that stillness and peace to Vancouver. We did a spring relaunch once we had tested the market and figured out what people are looking for and what works. We are very excited about the schedule we have going now. And for anyone who is interested, they can check us out and see what we offer.

Zenden Meditation Center

In truth, I hope it all works out for you, Andrew. It sounds like you’re off to a good start. 

We are very excited about everything.

When you first mentioned that you were starting this business, I thought, “My goodness, that guy is acting and now he’s adding this business?!” How on earth do you keep up with your schedule, Andrew?

Well, it really helped me when I was doing season two of Chesapeake Shores. I was invited by Barbara and Diane and one of our writers, Kirsten Hansen to come to this get-together where they had an energy healer coming in. And I know that Diane and Barbara are very spiritual. I was the only male that was invited to this little get-together. I sent a picture of myself at the event to my girlfriend, and she kind of fell over and was like, “Oh thank goodness! You’re finally getting it!” I brought all the knowledge that I had acquired from when I was down in LA, and I’ve infused it into our business.

See, you are just like a sponge, and you soak up everything you have learned from all your experiences in life so far. 

I try to keep myself busy. I had a watercraft business for a while. We rented Sea-Doos and boats. And with the producing and the acting, I like to keep myself busy and just keep things moving.

Well, I think that’s a good thing because I personally think sometimes young people…and I can still call you a young person because you’re younger than me…and I don’t think of myself as old.

You are not, Ruth, not in the slightest.

Relaxing with his girlfriend, Carrie

Thank you. But I think that young people are not as industrious as they should be. I see that amongst teenagers when I’m out in the school system as a substitute teacher. All too often, many young people tend to be lazy and not involved in things that you wish they would be. And they’re not always self-starters. And I think what’s great about you, Andrew, is that you keep yourself busy and you’re involved in a lot of good things. You’re not involved in a lot of questionable activities.

Exactly. I have tried to keep whatever sort of business or project I take on…a few are in the horror genre obviously…but I try to keep a positive outlook on everything and focus on whatever I can add to make this world better. And what better network to be on than Hallmark to do that, right?

Are you also active in charity work?

Yes, actually, when we did our relaunch party back on April 14th, we donated all proceeds to a recovery facility here in Vancouver called Together We Can. We are going to continue to work with them and put on classes for the people in the program. We are working for these people in that program to be able to come in and experience the power that our classes and techniques have to offer.

That is awesome, Andrew! I just had a feeling that you were doing something like that. I thought, “I bet he does charity work too.”

Yes, I like to volunteer as much as I can, whenever I can and whenever it fits into the schedule. And I also feel that I’m giving back when it comes to our meditation center. Some of the experiences that people have had in our classes have been quite profound. In fact, if we have a class of say fifteen, by the end of the session, very often at least half of them will be in tears. We use a lot of different instruments in the session, and the vibrations from those instruments often connect with a wide variety of emotions. People can work through past trauma and even be healed emotionally during our sessions. Just watching the shift in people’s personalities and attitude has been rewarding for me.

Andrew, I just want to say how much you truly have impressed me. You have more than exceeded my expectations for this interview. It was definitely an interview worth waiting for. {laughs}

{laughs} That’s good to hear! I’m glad.

With Jesse Metcalfe
behind-the-scenes
Chesapeake Shores

No doubt it’s been a joy to be able to understand your experience and perspective a little bit more. 

Thank you, Ruth, for all the work that you do. Everyone who has spoken with you always has such good things to say about you and that you’re such a professional and that’s you’re such a nice person to talk to. So I was excited to finally have this interview and get to know you a little bit better.

Thank you, Andrew, I’m glad because I work hard to do my job as professionally and positively as possible. 

Well, your reputation precedes you.

That’s so good to hear. Thank you. I’m glad I lived up to my reputation. It is very important to me to put all that positivity out there and come across as professionally and as honestly as possible.

It’s kind of like reading some of the comments for Connor at the start of season one. So many people were saying that their least favorite character was Connor, and I was thinking to myself, “Just give it time. He’ll come around; just watch!”

And I never disliked Connor. I always saw that he had a purpose. There are some Hallmark viewers who don’t want there to be anything potentially negative in a Hallmark show or movie. But then it’s not very realistic. You have to inject a little bit of conflict to keep things interesting.

Right, and I think that’s where our show differs from some of the other programming on the Hallmark Channel. It has just a little bit of edge and a little bit more reality than you might find in other shows and movies on the network that have less opportunity to deal with situations like that. But being with the show that we are in and such a family dynamic, you get to see a little bit of the underbelly of a family. But in seeing that, you also see ways to overcome it. So it’s not just showing you the bad but also showing you how to transform the bad into better and then into love.

I even love the fact that the show deals with the issue of divorce in a very real way. I’m a divorcee. My parents were divorced, but then got back together, which is not the usual story, I know. But I feel like I can relate to some of the stories that are going on in the show unlike any of the other series. I think a lot of people can relate to the issue.

Yeah, and I’ve experienced elements of it as well. We can all take little pieces of Chesapeake Shores and apply it to our own lives. I think that’s definitely one of the beauties of the show.

Thank you once again for your time, Andrew, and I can hardly wait for all us to get back to Chesapeake Shores this weekend,

Ruth, it’s been an absolute pleasure. And I think all of the cast members are just as excited if not more so than the fans. It’s going to be the best season ever no doubt, and I hope that Chessies enjoy it. And I’m definitely on board for a Chessies Convention, so let’s make it happen!

Credit: Jordan Blackstone

Well, how does the old adage go? “Good things come to those who wait.” And in the case of Andrew and me, I can state unequivocally that this an interview that goes beyond anything I could ever imagine and is indeed a true representation of someone in the business who is competent, gifted, humble, and sweet. In addition to this, his very countenance and speech consistently exude a warmth and enthusiasm that permeate everything he does. Furthermore, he is one who has learned the secret of living with an attitude of gratitude as well as a zeal to glean everything possible from all experiences over the course of his life. He does not bemoan missed opportunities, and he is content with his place in this world while vigorously preparing to conquer his next challenge. Andrew possesses a work ethic that is essentially becoming scarce in the world of young people today, and he never casts aside what the more seasoned veterans in the industry have taught him. In so many ways, Andrew is the epitome of the ideal industry professional who is committed to excellence and positivity in all that he does, while refusing to pass up any viable opportunity to render aid whenever he can. Besides all this, Andrew wields a delightful sense of humor and uncanny good looks. It makes one wonder, “Is there anything Andrew cannot do if he puts his mind to it?”

I would invite everyone to visit Chesapeake Shores with us by tuning into the Hallmark Channel beginning Sunday, August 5th and every subsequent Sunday night until season three’s electrifying season finale later on this fall. After all, there is bound to be a storyline that will resonate on some level within this family drama, and now that we know a little bit more about Connor O’Brien and the skilled man who portrays him, why would you not want to tune in? Additionally, please visit all of Andrew’s links below and consider following him on social media as you are able. Andrew does post some astounding behind-the-scenes footage of his various productions, and he has an extraordinary habit of keeping his fans current with his expansive array of projects. While no Christmas film has been announced for Andrew this year as of yet, his devoted fans are hopeful that his smiling face will appear amongst the holly and the ivy this year. And as an early Christmas wish this year, I sincerely hope that one day in the near future, Hallmark will consider casting Andrew as the leading man in one of their exceptional film projects. (After all, he’s played every other part in their productions, right?) I am intensely beholden to Andrew for the profusion of knowledge he shared authentically and thoroughly in this extraordinary chat, and I will continue to support this engaging young man as his star continues its unparalleled and steady ascent towards every dream within his heart and mind.

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