I still recall the first time I ever saw Madison Smith. He was in a Garage Sale Mystery movie on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Network, and there was something that bespoke of the undeniable certainty that one of these days, he was going to be a prominent player in the film/TV universe. He immediately connected with me, and from that moment on, I have loyally followed and supported his career at the network, beyond Hallmark, and back around again. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with him for the fourth time (read our other blog interviews here and here), and there is no doubt in mind that with his current roles on Salvation, Narcoleap, and more, he is well on his way to illustrating that his abilities are maturing into roles that exhibit his dynamic prowess and exceptional adaptability, and I am thrilled to share our interview with my readers today!

RH: Madison, it is so good to be able to chat with you again.

MS: Ruth, thank you again for reaching out. I so appreciate your continued support.

It looks like a lot is going on with you.

Behind-the-scenes Frozen in Love

So far, 2018 has been a great year. I started the year off with Frozen In Love. I was really happy with how that turned out. Pretty much right after that aired, I found out about Narcoleap. They filmed that over the course of fifteen days. Twelve actual days of filming, only three days off, and I was on set for eleven of those days. It was pretty much go-go-go, tight quarters. There were a lot of shots to get done in a short amount of time, a lot of story to get through.  But it was such a blast.

Shortly after that, I had my first day on Salvation. That’s been such a cool experience because I’ve never had this much time on a show. The closest I had come was my time on When Calls the Heart. When I started on Salvation, I thought I might get two or three episodes, but they keep bringing me back. I’ve never been more excited to see where my story goes and I want people to be able to see it. I want them to see the nice things as well as the trouble that Nate might get into. So far, Nate is listed as being on eight episodes. At the end of the season, we’ll see what the final tally is.

Salvation

You know, I only heard of Salvation because of you, Madison. You started tweeting about it, and I had to do some research. So my mom and I binge-watched the show to get caught up, and I am happy to say we are caught up now and we really enjoy the show.

Oh, that’s great!

I wasn’t sure my mom was going to like it since it was science fiction, but I watched a little of the pilot, and I was hooked. It’s got science fiction elements in it, but that’s not really what it’s about.

I find shows like this interesting to watch because they set it in modern-day, so it’s meant to feel like the world that we live in. Sometimes science fixes little problems that come up in the storyline. I think shows like this are fun because you can make it feel like our everyday life with modern technology and conveniences, but the people behind-the-scenes have incredible technology at their disposal. I mean, Darius Tanz is played by Santiago {Cabrera}, and he is this world’s Elon Musk. It’s kind of fun to think that Elon Musk may have a supercomputer that he keeps to himself. While Elon Musk is giving away electric cars, the supercomputer is just for him to use. I think that’s a fun part of it. More than science fiction, I think it’s dealing with a circumstance that isn’t yet coming towards our world. An asteroid is coming towards earth in the show, and these people need to fix it. And realistically, the only way to do that is with some science: physics, geometry, and all the other ones are what you need to fix this problem.

When I was researching the show, I discovered the first season was shot in Toronto, and the second season is shot in Vancouver.

Salvation

Yes, that is the interesting thing. You know about all these Hallmark shows and movies being shot in Vancouver. Tons and tons of stuff are coming north of the border right now, which is awesome for us because the dollar in Canada is a little bit low. So these productions are getting good deals when they come up to Canada. So the first season of Salvation was shot in Toronto, but it’s so busy there that they lost out on a studio.  Lucky for me and the entire local that they moved to Vancouver for the second season. Because if it weren’t for that, I might not have gotten the opportunity to be in the show.

That’s very true. I noticed you are on it. And Taylor Cole is on it too, another Hallmark favorite. 

Salvation

Yes, and I just got done filming a movie with her for Hallmark. She is the nicest person. I had a huge crush on Taylor Cole when I first started acting, and now I get to work with her. And it was just awesome. But as far as Salvation goes, Nate Ryland showed up in the second episode of season two, and his journey has been continuing. I make appearances throughout the season, but you’ll have to tune in to see what ultimately happens. Nate’s purpose seems to be to introduce Jillian {Jacqueline Byers} to another way to look at the circumstances that are facing us. Nate has this innate positivity about what’s going on, and as we’ve seen over the course of the season beginning in around episode five, we begin to find out what the source of this positivity is. Jillian learns about his way of looking at things, and it begins to give her an ability to look at things in a more positive way. I realize some have seen the episodes, but for those who haven’t, I don’t want to give away too much.

When my mom and I first began watching, she recognized the main actress, and I said, “Of course you do.” Jennifer Finnigan is a much-loved actress who has been in a couple of Hallmark projects as well. 

Jennifer is awesome! She is so cool and is another Canadian, which is so cool. We’ve got two female leads that are Canadian. Then myself and a few others here and there along the way are also Canadian. But Jennifer is such a lovely person. Her husband made an appearance in one of the episodes this season as well. So they’re keeping it in the family, which is pretty cool.

I actually watched the first season in about three days, and when I found out I was cast, it was the best homework ever to watch it again.

Going on to Narcoleap, I was so excited to see that show come to fruition. I remember first seeing that show pop up in development when they were trying to get all the grants for it. I remember it was a Storyhive project, correct?

Yes, that’s right. TELUS in Canada has a Storyhive pitch process where you shoot a small trailer that explains what the story of your series will be. Then you submit it against a bunch of other teams, and the winners receive a one hundred thousand dollar grant. So we won, and we got to make a short eight-episode series where each episode was eight minutes long. It took about a full year from the moment they started shooting the trailer to the moment that we wrapped principal photography on the series. It’s been awesome. Kate {Green} is an amazing talent when it comes to getting things done. She has such a positivity and a go-get-’em attitude. To bet against her would be ridiculous because she can get anything done she wants. When we got to watch it together as a cast before it dropped on YouTube…you know, you’re always nervous about watching your stuff and you really want to like it. But I have to say it turned out amazing.

I think it was actually Nicole Oliver, who first alerted me to the trailer way back when because she was trying to get views for the trailer. And I guess I kept promoting it, so people in the cast and crew started noticing me and my support for the show last year. 

I tell you, I love Nicole. I only got a chance to work with her for a couple of days, but she makes an impact right away. And she’s just one of the nicest people ever, and I was very grateful that I got to work with her.

Since the show has been released, what is the best way for people to watch it?

Narcoleap has been released on YouTube. You can watch it anywhere in the world on YouTube. You can also watch it on the official website as well. Basically, there will be a link to the YouTube on the website. You can also follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. There will be links there as well so you can watch it.

Because people might not be aware of the show, can you tell us the basic premise?

First of all, because the episodes are so short, it’s almost like binging one Netflix show or movie even though there are eight episodes. It’s easy to get through, and it flows really well. It has a feel of being a longer series than it actually is.

Narcoleap follows a girl named Kelsey Atkins, and she has narcolepsy. She learns at the beginning of the series that when she falls into a narcoleptic nap, her consciousness basically leaps to someone else. She actually takes over another person’s body. In the show, they call is astral projection. Her best friend, Aiden, played by myself, is the only person she explains to about what is happening to her. Aiden definitely does not believe her right away, so they test it. Once it’s proven she can do this, she and Aiden practice and try to figure out the best ways to have fun with this gift. Maybe they can make some money with it or whatever.  Through their experiments, a secret branch of the government that has been studying astral projection finds out about Kelsey. So Kelsey and Aiden find themselves directly in the line of fire of this branch of government. From that moment on, things change for Kelsey and Aiden, as you can imagine.

Narcoleap

So how would you classify the science fiction elements in this show?

It’s more of a government/FBI show. It has the science fiction elements, but I saw somebody the other day describe it as a superhero show. I think it’s closer to a superhero show than a science fiction show. It’s about a person with these special abilities, but a branch of the government is also studying something in that range. So it’s about government espionage, and they are trying to use this gift of Kelsey’s for warfare. But she has the ability to sort of put a damper on their plans. It was so fun to film, and watching it has been a blast too.

There is so much great Vancouver talent in the show. Chelsey Reist from The 100 plays Kelsey. The other male lead is Austin Eckert, and he is a classically-trained theater actor as well as being involved in TV and film. He was just a pleasure to work with, and we became fast friends. I enjoyed being on set every day. We were in close quarters for the whole shoot, as I mentioned, but I think we clicked really well. I think I’m Austin’s number one fan, and I like to think that he’s maybe the head of my fan club too. And that’s always a great fun. Nicole Oliver, Aleks Paunovic, and tons of local people were also involved with the project in various ways. Without people like that and great actors who were willing to take on smaller roles, a show like this can’t be all that it is.

With a show like this, is there hope that this will eventually become a regular series? 

Narcoleap

That’s where our hopes and dreams lie. What we’re now looking for is for someone to see this show and think, “This would be perfect for our network,” and give us a series run. Thirteen episodes would be fantastic and to be able to tell a story with a budget, a larger crew and all would be a dream come true. After watching it for the first time, I thought that this show deserves to be told in a longer form. It’s a great concept and well-executed. It’s a show I would watch if I wasn’t in it, and that’s the best part.

From what I’ve seen, it seems to be a show that is unlike anything else out there right now. To be honest, sometimes I don’t get excited over a new science fiction shows because even if the show has good acting and/or the story is great, many science fiction shows seem to cover too many of the same topics.

I know what you’re saying, and it’s too bad when that kind of thing happens. But I totally agree about Narcoleap. It has its own view of a story to tell, and it’s very exciting to be a part of.

Narcoleap

Well, I was just so glad to see Narcoleap actually happen. I remembered it from last year, and when I saw filming going ahead, I was so excited for everyone. I think it’s always a miracle when something gets filmed and people are then able to watch it. That doesn’t always happen in this day and age. So many things get started, and they just don’t get finished. 

Yes, so true. You’ve got to be right for the time that you’re making it. It’s a very hard thing to master, but I know some networks have mastered it. Unfortunately, some great shows only go one season because not enough people are watching. Sometimes, none of the people knew about it or the audience found out about it too late. I am very excited about the fact that people were already talking about it before it was officially released, and they keep talking about it even a month or so later. I really think it’s one of the shows that deserves to be watched, and hopefully, people will write in and suggest that this become a full series.

Narcoleap

I am with you there, Madison. And I cannot tell you how thrilled I am for everything that has been going so well for you this year. Seeing you mature with Frozen In Love was something that made me so happy. I realize you may still be occasionally cast in the younger roles, but I feel like you are making strides in your career and you’re starting to get roles with real depth that are allowing you to explore different paths and storylines. Frozen In Love‘s Tyler was an excellent example of that. It’s like you are finally coming into your own, and maybe a leading man role is just around the corner for you.

Thank you, Ruth. I think I still may be in the middle somewhere and not quite the leading man type, but I’m on my way, which is a nice feeling.

True. You still look young enough that they’re probably going to cast you in supporting roles that are younger, but you might as well milk that for as long as you can, right?

Yes, I agree, and I’ll be as young as they want me to be. I think when we get to the point where they stop offering me those kinds of roles, I’ll be like, “Okay, I’ve paid my dues as a youngster, and it’s time to start adulting.”

So I understand you recently finished filming a movie for Hallmark. 

Photo Credit: Courtney Paige Photography

Yes, a young man by the name of Matt Visser and I are playing brothers in a movie that will come out this fall originally called Baking For Keeps, but it is now called Falling For You. Taylor Cole plays our lead. She’s a small-town radio host trying to save her radio show from going belly-up, and she decides to host a bachelor bake-off. Basically, the ladies of the town can bid on the male bachelors, and it’s not just whether they want to date these guys or not, but it’s also for their baking abilities.  Me and Matt play some of the bachelors. As brothers, we don’t always get along well. It’s Taylor’s job to keep us at bay. It was shot up in Squamish, and it was just awesome on set. And in the case of Taylor, since I’ve been a big fan of hers for years, it was awesome to meet her, work with her, and discover that she’s as amazing as I hoped.

Well, the fact that she is in the movie means it’s going to have a massive audience because of all her fans. 

That’s exactly right. It will be a part of the fall movie line-up for Fall Harvest on Hallmark. It premieres October 6th as of now. I always like it when I get to work on these Hallmark movies because I get to have so much fun, even if it’s in a smaller role like this one. Matt and I aren’t part of the main story, but we get to show up every once in a while. And we always have fun, and that is the best part of being a part of these movies. And it seems like every time I show up in one of these smaller roles, every time, the people love it, which is amazing.

Well, you still have devoted Hearties who remember you from When Calls the Heart. 

With Ali Milner (Willa Milner), co-star from When Calls the Heart

The Hearties are such an amazingly loyal fan base. As far as I’m concerned, I would use the term “Hearties Nation” to refer to this group of fans. Their influence spreads everywhere, and they are diehard fans. I think I took the idea from Red Sox Nation because if you’re a Red Sox fan for one year, you’re a Red Sox fan forever. And I think it’s the same way with When Calls the Heart.

I agree with you totally. There are a few exceptions in light of the season five finale, but most of the fans have come around and are ready to go on with season six. 

I heard about the issues concerning the season five finale, and it’s too bad that all that had to happen. But when it comes to actors having other opportunities and wanting to move on, it is hard for a show to figure out the best way for things to play out. They try to make everybody happy, but at the same time, you still want to tell a dynamic, interesting story. It’s too bad when people fault the show and the actors. When you love a show, you gotta love it for the choices that it makes, and I always applaud a show for taking dramatic risks with storylines. And I think When Calls the Heart falls into that category.

I totally agree, Madison. I understand people being disappointed about Jack not being a part of the cast anymore, but in this case, Daniel Lissing made the choice to move on. These actors are real people with lives outside of the show. It doesn’t mean Dan didn’t like being a part of the show.

When I worked with him three years ago, he had nothing but amazing things to say about the show and the fans. I think sometimes your journey just takes you to a different place, and sometimes the story fits the narrative better. If you want to keep making shows that are dynamic and keep people coming back for more, sometimes you have to shock people. It was a huge shock for people when it happened because I think sometimes you feel safe with your characters like they’re never gonna go and they’re always gonna be there. But once they’re gone, you start to love the ones that you still have on the show because you know they could be gone at any time. I think that’s the most interesting thing about watching television. In a movie, if your favorite character dies, the movie’s over. But if your favorite character in a show dies, you kind of go, “Oh my gosh, how did this happen?” And then you sometimes get even more invested in that particular character. I’ve watched shows that take risks like that. Jack was a well-loved character, but sometimes your favorite characters don’t make it unfortunately. But it makes for good storytelling, that’s for sure.

Great perspective, Madison. And what impressed me is that is was so well done. The way Daniel and everyone connected with the show handled the situation was wonderful. The executives reached out, and they all tried to explain their reasoning. They went well beyond what I see networks typically doing in similar situations. I’m excited to see where season six goes next!

I’m excited because something like that is a big step for a show. If you take a leap like that, there’s no going back. It’s a risk, but at the same time, I find that risks like that often pay off. And you are so right. They handled everything with such amazing grace. I applaud the show. I enjoyed working on it back then. I always wished Roy would make another appearance so we could see where he is now. But I still say it’s such a great show.

I so agree, Madison. It would be great to see Roy and some of the other favorites return at some point, but at this point, I guess it’s not meant to be. And, of course, many fans–including me–would love to see you come back to Garage Sale Mysteries. It would be great to see what your character is doing now.

Behind-the-scenes
Garage Sale Mystery: The Wedding Dress

Yeah, like, how is China?! I mean, it would be great if the storyline involved some sort of Chinese artifact that suddenly appeared and Jen needed a consultation. And guess who just got back from China! Tyler could offer his expertise.

I think that would be great!

I was actually making jokes that my Tyler character on Frozen In Love was the same Tyler in Garage Sale Mysteries. He was just in a smaller town.

Well, you never know about the writers bringing you back. It could happen. After all, the series is one of the most successful in network history. Lori Loughlin is just so amazing in that series, and recently I interviewed Sarah Strange too.

Oh, Sarah was so cool to work with. I only got to work with her one day in the antique shop, but she was lovely. I got to ride up with her and Eva {Bourne} from the hotel to set. And I remember Sarah just being so open and lovely.

So Madison, after Salvation, Narcoleap, and this new Hallmark movie, do you have anything else coming up that you can mention?

Well, I can’t say much, but you will be able to see me in an episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina which will premiere on Netflix this October.

Oh, yeah, I’ve heard so much about that show. Definitely looking forward to it. Other than that, I hope we get to see you on another Christmas movie, maybe even a Hallmark one.

I would certainly love that. I’ll let the fans know if that happens.

Thank you so much, Madison. And here’s hoping your character on Salvation stays around for a long time.

Thank you, Ruth, and thanks to the fans too for all your support! Go Hearties Nation!

From my earliest interactions with Madison, he has been nothing but kind, supportive, and appreciative. His talent essentially speaks for itself, and all who are honored with his presence on set have nothing but fabulous things to say about him. The fact that Nate Ryland on Salvation has remained an integral part of the series over the course of this season while countless Hearties regularly recognize his character, Roy, from When Calls the Heart, further exemplifies the invariably matchless expertise that Madison exhibits. Since Madison has continued to mature over the course of his career, he is ultimately reaping the abundant rewards and virtual success of his unswerving devotion to his craft as well as his co-workers and the fans. He has never uttered a dissenting word about anyone in all the time I have known him, and while his professionalism has always been one of his trademarks, he also makes sincere connections with people while thoroughly savoring his time on set. His knowledge of the industry is particularly profound, and he inherently has an accurate sense of how to conduct himself in any given situation.

If you have not been watching the CBS series Salvation, I highly recommend that you look it up as soon as possible because quite honestly, this is a show that will not only entertain you to the utmost, but it will cause you to pause and consider our everyday lives in a somewhat complex and unique way. Additionally, I invite you to visit all of Madison’s links below and consider following him where applicable. As an addendum to that, carve out time on October 6th for the premiere of Hallmark Channel’s Falling For You as part of the network’s Fall Harvest line-up this year as you are bound to see Madison and the rest of the cast chronicling an entertaining story enveloped with the network’s commitment to family-friendly viewing while relating a lively story recounted in an engaging fashion. While Madison is experiencing an unparalleled 2018 due to the overwhelming amount of compelling projects in which he has had the opportunity to appear, I have no doubt that as 2019 looms and beyond, we fans are going to continue to see this talented, handsome, spirited, and generous soul appear on our screens in increasingly substantial roles that are going to finally earn Madison a cherished spot with the other Vancouver notables of this spiraling industry.

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