Who doesn’t love Jen Lilley? I mean she is one of the indisputable, quickly rising queens of Hallmark, and we’re not talking just Christmas either! She is the very epitome of the network values in every aspect of her life, and I am thoroughly enraptured to be able to highlight so many of the talented people who teamed up with her to bring her first Hallmark Christmas movie, Mingle All the Way, to life this holiday season. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with the architect of this tale, Samantha Herman, who actually wrote the script (her first Hallmark movie) for what is going to be a monumental Christmas film. And I am happy to feature Samantha here today on my site!

SH: Why/How did you decide to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?

RH: Ever since I was a kid, movies and television were a huge part of my life. As a family, we went to the movies all the time and it’s still my favorite activity to this day. There’s something really special about getting swept away by a story and letting your own imagination carry you along. As I got older and started learning and researching about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the industry, there was nothing else that interested me. There are so many people and tasks that are necessary to complete a production, and I knew I had to be a part of it in whatever manner made the best fit. Since I’ve always been a passionate storyteller, I’m very proud and glad that I’ve been able to write projects that have been filmed that I can watch!

According to your bio, you went to law school. What was your reasoning behind doing this before heading to LA and pursuing your career?

I knew I wanted to pursue writing, but I also wanted to be prudent by having other skills that I could offer the entertainment community. There are countless legal issues that every production encounters- from contracts to intellectual property analyses to union compliance to negotiations- so I knew it would come in handy once I got to LA. I’m a licensed attorney in California and I currently work as a business affairs consultant, primarily with independent filmmakers. My goal was to combine my creative and business experiences and interests in order to be versatile within the industry.

What was the first professional production you were involved with?  What are your memories of it?

Throughout high school, I volunteered for a local cable channel in Toronto. During that time I worked on a few different programs, but my main show was the local talk show Daytime. It was the first time I got a glimpse of how productions were actually made. It wasn’t the glamorous and glitzy Hollywood life I had long fantasized about, but it was actually better. I got to see how decisions were made, how to balance creative choices with logistical and budget concerns and how a professional crew behaved. Plus I got to see my name on TV in the credits and that is something I will never forget!

With Larissa Albuquerque & Serge Houde

In addition to writing, you also are a producer and a casting director. What do you enjoy about those jobs/roles?

As a producer there’s nothing more rewarding than taking an initial idea or script, participating in developing it so it’s ready to be filmed and then seeing it come to life on-screen. A producer has to assemble the right team and ideally, you find people that are not only great at their respective jobs, but are fun to hang out with during the long days on set. For me, because of my legal background, I’m also able to handle the endless paperwork, which, believe it or not, I really enjoy. It’s an amazing way for me to blend my creative and business interests.

As far as casting, I have zero acting ability myself, but I think I’m a pretty good judge of talent. So it’s a lot of fun to find the right person, whether from the audition process or from being aware of who’s out there, for each role.

Hallmark viewers are about to see your first movie with the network–Mingle All the Way. How did you get involved with this film and the network? Were you already a Hallmark fan before bringing this to the network? How long did this whole process take?

I’ve been watching Hallmark movies for as long as I can remember. It’s an understatement to say that working with Hallmark is a dream come true. I first thought up the concept and wrote a first draft, hoping that it would be a good fit for the network. I fortuitously met future leading lady, Jen Lilley, at Sundance in 2017 and told her about it. She was kind and generous enough to bring it to her contacts and that’s how the ball got rolling. Luckily, the Hallmark execs were interested in collaborating and we started re-working the initial draft together. That process started earlier this year and filming happened in September. It was an amazing experience to work with the team and get a better understanding of the brand. And I was also able to visit the set for a few days. They couldn’t have been more welcoming and it was great to see Jen, Brant Daugherty and Lindsay Wagner in action.

Why do you believe that Hallmark fans will enjoy this film? What makes it such a special production?

Hallmark fans will definitely enjoy Mingle All the Way! Jen and Brant have great chemistry together, so I think everyone will be rooting for them. The story centers on a new app designed for busy professionals who need a platonic plus one for their seasonal events, which is a modern idea that I think would actually work well in real life. I’m also excited that the leading female is a woman in tech because we don’t always get to see that depicted on TV. I also think the journey that the main characters go on while matched on the app is really fun, with a lot of banter and a lot of Christmas activity. Along with the fun, there are also plenty of sweet moments that I think Hallmark fans will appreciate. Personally, I’m very excited to have Jen play the leading role as I credit her with making this opportunity happen for me, not to mention she’s excellent in it!

Any other upcoming works you can mention?

Small Town Christmas cast

I co-wrote another Hallmark Christmas film airing this season: Small Town Christmas, starring Kristoffer Polaha and Ashley Newbrough. That’ll be premiering Hallmark Movies and Mysteries on December 16. I’m super excited to see that one as well! I’m working on something for Lifetime, but it’s in the early stages. I also have a rom-com script called The Adoption that I’m looking to develop in early 2019. Lastly, I host a podcast with two of my best friends called “Get Spoiled,” in which I spoil current movies that they don’t want to see. That’s available on all the podcast platforms.

Do you have any special holiday traditions that you like to do at this time of year?

Besides watching all the Hallmark movies? Now that I have a niece and nephews, the holidays are special seeing the joy through their eyes. And I do still leave out cookies for Santa!

As a woman in the industry, how have you seen things change over the years in terms of gender equality?

It’s definitely getting a lot better. There is a conscious effort to strive for more inclusion that is manifesting in more opportunities for females. When I started, the default was that a male would be the first choice in a leadership role, and it feels like that’s starting to change. But I do think there’s still a long road ahead before there no longer needs to be that conscious effort, and gender equality is simply the norm.

What is your advice to those who may wish to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?

I think it’s important to know why you want to work in the industry and be a genuine appreciator of the arts. Try to get a sense of various roles within the industry to discover where your talents best fit. Then once you know what you want to do, persevere!

Reading Samantha’s responses have furnished me with a distinct vision of the sagacious, capable, humble professional that she is, and knowing that a lifelong dream of hers is being actualized is something that thrills me to my core. To be honest, the way in which Mingle All the Way came to the network is almost a Hallmark movie saga in itself, and the fact that Jen believed so firmly in this script is something that energizes me even more about watching this movie tomorrow night!

So Hallmark fans (past, present, and future), please tune in to the Hallmark Channel tomorrow night (December 1st) for the most perfect film of all to kick of the month of December, Mingle All the Way. Canadians viewers will have the opportunity to watch next weekend, December 8th, on the W Network. In addition to this, please visit Samantha’s links below and consider following her on Instagram. It would appear that this woman’s perseverance has finally seen the fruition of a long-standing desire, and it baffles the imagination to speculate about what 2019 and beyond holds for this intelligent, humble, and gifted woman!

FOLLOW SAMANTHA

Instagram

IMDb

Canadian Premiere: December 8th on the W Network

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