If you were amongst the millions who tuned in to watch Christmas At Graceland this past holiday season on the Hallmark Channel, then you may recognize Tamara Austin as the one who played Laurel’s (Kellie Pickler) best friend. I realize that there are those in the community who have made it apparent that they are not fans of this film, but regardless, it was Hallmark’s biggest hit (as far as ratings go) this past Christmas season. No matter what your view of that film is, I have no doubt that you will fall in love with Tamara as I did back on Thanksgiving of last year when I had the opportunity to speak with her at length. Fair warning: we spoke for around two and a half hours, and she gave me the kind of content to which I am not always privy in these kinds of interviews. For that reason, I proudly share this condensed interview we did back then (be sure to watch for the exciting updates towards the end of the post), which is still one of my longest, most informative interviews to date!
© Bjoern Kommerell
RH: Tamara, thank you so much for agreeing to an interview with me.
TA: Ruth, I’m honored to speak with you. Thanks for asking.
Congratulations on the success of Christmas At Graceland, and I’m so happy to see you in your very first Hallmark movie.
Thank you, Ruth. It was a joy to be in that film.
So I’m curious. How familiar were you with this network before filming Christmas At Graceland?
© Bjoern Kommerell
Well, since I grew up overseas, we didn’t have access to as many channels, and Hallmark was not one of them. I have friends today who tell me about certain shows that they grew up with, and I wasn’t exposed to those shows. We had AFN, which stands for Armed Forces Network. That’s the network that just ran American programs, and my brother and I memorized the entire schedule. Like, we knew that at a 7:30, Friends would be on. {laughs} Everything was on that one channel. Eventually, more channels started to come, like the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon…and Disney, I didn’t get till we moved back to the States. Hallmark was not one of the networks we got. But I do remember coming home for the holidays to the States, and I do remember watching a Hallmark Christmas movie. I really enjoyed the movie, but I can’t remember to this day what it was! So I didn’t get exposed to Hallmark till later in life, but I really enjoy it for sure.
You are not alone, Tamara. I only ask that question because sometimes the people I interview are avid Hallmark fans and have dreamed of working for Hallmark. But many of the people I interview are very similar to you in their relationship with the network.
That’s good to know. I have enjoyed reading your interviews with many of the Hallmark stars, however.
Thank you, Tamara, I really enjoy getting to interview everyone that I do. Now, considering your background of growing up overseas, how did you get interested in acting?
So, I haven’t told a lot of people this, but I grew up with a learning disability. I struggled a lot in school. The teacher would try to explain, and I could not follow through and understand what they were saying. I learned I had to be taught a little bit differently. I had to be separated from the other kids to go to a special class. It was very difficult, and I became rather insecure.
When I was in kindergarten or first grade–I believe it was first grade–I went on a field trip to a play. We were living in Germany at the time, and the play was at a German theater. The play was The Wizard of Oz, and I had never seen the movie. For the first time in my life, I actually understood the story. I actually understood without anybody explaining anything to me! And it was in German! I knew a little bit of German, but not conversational German. But I understood everything in this story. I felt so drawn to this art form because I was finally able to figure something out on my own, and as an insecure child, I felt so accomplished.
© Bjoern Kommerell
Then we went on another field trip where it was another play in German, and it was German folklore. I don’t remember exactly what it was now, but it happened again. I understood everything. I laughed on my own at the funny parts, and other kids laughed at the same time. I actually kept up with everybody else.
So it was those experiences that made me feel so drawn to theater and acting because it felt so magical. Through that, I really wanted to be involved in theater. I did a play in first grade–Billy Goats Gruff. My parents were kind of amazed that I wanted to do this even back in first grade, but I made it clear I really wanted to do this.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have programs overseas for acting. But I still knew in my mind that this was what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I moved back to the States in eighth grade at Randolph Air Force Base that I finally got involved in a play. And from that moment on, I’ve been doing theater. From the very first time I was introduced to acting and doing theater, it was clear I was very natural. And I kept up with it.
I went to college for theater. My high school in Florida was where I was able to put in the intensive training. My teacher was doing classes and getting her Master’s Degree at the same time that I was doing an advanced theater class. She was teaching us what she was learning at the college level. So by the time I went to college for theater, I was already very familiar with all the different acting practices
To this day, I still take acting classes. I haven’t been in a while because I’m blessed to say that 2018 was a very busy year. But I do assist in a studio where we put actors on tape, and I very much enjoy coaching actors who are my peers or older, but especially the young. The guy who is my boss, Ricky Wayne, he is also a very respected actor with over forty credits. He keeps me under his wing, and I have trained under him a bit to learn about taping auditions. And that’s kind of how I transitioned from theater to film. People will ask me all the time all these questions about how to be a good actor and all, and I just tell them to be in the moment. Hopefully, I don’t sound cliche in any way.
No, honestly, you don’t. What your story illustrates is exactly what I believe to be true. As a music teacher, I loved my special ed kids. So often, my class was the only class where they would behave or be able to excel, and that was always exciting for me to see. Students with any kind of disability will often struggle to learn in a traditional classroom, but with the arts, they often succeed. There is something special about the arts.
Photo by Kristia Knowles
Yeah, it’s definitely a freedom there with the arts, and I love it. I also know as an actor that I would not be the person I am today if I did not have those early experiences. But also, for a child to be exposed to culture and the world of opinions and different ideas, I wouldn’t otherwise be as open as an artist if that weren’t the case. I definitely agree in the freedom to be an artist when you struggle in other areas.
While I haven’t had the time to do it lately, something I am very passionate about is this thespian competition every year where the middle school and high school kids get to compete, and I usually serve as a judge. I was in their shoes when I was in high school because I didn’t get it till I was in Florida. There was a Texas competition, but it was different. It was one-act plays. But this one is individual so you get to work on monologues. And there’s musical categories as well. I don’t necessarily enjoy judging kids, but I do like writing constructive criticism. I also really enjoy seeing what is being taught in the classroom. As someone working professionally in the field, I like to give my insight to give them a reality check. Unfortunately, some high school seniors get this idea, “Well, I’m gonna make it on Broadway!” They’re the top dog in the class. But the reality of the situation is that they may not have all the skillsets they need to get a realistic view of what they can work on creatively before they step out there. But I really like to see the education that’s going on today. It truly hurts when I hear about school funding going down in the arts. I was one who suffered early on in school, and I had to work twice as hard as everyone else. I eventually did really well in school, but I had to work very hard to keep up with everyone else. For me, it was not a disability. It was an obstacle that I overcame. And I’m very grateful to be able to say that.
© Bjoern Kommerell
I’ll be honest. Social media is not my thing. When I went to the premiere for Christmas At Graceland, I met Hallmark’s social media team of at least five people. There could be more, but I met only three of the five while I was there. For me, I like to look up from my phone. I am the worst Millineal that you’ll ever meet. I’m an old soul at heart. My brother and cousins are good at it. In fact, my cousin, who is very good at it, I asked him to help me. We spent the television movie premiere together. In fact, for the movie premiere, I flew to North Carolina to be with my dad’s side of the family. He comes from a very large family, so it was like a reunion. There were thirty or forty of us in the house with three TV’s. One of my cousins walked in who knew Twitter, and I said, “I need your help.” He sat right next to me. I had to figure out the password and the login, and though he was working it during the premiere, it was still me. He would say, “This person says ‘such and such.’ How do you want to respond?” I would tell him, and he would navigate and post for me based on what I said. My brother actually wondered how I did the live tweeting so fast, so I clued him in. {laughs} And because my cousin was such a big help, while he didn’t expect it, I paid him.
Tamara Austin, Kellie Pickler, Claire Elizabeth Green, and Madison Alsobrook in Christmas At Graceland
For me, I also went to school for editing. I made these little videos that got loaded to Twitter from behind-the-scenes that I was really excited to share. Some people probably didn’t know about them. There was the snowball fight scene between Kellie Pickler, Wes Brown and the kids, and I pulled out my phone to take pictures and video, which made sense since my character was a mom. My character is so excited for Emma and Laney to meet. It’s sort of a reflection of the relationship my character has with Laurel. So there was a scene I captured where everyone else was in shorts throwing fake snowballs while we were on set in costume having a snowball fight.
You’re not the only one who struggles with social media. I think a lot of actors do. It can really consume a lot of your time if you’re not careful.
I think it’s hard for an actor to do social media. I personally think it’s easier for a writer, a comedian, a dancer, a makeup artist so they can get some exposure. For me personally as an artist, I want to be recognized for the character that I’m doing rather than become a celebrity. Unfortunately, a lot of these big names now are recognized as celebrities, not for the characters they portray. I would love to have the kind of resume that has done a diverse range of characters, not just one role that has made me famous. Fame is not what I want. I just want to be able to work and represent society.
So what can you tell us about your character in Christmas At Graceland?
Tamara Austin, Ryan King Scales, Madison Alsobrook, and Claire Elizabeth Green in Christmas At Graceland
My character, Sally, is actually based on a real person. It’s based on my college roommate, ironically enough, who is a graphing designer, who loves Christmas. When I booked Sally, I called this roommate, and I told her that I was dedicating this role to her.
There was a scene in the movie where I’m at my computer doing a graphic design poster. The art department for the movie was amazing throughout the entire production. They asked me for any family photos or any photos we wanted to use in Sally’s house. I had been taking photos with the cast. I had just met my co-star, Ryan {King Scales}, who plays my husband, Ted. And Madison {Alsobrook}–we call her Maddie–who plays my daughter, I had met the week prior. So as soon as we started working together, I was like, “We gotta take photos!” So we went out as a family taking photos all over Memphis. But at Sally’s house, they had some of my personal photos. They had a photo of my friend Cassie and I during Christmas with two of my other roommates from college.
Tamara Austin, Kellie Pickler, Claire Elizabeth Green, Ryan King Scales, and Madison Alsobrook in Christmas At Graceland
Sally is also based on another person–my best friend. Her and I were neighbors in Germany. Then my family left, and we moved to Japan. Then her family moved to Japan after that. Then when I moved back to the States, she stayed in Japan and graduated. When MySpace came about {laughs}, I found her on there because we had lost contact. So I asked her what university she was going to, and when she said the University of Tampa, I was like, “Of all the universities in the world, we picked the same school!” We tell people that we followed each other all over the world. So Sally’s relationship with Laurel was really patterned after this best friend relationship I had with this girl. They also put a photo of us in the room. I always like to create characters based on real people, whether I’ve met them or not. It was truly an honor to do Sally because more than any other role I’ve ever done, these two were very close–Sally and Laurel. And she was based on real people who were close to me. And even though the pictures may not have made it to screen, I assured both of my friends that they were in the room with me!
I just love that Hallmark does things like that for their movies. I hear often about using family photos, or sometimes they use some kind or jewelry or a piece of clothing that is special to the actor. Very cool.
Eric Close, Tommy Cresswell, Wes Brown, Michelle Vicary, Tamara Austin, Madison Alsobrook, Ryan King Scales, Claire Elizabeth Green
Christmas At Graceland premiere
That’s good to know that other productions for the network are like that. Working with the crew for this movie…they were amazing. Not to discredit any of the other productions I’ve been on, but it was definitely different in the most positive way. Christmas At Graceland was just wonderful. I can’t express how happy I was. Everything just fell into place. The producers really made that environment happen. I had a lot of interactions with our producer Ryan {Westheimer}. He made sure everyone was taken care of. And he was always calm, cool, and collected; he was amazing.
One of our days off, our wonderful film commissioner worked it out so that we were granted backstage access to the Memphis Zoo. We got a chance to do that, and Brian {Sawyer}, another producer, invited the zookeepers on set. They were even allowed to be part of the background if they wanted. That open invitation was pretty special.
The Memphis Zoo was great. And the city of Memphis was wonderful to us. I have tried to highlight that on social media as much as I can. I’m grateful that I’ve been trained by my brother and my cousin to be on social media now! {laughs} As a side note, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I’m all about gratitude. So thank you for chatting with me over the Thanksgiving holiday!
Tamara with Bon Jovi and her Grandmother at an event a few years back
Truly my pleasure, Tamara! I’m glad I had some time this morning.
One of the Hallmark execs, Emily, actually graduated in the same class, same university as my cousin who helped me with my Twitter. She is actually younger than me, but to see where she is now is so inspiring. And she’s just so down-to-earth and sweet. While I didn’t learn this until I got back home, at the premiere, my grandmother was suffering quite a bit. Her feet were bothering her, and she was doing a lot of walking. Emily actually took the time out to make sure that my grandmother was okay. To make sure she had a place to sit, and she followed her around and helped her navigate. That just goes to show what the face of Hallmark does.
Christmas At Graceland premiere
Samantha, another Hallmark exec, she was great too. The premiere was actually a Graceland event. It was not Hallmark because Hallmark does their premieres in LA. This event was held by the estate of Graceland, and this event was oversold. At first, I heard there were three hundred people on the waiting list, and then I heard four hundred. Then I was told that they ended up with twelve hundred people attending in a one-thousand seat venue. Then it turned into sixteen hundred. It was remarkable. I was asking questions about where we were supposed to go and all that, and Samantha navigated even though she said, “This isn’t my event, but I’ve got this.” She was very calm and still knew where to place us.
Now, Ryan and I signed up well in advance as soon as we got the invitation. It said you could add four people to your VIP reservation. I wanted my whole family to be there, and I thought it meant you could have four people plus yourself. And Ryan did the same because in case anybody needed an extra ticket, he would be able to add it. Well, during the premiere, I had given all four tickets to my family. So my whole family was sitting in the second row. I saw Wes Brown and his family in the first row and Eric {Close} and his family too. And another Hallmark exec, Michelle {Vicary}. I asked Samantha if she knew where my seat was. She asked if I had my ticket, and I was like, “No, I only had four and that was for my family.” And Ryan didn’t get his either.
So they were checking, and they didn’t see our tickets. They were going to place us eight rows back in the corner, and Michelle stepped in and said, “No, absolutely not. Randy {Pope} and I will move back there.” And it was front row center! I said, “Are you sure about that?” And she said, “Absolutely! You need to watch it with your family. This is your premiere, and I’ve seen this already eight times. Randy will join me, and he’ll be fine. Trust me.” And she and Randy moved eight rows back. I know it wasn’t far, but where Ryan and I sat, Wes was to my left, and then it was Ryan and then it was Eric, the director. And directly behind me was my family–my mom, my grandmother, my dad, and my brother. My family’s always been very supportive, but for them to physically have my back was more than I could ever express. I am praying it won’t be the last time this happens. I’m calling and claiming it that it won’t be the last! But that right there was monumental to me. I should have taken a picture, but I didn’t; I was so caught up in the moment. The fact that Hallmark stepped up even though it was not their event…as a brand and as a company, that says a lot. And it means a lot to me.
From the set of Christmas Everlasting
Another thing happened when I was shooting The Walking Dead in Atlanta, I contacted two of the producers and found out they were shooting Christmas Everlasting. And they invited me to set. Mainly, I just wanted to see the producers again. I drove out there; they were out in the middle of nowhere. {laughs} It was over an hour to get to that location! Mind you, where The Walking Dead is filmed is also an hour outside Atlanta in a small town, but to get to the set of Christmas Everlasting, I was going through some hardcore backroads!
Not to discredit The Walking Dead, but I could just feel the environment of this Hallmark set was very different. Even though it was not my production, I was an honored guest. I got the chance to sit right next to one of the producers, and I got to watch the monitors as Tatyana Ali and Dondre Whitfield were looking under the bed for a cat. They just seemed like they were having so much fun, and I got to talk with Tatyana for a little bit. It was very relaxed and very comfortable. I didn’t feel like a local actor like the mentality sometimes is when there is big talent on set. I was welcomed with open arms.
I tell you, Tamara, what you’re saying lines up with everything I’ve ever heard about Hallmark and what I know. I consistently hear stories very similar to yours, but I appreciate the great detail you gave us from behind-the-scenes!
Christmas At Graceland premiere
One more thing. Going back to that premiere, Ryan and I got on one shuttle that was going to the Elvis museum. And my parents and grandmother were scheduled to be on another one that came after us. When we got there and met up with my parents, I asked, “Where’s my grandmother?” And they said she got on the wrong shuttle going to the candlelight service. And I was not happy that my parents did not stay with her. But to show how wonderful Hallmark is, that executive Emily I mentioned took it upon herself to make sure that my grandmother got to where she was supposed to be. Emily took care of her even when she had to walk out of her way. Hallmark is filled with good-natured people. Even without the titles, just as human beings, they are very down-to-earth and considerate.
What was the set atmosphere like of Christmas At Graceland?
Nashville
I think something that made it really easy to be on set was that almost the entire crew had worked together on Nashville. It was a reunion for them. And I actually did an episode of Nashville. It was a quick, one-day shoot, but surprisingly, somebody from the crew actually remembered me. I only had five lines, and out of all those episodes, this person actually remembered me! That made me feel very at home and welcomed. And it also reminded me that it doesn’t make any difference where you are in your career. Be humble with everybody because you don’t know who’s watching.
Working with Eric was great too. I booked a pilot a while back that wasn’t picked up. One of the actors from that pilot was one of his co-stars on Without A Trace. Talk about three degrees of separation! What a small world!
How did you happen to book your role on this Hallmark film?
Behind-the-scenes
The Walking Dead
Let me tell you how I found out I got this role. It was Fourth of July. I was with my family, and I had rented a car because I was going to drive up to shoot for The Walking Dead. I was supposed to film there on the sixth. I found out I couldn’t take the rental car out of state, but thank the Lord that my brother was home, so we switched cars. I left very early at four o’clock in the morning on the fifth.
As I was driving, I noticed a voicemail from my agent from two o’clock in the morning. Now, my agent is efficient, but she never calls me at two o’clock in the morning! I was nervous that something might have happened or something was wrong. I listened to the voicemail, and she said, “Honey, I know it’s late, but I wanted you to know that you just booked the Hallmark Channel with Kellie Pickler!” {laughs} She told me I could just drive or fly from Atlanta to Memphis for the movie. She asked me to call her when I was on the road.
Now, I knew I couldn’t take my brother’s car all the way to Memphis. I had to make a quick decision. I also knew I was supposed to be in Memphis by Sunday, and my plan had been to drive back home on Saturday. So I had some quick decisions to make. But I figured it out. I would be in Atlanta by Thursday for my The Walking Dead fitting. I would shoot Friday, and then drive back on Saturday to Tampa. I knew I’d have to get my nails done since I couldn’t have any nail polish for The Walking Dead. I knew I needed to clean up for Hallmark. And I would fly out to Memphis Sunday morning. And I did all that! In fact, while on set, I booked my flight on Southwest–I love Southwest! They are an actor’s best friend because when things change last-minute, you can change it within an hour without any fees.
The Walking Dead
Now, here’s an interesting side story. The travel coordinator from Hallmark called me right when I was checking out of the hotel for The Walking Dead. He was trying to help me organize my trip, but I told him I already did. He was surprised and told me he wasn’t used to that. But I explained how I do this all the time. As a Southeast actor, you do a lot of things to take care of yourself. I didn’t expect Hallmark to take care of that. I mean I learned that Hallmark flew the girl who played my daughter and her mother first class to Memphis. I had no idea that Hallmark would have taken care of my travel arrangements. And actually, I was supposed to shoot another episode of The Walking Dead, but I was on the last week of filming the Hallmark movie, so they told me not to worry about it. Then after that, I did wrap an episode of The Walking Dead. As I’ve learned now, this is called a “champagne problem.” {laughs} A good problem to have, and I have no complaints about the blessings. No complaints about the hassles.
I tell you, Hallmark does it right! How amazing are all these stories you’ve shared! Now, with this movie, some cool things have happened with it. It was the most-watched Christmas movie this past season. It’s out on DVD and available streaming. And they have even announced a sequel for this summer! And it will show this Friday (2/22) on the Hallmark Channel.
Christmas At Graceland premiere
Eric Close, Wes Brown, Tamara Austin, Madison Alsobrook, Ryan King Scales, Claire Elizabeth Green
That is so cool! This movie has done so amazingly well, I can hardly believe it! I love the fact that so many people have gotten to see it as many times as they would like. And they keep getting to see it too!
It reminds me how one of the first things I ever booked was a Publix commercial back in 2013 or 2014. It was a regional commercial. And to this day, I get residuals from that commercial because they play it and keep renewing it every season. It’s nice to know that I can count on some pay from this commercial to help me afford Christmas gifts. It’s such a blessing.
Before you got cast in this film, did you know who Kellie Pickler was?
So sad to say, I did not know who she was before I worked with her. I barely watch TV, which is so crazy, given my line of work. I watch TV when it’s award season and I have to vote for the SAG Awards. I am so about my union. If I ever find out someone is bootlegging anything, I contact the appropriate networks to take it down. I’m very adamant about that. I tell my family members, “Don’t you dare bootleg anything, especially something I am in!” That’s disrespecting the actors and the union, and I refuse to put up with that.
That is very commendable, Tamara. I feel the exact same way.
And no production company ever has to worry about me putting anything on social media or disclosing NDA. I am always telling actors to check their ego and wait till the appropriate time to post anything. It is the right thing to do.
With Kellie Pickler
But back to Kellie, I don’t really watch reality shows, so I didn’t know who she was. I learned about her through the voicemail my agent left me. My agent assured me I would love her because she is a sweetheart. For me, I don’t get starstruck anyway. We’re all humans. We all came into this world one way, and we’re all gonna go out in another way. {laughs} I am blessed to say that Kellie has the exact same mindset as me. She is one of the most down-to-earth people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Very humble and kind.
Any special memories of shooting with her?
I’ll never forget. There was this one scene we were doing at the Christmas festival. The Christmas festival was actually shot last. I remember that here we were on the last day and Eric came up and talked to us in a circle. I remember one of the kids who played background…he was waiting in line to get his picture taken with Santa in the movie. He just walked up to us and appeared in our little circle. He was just standing there looking at everybody. It had been a long day, and I was thinking to myself, “Somebody needs to get this kid out of here.” I’m actually ashamed I ever thought that. I kept thinking, “We’re trying to work, and we are trying to focus and listen.” Normally, I’m not like that, but I think it had been a long day, and I was just a bit irritated and felt someone needed to pay attention and make sure this kid was where he needed to be.
With Kellie Pickler
As Eric was giving direction, Kellie immediately crouched down and smiled at the little boy and said, “Hi, what’s your name? Are you excited to be here?” And she just talked with him. We all stopped for a moment. Eric continued a bit, but he was basically done giving direction. I kept watching this engagement between Kellie and this young boy, and she never once gave any kind of dismissive manner. She just talked to him like a normal person. She asked him what school he went to…as if she would know the schools in the area, but that’s not the point. She asked him what grade he was in and showed genuine interest in him. And this whole exchange snapped me back to reality. It doesn’t matter where you are. Always have humility. I like to say I always do, but that moment really put it in perspective. Because I was in work mode, I lost that. But here was Kellie in that work environment, and she never lost that. That moment for me was really defining and really showed me who she is as a person.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a lot of time to spend with her. I think we had beautiful chemistry on set. But she was always working. She had a lot of lines, so I didn’t get to spend a lot of alone time with her. And it was her first project. And some of her lines were very technical with all the legal terminology she had to say in character. Ned Vaughn, who played Mr. Hatcher, was also with my agency, so it was nice meeting him. But his exchanges with Kellie were very technical at times. So she had a lot to memorize.
With Kellie Pickler
And she had an acting coach on set. Now because I naturally teach and coach back home, I couldn’t help myself but say something. {laughs} I remember Kellie was memorizing her lines, and I asked her coach, “Do you mind if I say something really quick?” And her coach was like, “Yeah, absolutely.” So I said, “Kellie, think about your life. You’re a very busy woman, and you’re very dedicated. If you’re anything like me, which I’m sure yours is on a grander scheme of things, you probably don’t have a lot of time with your family and friends like you want to because you’re so caught up with other obligations with your industry. Laurel, I feel, is the same way. So I think there’s a similar connection right there.” And Kellie said, “Honey, that is brilliant! Thank you so much!” And I swear to you, Ruth. We did our scene where we were downstairs and she had just gotten off the phone with Mr. Hatcher. And after our conversation upstairs, everything she said sounded so organic and natural.
And I tell you, I know she was under a lot of pressure with carrying the weight of this project, and it being her first. But she never once complained. And watching and observing her as an individual spoke volumes. She handled everything with a smile. It’s good to point out that even for a regular professional actor, that was a lot of dialogue to learn. It would have been a challenge for anyone. And for her to do it and not be as familiar with the craft, that was really admirable. If I had been put in the same position as her, I know I wouldn’t have handled it with as much grace as she did. I can be real with myself.
One more Kellie story. I loved that she invited Ryan and me on a private tour with her and Wes and her manager and her manager’s husband and her acting coach. It was a private tour of Graceland. I never shot inside Graceland; I never saw the interior. But Kellie and Wes had already shot inside Graceland at the piano. Which by the way, they had to cover everything with bubble wrap and carpet. I was told they were very strict with the camera equipment and moving everything to shoot that scene. And they also shot a replica model so they could do more angles.
But as we were going through this tour…I grew up watching Forrest Gump. That was my introduction to Elvis. {laughs} During the tour, we were walking around, and Kellie was kind off on her own looking at the artifacts and the pictures. I went over to Kellie, and I like to say I’m pretty observant with people and personalities. But Kellie is on a different level. She was standing and looking at one picture, and she said to me, “If you notice, in every picture of Elvis, he kind of looks sadder and sadder inside. Almost as though he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. You can see that he loves his family.” And as I looked, sure enough, it did look that way. She’s very in tune, and she is just a very special human being. And the last night we were there, I just stayed up late talking with her, Wes, Ryan and her manager, trying to get to know her better. They were great. Kellie deserves everything she has in her life right now. She is true to who she is. And it makes me feel confident knowing that people of that status and stature, they don’t necessarily have to be jaded. Unfortunately, I’ve met those who are, but Kellie is not one of them.
What about Wes?
With Wes Brown
I really got a chance to know him at the premiere. He and I didn’t really work that much together. And I also got to know him a bit more at the Elvis tour. He was hilarious. He cracked jokes on set. And it was funny. He was flying out to go to Canada to shoot another Hallmark film. And he couldn’t find his passport. He was panicking because it was our last day. And he had planned to go home for two days.
And that’s another thing. All Wes had with him was…he drove cross country with his family. And all he had packed was Hawaiian T-shirts. So when he got to LA and he had to fly out immediately, his stuff still wasn’t there to unpack. So all he had to bring with him to set was Hawaiian T-shirts. {laughs} So every day you saw him in a different Hawaiian shirt.
When he couldn’t find his passport, I said, “Well, maybe the border security will love you.” And he said, “Yeah, maybe I’ll have to seduce them.” I messaged him later and asked if he got through. And he said, “Yeah, I had to seduce the hell out of them!” {laughs}
What a funny story! I can imagine Wes being like that to a degree.
Another thing about Kellie is that she is very adventurous. She invited Ryan and me to go skydiving with her. I had never skydived before, but Ryan had, and they were both trying to convince me that I needed to do that.
With her brother
Then when we were out, she said that she really wanted to do service with the children’s hospital. Her husband is a songwriter, and she will often go to the children’s hospital rooms and sing. But she wanted to make sure she did it while she was here. And I like doing community service too. I was very much involved in college, but there has not been as much time to do it in recent years with my career. But I do want to get back to it.
In fact, the last day we were there, I asked Kellie if she was going to the premiere, and she said that every year her husband and her do a volunteer service down in Mexico working at a school. Come to think of it, I did some volunteer work with feeding the homeless last year with a restaurant. It was great because they are brought in for a three-course meal, and you really get the time to talk with these people and get to know them. But I definitely want to be more involved.
As to the kids, Claire Elizabeth Green, who plays Emma, she cracks me up. Her mom and Madison’s mom are amazing. I’ve put child actors on tape before. But you can see how much these mothers sacrifice and how much they want for their girls. I didn’t start as a child actor, but my mom is there now every step of the way in my career. But I told these girls that they were very fortunate and they needed to thank their mothers every day because they are the ones making sure their daughters can have this career.
It was also really hot while we were filming there. I know heat from living in Florida, but this was Memphis! And that Memphis heat is scorching. But everyone was fantastic in spite of the heat. They checked on everyone, including the girls.
So in addition to Christmas At Graceland, are there other things we can see you in that you can mention?
I was on a couple episodes of The Walking Dead. There’s also another project I’m on that I can’t say too much about till it comes out. It’s called David Makes A Man and it will be on the OWN Network. This show is by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight and Choir Boys currently on Broadway) and Exec Produced by Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) and Oprah {Winfrey}. I am so grateful for this role because it is unlike anything I’ve ever done in the past. It’s a rather dramatic role and definitely a stretch for me. It is truly everything I have trained for…everything for this moment, and I love it! I am so excited for the world to see the beautiful storytelling portrayed on this show. I am even more grateful to blessed with the opportunity to give voice to the women this character represents. After all, that is my job as an artist.
Sara Rue and Jordan Bridges
In other news, I just recently wrapped last Monday on another Hallmark film titled Garden Party (name subject to change) starting Sara Rue (Series of Unfortunate Events) and Jordan Bridges (Rizzoli & Isles). It’s supposed to come out this year around spring, possibly April. It was a fulfilling experience and it was great to work at home in Florida.
I’m afraid I’m unable to share any pictures from either project until it gets closer. But I promise the fans are going to love them both! And in case anyone wonders, yes, I was lucky enough to get to meet Oprah on my last day of filming that show, so watch for more information as we get closer to the premiere date! And I have LOTS of pictures from Garden Party! The Hallmark fans are going to simply adore it!
That’s great, Tamara! Your second Hallmark film and a show on OWN Network! Talk about an incredible way to begin 2019! Here’s hoping that you get cast in the sequel to Christmas At Graceland also and that Hallmark uses you again! Thank you so much for a wonderful interview, and I can hardly wait to see what’s next for you.
My pleasure, Ruth. Thank you for reaching out, and I’m grateful to the fans and to Hallmark for all their support.
World Premiere of Christmas At Graceland
I don’t know about you, but I learned more than I ever imagined possible because of this phenomenal chat Tamara and I had on Thanksgiving of last year! I did interview Wes Brown, but I didn’t even attempt to land an interview with Kellie Pickler. Though in many ways, I believe I gained more insight into Kellie as a result of Tamara’s compelling and entertaining behind-the-scenes stories. No matter what one may think about the movie or the people involved with making this film happen, no one can deny how simply astounding this project was! I have come to understand that no one makes a decision in this business to create something that is disliked or second-rate, and I am convinced that every person who had a part in the making of Christmas At Graceland delivered more than a hundred percent to make this the extraordinary production it is.
Evidently, Tamara’s talent, spirit, and character made her a veritable smash with Hallmark because she just got done filming her second Hallmark film with some massive stars! Not only that, but she’s in an Oprah Winfrey project, and everyone knows that woman is a legend who continues to produce remarkable productions that resonate with multitudes of people. I truly am convinced that the way in which Tamara has chosen to approach life and her career is rewarding her with unimagined benefits that continue to come her way in sometimes unforeseen ways, and I couldn’t be happier for her success!
If you have not seen Christmas At Graceland (or if you would like to relive this film), please tune into the Hallmark Channel February 22nd for an encore performance of this fun seasonal flick. (The movie should be available on a variety of platforms if you are interested in purchasing and/or renting it for your personal, in-home viewing). Additionally, I would invite you to check out and/or follow Tamara at the links below so that you can keep yourself informed about all her upcoming projects (including those highly-anticipated behind-the-scenes photos she will be sharing). I am thrilled that Hallmark introduced me to such an impeccable, benevolent human being such as Tamara, and I greatly anticipate all that 2019 and beyond will send her way!
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