Shortly after season four of When Calls the Heart concluded, I had the opportunity to interview Mason McKenzie, who was featured as one of the Wyatt brothers in a couple of episodes. While he has not ever returned to Hope Valley, Mason’s career has still proven to be fairly steady, and Hallmark seems to truly enjoy his talent. In anticipation of this weekend’s long-awaited premiere, Love Under the Rainbow, I am honored to share Mason’s second interview with me on my site today.
Joey Awards 2018
RH: Mason, so nice to be back chatting with you!
MM: Thank you for inviting me back, Ruth.
from When Calls the Heart
season 4
I’m glad we’ve gotten to see you on Hallmark even though you haven’t been able to come back to When Calls the Heart.
I know what you mean. I’m glad too.
Last year, we got to see you in Frozen In Love.
Yes, and then this weekend Love Under the Rainbow will finally air! I’m so excited! We filmed that almost a year ago!
I have been waiting for this film, Mason, because you filmed it with one of my dear friends whom I met in Seattle last year–David Haydn-Jones.
Love Under the Rainbow behind-the-scenes
Really?
Yes, I met him at a Supernatural convention of all things.
Well, that’s great.
Now, even though it’s been a couple seasons ago, I know Hearties will still remember you as Chad Wyatt in season four.
And, of course, I am very grateful for their support.
Now, I’m curious. Do you still follow the show When Calls the Heart even though you are no longer a part of it?
Yes, I sure do.
Well, I am sure Hearties would still love to see you come back.
That would be amazing. I had such a great time on that show.
Frozen In Love
behind-the-scenes
So with Frozen In Love, what was your experience like filming that movie?
It was really fun. Everyone was so easygoing. I got to film in Revelstoke, so that was really cool. Not only did I get to film the movie, but I got to play hockey, which is my favorite sport!
That’s cool. I know Niall Matter was in that film, and while you both were on When Calls the Heart the same season, you didn’t share a scene together, did you?
No, we didn’t, so I didn’t meet him on that set.
Well, at least you got to meet him on the set of Frozen In Love and work with him and Rachael Leigh Cook.
I enjoyed working with both of them. And I got to play hockey with Niall in between scenes.
Clowning with Madison
That’s so cool! And another former Heartie actor was also in the cast, Madison Smith.
Oh, yeah, Madison! He was like another kid on set. {laughs}
{laughing} That I can believe!
It’s hard to believe he’s an adult sometimes. He’s so funny. He was always throwing snowballs and things like that. If you remember the toboggan race from the movie, after we were done filming that scene, while all the crew was cleaning up, we took the toboggan up the hill and we went down and crashed into a bunch of hay at the bottom! Honestly, I was glad he was there because when we were filming, I was the only kid on set. Except for the hockey players, but I didn’t really get to spend any time with them. But Madison was just like a kid.
I can definitely see that. I thought this was a really fun movie, and I didn’t even realize you were going to be in it until you popped up on the screen.
I know a lot of Hearties sent me tweets saying how nice it was to see me in that movie. I hope they do the same thing with Love Under the Rainbow.
behind-the-scenes
Love Under the Rainbow
Speaking of Love Under the Rainbow, what can you tell us about your character in that movie?
I play a schoolboy named Ryan who is friends with the main girl, Sophie, who’s played by Dakota Guppy. Ryan is a smart kid who likes to invent things.
So Dakota and Emily Delahunty were the other kids on set with you in this movie.
Yes, that’s right. Most of my scenes were with them because we’re all friends in the story and I hang out with them. I knew both of them because of auditioning, but it was my first time to work with Dakota. I had actually worked with Emily in a commercial.
The female lead in that movie is Jodie Sweetin.
Yes, she was really fun!
Love Under the Rainbow
Were you a fan of Jodie’s before making this movie?
I always watch Fuller House and Full House, so yes. In fact, I own all the seasons of Full House. So I am a huge fan.
That had to be awesome to work with her then. Did you have any scenes with David?
No, I didn’t have any scenes with him, but I got to hang out with him.
That had to be fun. I know.
Oh, it was. He’s an easygoing guy, so I had lots of fun hanging out with him on set.
Now, I know you were recently in Project Blue Book on the History Channel. Please tell us about your experience and what was especially memorable for you working on that project.
pre-haircut
Project Blue Book
Working on Project Blue Book was amazing! I had had three auditions for multiple characters before I finally booked the role of Bobby. I was excited about the series since my first audition because I knew it was going to be big.
My first day on set was especially memorable for two reasons. First, we filmed at Jamestown, which as you know is where When Calls the Heart is filmed. It was cool to be back there.
Project Blue Book
Secondly, I had to have all my long hair cut off. I wasn’t happy at first about my transformation, but I got over it with the excitement of playing Bobby. Camping and aliens makes everything more fun! Meeting and working with Aiden Gillen was an honor. He was down-to-earth and kind to everyone, even sitting and chatting with Nolan Hupp and me between scenes. The whole cast and crew made it a comfortable and fun experience. I am really lucky to have been able to be a part of the series.
You also had a role on Killer Body (AKA The Wrong Patient). What did you enjoy about filming that movie?
Killer Body
Killer Body/The Wrong Patient was another fun project to work on. I love thriller movies, so I was super excited to be part of it! The director, David Strasser, was great. He was so nice to me; all the cast and crew were great to work with! It was fun for me to play Aiden, a kid who loves bacon because I too enjoy my bacon! There was one scene where I ate so much bacon from the number of takes we did, that I ended up vomiting. I still love bacon though!
Any other upcoming roles you can mention?
I am so grateful for what a great year 2018 was for me. I don’t have any TV shows or movies coming up right now. But I will be playing a role different than anything I’ve ever done before. It’s actually a music video, an independent project. I really think it’s going to be such an awesome experience because music is a huge part of my life. I look forward to sharing it when I can. I can definitely say it’s been a busy start to the year with auditions, so I’m hoping something else will be coming my way very soon too!
So you mentioned your love for hockey.
Yes, I love to play every sport, but I don’t play on any sports teams as of right now.
Well, it sounds like you keep busy, Mason, and we are all looking forward to the movie this weekend!
Thank you, Ruth, and thanks to all the Hallmark fans for your support. I really hope you enjoy Love Under the Rainbow.
Love Under the Rainbow
I could not be happier for Mason and all the incredible opportunities that have come his way over the past year or so. He is still only in middle school, so the fact that he has more credits than some of his adult counterparts honestly speaks to his innate giftedness, his undeniable work ethic, and, of course, the overwhelming support of his family. Furthermore, even at his young age, the diversity of his credits ensures that he will not be typecast, and I applaud the fact that he is already learning this most vital principle. He has played everything from a bully to a typical kid who likes bacon to a camper who has witnessed a potential alien invasion. (Talk about a dream job, eh?)
I hope that everyone in the U.S. will tune to the Hallmark Channel this Saturday, March 9th for the premiere of the movie that is bound to plant a smile on your face and produce a spring in your step–Love Under the Rainbow. (There are no listings for Canadian showings as of yet, but here’s hoping that one of the networks will pick it up soon.) I would also invite all my readers to check out Mason’s links below and consider following him where applicable. He is rather conscientious when it comes to keeping his fans informed about his upcoming works, and he also shares plenty of behind-the-scenes pictures whenever he is able. I am grateful to Mason’s parents for their unwavering support of their son’s fledgling career because I know they are a significant part of the reason he has remained grounded and positive in a profession that can be quite brutal to the psyche of young people. I tend to believe that as long as Mason continues on his current path while remaining true to his ideals and values that he will find success in all of his endeavors. Moreover, I hope that all the Hallmark fans will join me in supporting him and interacting with him whenever possible because there is nothing like celebrating a quality young person like Mason!
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