Interview With Actor Viv Leacock, “Hailey Dean Mysteries”

By Ruth on May 6, 2019 in Interview, movie, television

From the moment it was announced that Kellie Martin was doing a new mystery series with the Hallmark network, I was sold. When I discovered that Nancy Grace was involved, I was even more elated. Then when I overheard that an actor by the name of Viv Leacock was attached to the series, I was delighted to do an interview with him. From the moment we first chatted, I was SOLD! Now with the premiere of the seventh Hailey Dean Mysteries film on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries last night (May 5th), I am proud to consider Viv a good friend that I have not had the fortune of meeting as of yet. He has quickly risen to become Hailey’s right-hand man as Fincher Garland, and it thrills me to no end to witness his incredible success in the industry. There is no one quite like Viv, and I am ecstatic to share my fourth interview with this multi-faceted artist with my readers today!

RH: Viv, it is so great to get to chat with you again!

VL: Same here, Ruth. It’s been very busy lately. I had a whirlwind tour recently when I went to LA where I was hanging out and doing press for Hailey Dean. I got to hang out with Kellie {Martin}, which was great. Then I hung out with my brother {Richard Leacock}, which was also great. Then I came back here to Vancouver, and it was time for my birthday. And then my son is a go-kart racer, and he had a race that I got to see that went really well.

Wow, you have been busy, Viv, but I see it’s all been good.

Yes, busy but very good. I know we’re planning on lots more Hailey Dean movies to come, but at this moment, we’re not exactly sure how many more. I do know there’s one more planned for sure. But nothing official at the moment.

Well, I’m hopeful there will be many more for you guys. Unfortunately, we’re down one mystery series on the network now, so we need to keep the ones that are already established, like Hailey Dean, going for many more episodes.

I know I’d be very happy to keep going for as long as we can.

There are many wonderful mystery series on Hallmark, but I do believe that Hailey Dean is still a definite favorite and standout.

We are excited to bring these next three to the fans because they’re gonna be pretty good.

I’m interested to see where the series goes because last year, we left off with her finally finding out who her fiance’s killer was.

That’s right!

I think the cast, the writing, and everything about Hailey Dean is just so cohesive. You guys know what you’re doing, and you have a great rhythm and chemistry. In fact, I’ve always said that Hailey Dean is the edgiest of the mystery series. I feel like you guys were the original series that has kept pushing the boundaries while still keeping it within the confines of Hallmark. Now the other mystery series are starting to catch up and push boundaries a bit, but I see Hailey Dean as the trailblazers.

You know, I believe so too. Like I tell Kellie all the time…you know, I was hanging at her place with her and her family…and oh my gosh, her family is just so amazing! Her husband Keith and her kids Maggie and Olivia are dolls! What I was telling her was, “You know, people can feel that we hang out.” On many occasions, she comes over and to see my kids; she’s “Aunt Kellie.” That’s what they call her. So I told her, “People can feel when people are really close in real life.” I think over any other cast, I think we have that. It’s not something you can write into a script.

I truly agree. There’s something about the way the cast relates to each other that is fun and real. There are you and Kellie, who are such good friends in real life. And then when you inject Matt{hew} MacCaull into the bunch…I mean, you have one of the most handsome men of all the Hallmark leading men. And I’m not the only one who thinks that.

Yes, Matt is a looker. And here’s the thing. As great as he is to look at, Matt is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. He’s one of the nicest dudes. I love him, man. We work out together. We hang out together. We have a similar taste in older 80s movies. He and I will crack jokes about a lot of stuff, and Kellie won’t get it! {laughs} We have all these inside jokes from old Chevy Chase movies, and we just have so much fun! That’s my guy right there!

I’m so glad to hear that, and I’m very excited for this series to return. I mean, all the mystery series this year have totally stepped up their game, and I have no doubt Hailey Dean will follow suit. After all, you guys were already stepping up your game before. I’m sure you guys will continue to be far ahead of many of the other series and maybe blaze some more trails this time.

You know, we pushed some boundaries this time, I think, as far as the cinematography. Nothing where it’s not going to look like a Hailey Dean movie. Michael Robison has directed a lot of these movies for us. Well, his schedule didn’t jive with one of the movies, so then my amazing friend and buddy Allan Harmon came in. He came in and directed the eighth movie in the series. Then Michael came back for the ninth.

It’s definitely a family atmosphere. If you come hang out with us, everybody knows everybody’s name. Every movie, Kellie and I put together a cast and guest star dinner. And every time we have one of these dinners, we try to get as many guest stars from past movies to come to the dinner.

Oh my goodness, that is really something! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of another cast doing something like that.

Like I said, we completely adore each other. We hang out off set. Now, I am not speaking disparagingly of any series. I know there’s plenty of great ones out there. But I’m saying right now that the chemistry that you will see on the screen doesn’t really exist anywhere else. At least, that I know of. You know, this kind of thing happens all the time with actors. They’ll say, “I love you, man,” but then you don’t hang out afterwards. You don’t spend any time with them in life personally. But that’s not true of this series. I always gravitate towards shows and movies where I know the cast is connecting with each other. When you have that, you know that people aren’t just acting like they’re friends or whatever on screen. They really are friends.

When Fincher says to Hailey, “You’re my best friend,” that’s not an act. When you see Jonas and Fincher looking at each other and kind of conferring, that’s for real. That’s not an act. We check in with each other, and we’re on the same page. And Lucia {Walters}, who plays Monty, she always makes us laugh. Whatever you see going on with the relationships with the cast members…that’s actually going on. It’s great that the powers that be have seen that this is what works, and they write it in. I’ve been really happy with what the writer, Michelle {Ricci}, has given us. She always knocks it out of the park every time. I have always wanted to have a family atmosphere in a series like what we have in Hailey Dean, and now it’s happening. I’m excited for us to do more ’cause it means I get to hang out with my friends even more.

Does Nancy Grace make an appearance in each of these movies?

Oh yes. Nancy, in movie number eight, which I believe is called A Perscription For Murder, Nancy is hilarious! She is in all three, but that one is my favorite by far for her. For that one, we shot three different scenes, and the fans will actually get to pick which scene makes it into the movie. She’s so funny. I told her already, “You need to be an actor.” And she’s like, “What?” Funny like how Nancy is funny… that’s not something you can teach. You just have to be able to do it. And she definitely has it. From the first time I met her during the first movie we did three years ago, I have loved her. She’s just so welcoming and warm with us. We just laugh all the time when she’s around.

That is just great! I’m always looking forward to these, but I’m glad Nancy Grace will be making an appearance in each one. Now, I don’t want you to give anything away, but what can you tease about these movies?

Well, in movie number seven, Death On Duty, you find out that Fincher was a marine. A good friend of his who is still in the marines is killed. And Fincher is not his normal, happy-go-lucky self. He’s on a mission to figure out who hurt his friend. It’s pretty deep. I got to really pull out a lot more than I normally do, and you get to see the full range of emotions. It was a lot of fun to do.

So this means we might see some men in uniform.

Oh, you definitely will.

I have no doubt a lot of the ladies are going to enjoy that.

We had an amazing actor come on and play the killer. I won’t give that away, but just know that he or she is fantastic.

Aaron Craven is supposed to be on one of the Hailey Dean movies.

Yes, he’s on number nine, Killer Sentence.

I’ve met both Aaron’s wife and son, and we had such a great time.

Oh, Aaron and his wife are a cute couple.

Oh, they are!

Aaron came in on that Hailey Dean movie and knocked it out of the park. He’s great. So back to the movies, we had two real-life couples come in and be a part of the series this time. Not that they played couples in the movies. In fact, one of the couples that came in, the wife had to replace Fincher’s love interest as had been played by Alvina August last year. Alvina actually got booked on another show and was unavailable for our movies.

I was actually wondering about that. I’ve been watching Alvina’s career, and it has taken off like crazy.

Yeah, she’s amazing, and so it was unfortunate that we had to replace her. After all, she was part of the family. It was sad to lose her. Oh, and our good friend, Johannah Newmarch, came on.

Oh, that’s right! I had forgotten she was on Hailey Dean! I got to meet her as well, and I just love her! In fact, one of my most memorable Vancouver conversations/visits was with her.

I just love her. And she just knocked it out of the park, of course. Gabrielle Miller also guest-starred on one of our episodes. And her husband, Alex, is in the same episode, but I won’t give anything away about their characters. However, Bradley Stryker came on to do one of our episodes–number nine, I believe–and his wife, Caitlin Stryker, became our new Meghan to replace Alvina.

Oh, wow! That’s a cool tidbit to know.

Also, one of my favorite guys in the whole world, Matty Finochio, he’s in one of the Hailey Dean films too.

Yes! I got to chat with him and will be posting his interview before too long.

He’s one of my favorite people on the earth. Matty and I come from the world of comedy. So there were a lot of jokes on set. Any time Matty and I were around, we were cracking plenty of jokes!

I tell you, the guest cast for this series sounds phenomenal!

Oh my gosh, yes! The best!

Now, I did happen to notice you, even though the part was small, on an episode of A Million Little Things last season.

Oh, yeah, my character was supposed to have more of an arc on there, but I guess things changed.

Well, I know that happens sometimes. And since it got renewed, they could bring you back next season. After all, they didn’t kill you off.

Loudermilk

That is true. I’d be willing to come back if they want me. But right now, I am looking forward to doing more Loudermilk. We’re back to filming in June, so I’m excited about that. You know, my buddy on there, Peter Farrelly, he just won two Oscars. And I get to hang with Ron Livingston again. That show is a lot of fun, but it’s not for the typical Hallmark fan. It’s a bit edgy, but it’s a lot of fun.

Good to know, Viv. It’s still on my watch list. Maybe I’ll get to it this summer. But I do know it is not family-friendly. I find that sometimes I enjoy watching shows that are a bit edgier at times. I understand that if a show has rough language and is suggestive, it may not be my thing. But then if it is well-done and if I am able to get into it, I often find that the other stuff doesn’t really bother me much.

Loudermilk

I do understand what you’re saying. It’s interesting to me because as I have said in the past, I don’t swear. So in real life, when I hear those words, they stand out to me. My ears will perk up when I hear them. I was in a Foot Locker the other day looking at some sneakers, the kids that work there…one of the girls was recounting something that happened, and she was cussing right there in the store while the customers were there. I wanted to take her aside and ask her to stop and let her know how unprofessional that was. I didn’t want to hear about her party or hear her talk like that. When that kind of language comes out of a young woman’s mouth…oh man!

So I understand why some do not want to watch something with strong language in it. But if it’s in something where it just blends in, I don’t even hear it anymore. But I do find that a lot of shows don’t need the swearing. It’s unnecessary. But if the is done well, we may not even hear it. I actually tried to avoid cussing for the first ten years that I was in this business. If my character was supposed to swear, I would change it. But it did get to a point where sometimes it was hurting my scene partners. The language would be on the heels of something else, and sometimes, it just didn’t make sense. And after all, if the writer wrote it that way, I needed to able to portray the character in the way they wanted him portrayed. So I decided that as an actor, I should not change those lines anymore. I’m playing a role. I may not talk like that in real life, but I’m playing a character who does talk like that. And I need to be faithful to the character.

You know, I do understand what you’re saying. When I prepare an interview, sometimes actors will say something I don’t agree with. And I have a decision to make. Do I leave it in or edit it out? And as long as it’s not pure hate-speech or something totally inappropriate, I need to be faithful to what they are saying. Even if I don’t agree with their view. Now, I understand you are also in iZombie for the final season.

Yes, I am a guest star on the final season of iZombie. That was a lot of fun. And I also got back on the show Lost In Space.

Oh, that’s good! I was gonna ask you about that one!

And I’m also in a couple episodes on another show coming up soon. Not much to say right now about it, but watch for more info when I can share.

Good to know, Viv. I plan to watch this final season of iZombie because so many of my friends are involved in it. I have never watched this show. Typically, I don’t go for zombie shows.

That’s great. I do know there’s a lot going on in the show if you haven’t seen it from the beginning, so I hope you can follow it.

Oh, I’ve done this with other shows, especially CW shows. I may not understand everything, but I can usually pick up on the main premise of the show.

That’s good. I guess that’s right. You understand plot and storyline, so you probably can jump in. And I would invite anyone else to jump in as well.

After all, we can always get caught up later. So how many episodes of iZombie are you on?

I’m only in one episode. And by the way, I’m not much of a zombie person either. But this show is a little different from some of those other zombie shows. iZombie is definitely a dark comedy, and that’s what I really enjoy about it. Not to mention that the cast and crew are great.

with brother Richard

Right. Now, we also need to get you and your brother on a show together.

Yeah, we’re working on that right now. When I was in LA, we had a meeting for a TV show we’re trying to put together.

Oh, that would be awesome to see you both in a show together!

I know you will love it. With my brother and me together, I already know how good it will be. And that’s not to brag and say, “We’re so good.” That’s not how I mean it. The same thing I said about Hailey Dean is what I can say about my brother and me. When you watch us on-screen, it’s real. In fact, with my brother and me, it’s kinda telepathic. Honestly, my brother and me, we’ve been watching television for so long that if you put my brother and me on a panel about who decides what TV shows and movies will make it, we will never miss. First and foremost, we are fans of television and movies. The fact that we get to be on TV and in movies is extra cool. So when we put together something for ourselves, it’s gonna be the culmination of everything we’ve seen.

As we’ve talked about before with Hailey Dean, Kellie and I both agreed that Lethal Weapon was a series of movies that we both gravitated towards, and so a lot of what we do is trying to match that chemistry that Mel Gibson and Danny Glover have.

And trust me, that definitely comes across. Now remind me of how old your kids are now.

My kids are eight and a half–nine in three months–, eleven and three months, and twelve going on thirteen.

Wow, you almost have a teenager! I can hardly believe it. I guess I always think of your kids as younger. The times does fly. My daughter will be sixteen next month.

Oh man! Already?

I know, it seems like it happened all of a sudden. She’s a great kid, and she does watch some things with me. But she prefers watching YouTube.

It’s a different world out there, I get it.

The one thing I cannot understand is how she can sit and watch on YouTube other people playing video games!

I’m so with you! All that would ever be in my day is torturous. I don’t know why you would watch someone else play a video game. I’m waiting for my turn. I don’t want to watch you play. Why would I want to? I want to play!

Leacock Family

Exactly!

Unless I’ve played already and we’re both playing and I’m watching what you’re doing and laughing at it. I don’t know you! I don’t want to watch you play video games. But my kids are also telling me that there’s a thing people do on YouTube, where it’s just them making sounds with their mouths! What?? According to my kids, they watch it, but they cringe at it. But apparently, people make noises with their mouths and then become sensations on YouTube.

Wait, I think I might have heard of that.

They’re telling me there are also videos of people eating too. What’s happening here? {laughs} You know, all these actors are going to theater school in London for a very prestigious education. And come to find out, all you have to do is chew on some lettuce and you could have been a star!

{laughs} I know what you mean, and it makes no sense to me!

{laughs} I tell you, it’s not right.

I totally agree with you on that.

I mean, you leave your family for three years and drop fifty thousand dollars to pay for an education, and come to find out, you could have crumpled up some cellophane…

…and suddenly you’re a YouTube sensation!

I don’t even know what’s coming next.

Well, hopefully, there will still be quality TV.

I absolutely agree with you!

I definitely loved the first of the three Hailey Dean Mysteries, and I look forward to the next two. And I will be live tweeting.

I will be live tweeting too, though I usually can’t keep up with Kellie. She is amazing and so fast!

Thank you so much for the chat, Viv, it’s so much fun to talk with you. Always.

Same here, Ruth. And thanks for all your support. I hope everyone tunes in and loves these Hailey Dean Mysteries.

The thing that impresses me the most about Viv is that he is still intrinsically the same person with whom I first chatted nearly three years ago. While he has honed his craft and matured as an individual, a husband, and a father, he is as humble and as supportive as he always and ever will be. He consistently recognizes others with whom he has had the pleasure of working, and he never takes anything in this business or his life for granted. While he has been in the industry for some time–practically most of his life–I believe he is finally “coming into his own” in an exceptionally massive fashion. He is the very definition of success in the movie/film world today because he acknowledges that this business is not “instant, overnight success.” Moreover, he comprehends the inevitable perils of believing all the hype about one’s career while basking in the glory of shameless self-promotion and arrogance. Because he is attuned to the pitfalls of the business, he understands that all for which has labored can vanish in a flash. Instead, he prefers to take every experience as it comes, give two hundred and ten percent (or more), and let his talent and career speak for themselves. He is one of the most down-to-earth people on the planet, and he and I could easily chat for hours about parenting, TV, movies, real life, food, and more! There aren’t too many “big-hitters” in the world of film and TV with whom I can say I would be comfortable doing just that, and I am honored to be in Viv’s corner, supporting and promoting him every step of the way in any way I am able.

If you have not had the opportunity to watch the latest film in the series, Hailey Dean Mysteries: Death On Duty, be sure that you tune in to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries this Saturday, May 11th for a reprise of this impeccable signature mystery film. Also, be sure to set your DVR and/or watch and tweet live with the cast on May 12th and May 19th for the next two premieres in this exemplary mystery saga. In addition to all of this, consider visiting Viv’s links below and following him where applicable, if you are so inclined. I am infinitely grateful that Hallmark and his Hailey Dean family adore Viv as they do (it’s easy to see why), and it warms my heart to see him so often on my TV screen. I look forward to the continued upward swing of Viv’s amazing career in the world of film and television, and all I can say is that I hope someone gives him and his brother a genuine chance to make a go of their proposed TV show. Oh, and while I’m making requests, if Hallmark could see fit to put Viv in a leading role in a romantic comedy on the Hallmark Channel–maybe even a Christmas movie–I promise I would be eternally grateful! But no matter what the future holds for this incredible entertainer and benevolent human being, I can hardly wait to support him every step of the way!

FOLLOW VIV

Hailey Dean Mysteries: Killer Sentence Premieres Sunday, May 19th 9 PM/8c Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Read My Other Interviews With Viv

Interview With Actor Viv Leacock, “Hailey Dean Mystery”

Interview With Viv Leacock

Interview With Actor Viv Leacock, “Hailey Dean Mystery: Murder With Love” and More

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RuthView all posts by Ruth

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” — Franz Kafka Ruth is an inspirational entertainment journalist who instinctively sees the best in all and seeks to share universal beauty, love and positivity. She is an artist who leads with her heart and gives readers a glimpse of the best of this world through the masterful use of the written word. Ruth was born in Tacoma, Washington but now calls Yelm, Washington her home. She lives on five acres with her parents, a dog, two miniature goats, cats and a teenage daughter who is a dynamic visual artist herself. Ruth interviews fellow artists both inside and outside of the film/television industry. At the core of all she does is the strength of her faith.

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Interview With Actor Viv Leacock, “Hailey Dean Mysteries”

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