For those of you who remember season four of the Hallmark Channel show When Calls the Heart, perhaps you will remember the infamous Ray Wyatt, who nearly destroyed the beauty of Hope Valley (well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but…). Thankfully, he was arrested at the end of the season, and we never saw hide nor hair of him again (though I wouldn’t be opposed to a redemption story for him). I had the amazing opportunity of interviewing him not once, but twice (see the end of this post for those links), and I was always impressed with his personal story and the way in which he has labored and come up the ranks in the industry so to speak. I was happy to see him surface on the Hallmark Channel again last Christmas (Jingle Around the Clock), and recently, we were treated yet again to his illustrious on-screen talents (The Last Bridesmaid). I had planned on posting our brief interview last December, but time got away from me. Nevertheless, I am ecstatic to post this interview now in light of last week’s premiere and the advent of Christmas In July programming that is currently available on the Hallmark network.

Jeremy Guilbaut Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

RH: Jeremy, it is just so great to chat with you again.

JG: Thanks, Ruth, I appreciate you reaching out.

I happened to see Andrea {Brooks} last fall, and when she said that she was making a Christmas movie with you, I just knew I wanted to interview you again. It had been so long since we had seen you on Hallmark.

Well, when I moved down to LA, I started doing other things, like producing movies and working on other TV series with my business partner, so I’ve been kind of out of the loop. And when you’re not in Vancouver, you don’t tend to go out for movies like that as often.

Jingle Around the Clock Behind-the-scenes

I know a lot of Vancouver actors have moved down to LA, and they have done very well down there and really enjoy it.

And I’m having a good time. I really enjoy living down here. I’m very happy.

That’s great. And if you’re happy, that’s the most important thing anyway. So can you tell us about your character in Jingle Around the Clock and how he fits into the overall story of the film?

My character is named Jay, and I am the best friend of Brooke Nevin’s character, Elle. We have a long history together. And what I like about this movie, which is sometimes rare for Hallmark movies like this, is that it concentrates on the group of friends she has. We have a great bond and often go to a coffee shop and meet up. It has a different vibe than some of the other Hallmark movies. What makes this movie a unique Hallmark movie, at least in my opinion, is that it’s not just focusing on the two main characters falling in love. Sometimes you might see an extraneous friend here or there in those traditional rom-coms, but this one really does focus on that core group of friends. And we are kind of like Elle’s anchor because she doesn’t have a strong home life or a really close relationship with her parents, so for her, home has become where her friends are. I think it’s a really neat angle that this movie takes. Elle and I go way back. And I don’t want to ruin the story for those who haven’t seen this one, but there are some mistaken feelings amongst the characters. But the main thing is that I’m probably her best friend, and we have this great dynamic where we know each other so well, which leads to a good back and forth between her and I.

Jingle Around the Clock Behind-the-scenes

The scenes with Brooke and I were some of the most fun for me in the whole movie because we got to play like we were old friends. And actually, Brooke and I are old friends. I hadn’t seen her in a long time, but we became good friends due to a mutual friend, Patrick Flueger. I used to work on The 4400 with him, and he’s one of my best friends. We used to live together. Brooke and I hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so when I flew back to Vancouver for my wardrobe fitting…I had asked my agent who the lead was, and he didn’t know, but I walked in and saw Brooke there, and I was so amazed to find out she was the lead. So that was pretty fun, and we had a great time.

Jingle Around the Clock Behind-the-scenes

And she wasn’t only the lead, but she was also the executive producer. 

Yeah, and I didn’t know that going in. But I was pretty impressed how she had pitched this idea and how it was in a different form from when she first brought it to Hallmark. It had been a while since she had brought it to Hallmark, and she hadn’t heard anything for some time. But then all of a sudden, they came back to her and said how they wanted to do this with a few tweaks. I want to say that originally, Michael Cassidy’s character was a woman who was competing with Elle for a job, and that changed into his character who became the love interest. I think my character was originally supposed to be the love interest, and then he got turned into the best friend. So this movie definitely went through an evolution, but I think it turned out really well. Hopefully, the fans enjoyed it.

Well, honestly I went into the watching of this movie expecting to love it. This is Christmas after all. But all of Hallmark’s 2018 Christmas offerings were quite impressive with a lot of different kinds of stories that are not just the same old, same old. And what I will say is that if anyone feels like criticizing Hallmark Christmas movies, they should go watch some of the Christmas movies on the other networks and see how they compare. Most of those other Christmas movies are not bad, but you can usually tell the difference. Hallmark is the leader, and they’ve gotten their system down, and the other networks are scrambling to catch up. 

Jingle Around the Clock Behind-the-scenes

I would say that Hallmark is in its groove now which allows them to try some new things and try to expand, which is good. They’re very comfortable with the process. They’ve got the casts, they’ve got the crews, and everyone knows what they’re doing. I would say that trying new things on the network is a good thing for them.

I really looked forward to seeing you again, Jeremy, and this movie did not disappoint. And the Hearties still remember you, of course. I think they’re all very glad to see you play a good guy. 

That’s good, Ruth. And yes, I’m a nice guy again in this one.

Do you have other things that are coming up?

Well, just last weekend, Hallmark audiences got to see me again. I played the “other guy” in The Last Bridesmaid opposite Rachel Boston and Paul Campbell. That was sure fun.

The Last Bridesmaid Clayton Chitty with Paul Campbell and Jeremy Guilbaut

Oh, it was great seeing you again, Jeremy! Yes, even though you played the other guy, it was hard to hate you.

That’s good. That’s what I was going for. But as to anything else, my two friends and I are still working on a new TV series, but that won’t be out till some time later, maybe even later on this year. But I’ve been producing some movies along with my business partner. This is not Hallmark. It’s more like thrillers and stuff like that. We’ve got a movie called What Keeps You Alive that did pretty well on the film festival circuit. It premiered at South By Southwest (SXSW). You can find it on Amazon and iTunes and all that. We’ve got three more movies coming. It’s a three-picture deal we have with our team. Z is another one of these movies that should be coming out later on this year. I wouldn’t call these horror films, but they are thrillers. They can be kind of scary. I think some class Z as a horror film. But these films are not rated G and not Hallmark friendly.

I thank you for bringing that up, Jeremy. A lot of the Hallmark fans, including me, do watch other things besides Hallmark. But it’s nice to know going in what to expect as far as content and violence and all that. I love Hallmark, but I watch thrillers and sci-fi and other stuff as well. 

In today’s world, people have the ability and the opportunity to watch a variety of genres.

Well, Jeremy, it sounds like you are making your way down in LA. We will definitely keep our eye out for more from you. 

Jingle Around the Clock Behind-the-scenes

Thanks, Ruth, I’ll try to keep the fans posted. Now, as I think about filming Jingle All the Way, I am reminded of a story. What’s good about this one is that usually you are filming these Christmas movies in the middle of the summer. But this one was nice because it was actually cold out. The only problem was that on the outside sets, it was cold, but on sets inside, it was still pretty warm. The lights would be on, and I was in my wool coat. For whatever reason, my character, Jay, always had three wool layers on. So I was the only character who was quite comfortable when we were shooting outside, but it was a disaster when we were shooting inside! I was sweating. We had these little fans. You’ve probably seen them. On set, they usually have these battery-powered fans, but on this set, they stepped it up to the next level. What they gave me was more than just a little fan; it was a little, portable air conditioner. It had ice and cold water, and I don’t know how it would work, but it was cool. There was freezing cold air that would pop out, so that was new and nice. I liked that. I think I have a funny video somewhere of me and Nelson {Wong} sweating so profusely but having this portable, mini air conditioner to cool us off.

And then if you watch the movie, you’ll probably notice the set decorations. They have the extravagant, palatial homes, but for Christmas, they really amped it up on the Christmas decorations with the lights and the Santa and the reindeer and the trees…it was pretty fun to see.

Jingle Around the Clock Behind-the-scenes

I remember you guys making the film because the When Calls the Heart convention was going on during that time. Andrea told me she was headed back to set. And I did notice that this film was being made a little later, which was nice.

Yeah, that was really nice.

Well, I have to be honest that I kept wondering what might have been going on with you since we hadn’t heard from you or seen you in a while. 

Honestly, it wasn’t like Hallmark forgot about me. There were actually some roles I couldn’t do due to my other business schedule and moving down to LA. In fact, there was one that was offered to me right as I was in the process of moving. So sometimes life happens, and you just have to work through it.

When Calls the Heart

And for those who wondered why I wasn’t in the last of the Vineyard movies, I admit that was sad for me. I was in the first two movies, Autumn In the Vineyard and Summer In the Vineyard. Now, the third one in the series was being planned for months. In fact, we were going to go for it a couple times, and I was all ready to do it. Finally, the third time, this third movie was going forward at last. But unluckily for me, I was in Spain because my dad put on a massive art show that he created. He had been working on it for three years. So I had to choose between going to my dad’s art opening or shooting the third Vineyard movie. Unfortunately, I had to pass on that one. I just had to put my dad first.

Jeremy Guilbaut, Rachel Boston Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

I know those kinds of things come up, but I think we all can say that it’s good that you put your family first. I know Andrea said she enjoyed working with you on Jingle Around the Clock. And oh, Paul Campbell and Rachel Boston both mentioned how you were just great in The Last Bridesmaid. In fact, Clayton Chitty mentioned you as well. 

Great people to work with, Ruth. I enjoyed working on both films, and I am definitely looking forward to getting to do more.

I actually thought that Jingle Around the Clock was your first Hallmark Christmas movie, but I discovered I was wrong.

Jingle Around the Clock Behind-the-scenes

Yeah, I did one small part The Christmas Note, but honestly, Jingle Around the Clock is my first Hallmark Christmas movie with a significant part. In fact, it was so hard not doing that one they offered me when I was moving from Vancouver to LA because it was a lead for a Hallmark Christmas movie, and I haven’t done a lead for a Hallmark Christmas movie yet! And I would love to! I just need my life to settle down a bit, which it has somewhat now even though I’m still doing these other things with my business partner. At least I have settled down in LA though and that helps.

Good to know, Jeremy. Well, fingers crossed it happens for you this year. You never know.

Right. I know that Jingle All the Way was released very close to Christmas. And I also like the fact that Christmas in July is in full swing now, so hopefully, if anyone missed it, they can see it this time around.

Well, Jeremy, I’m so glad it worked out to chat, and I thank you for your patience since I literally ran out of time during Christmas to release this interview.

I understand completely, Ruth. I look forward to Z coming out this year, and I am glad everyone loved The Last Bridesmaid. And here’s hoping another one will be coming soon for the fans to enjoy. Thank you for reaching out, Ruth, I really appreciate it.

For me, Jeremy is one of those who fits perfectly with Hallmark. While his career is diverse and saturated with every sort of role from uncredited to leading man across all genres, I am consistently impressed with the fact that he never permits success to go to his head as evidenced by his willingness to do whatever necessary to establish a credible, authentic role on the screen for the viewers’ enjoyment and the furtherance of the story. Central to his entire persona is his “team player” mentality, and everyone from the crew to the actors to the producers praise him for his consistency in his craft as well as his genuine affability. Granted, he is one busy young man, and he is never one to sit around and wait for things to happen. Again, his resourcefulness and relentless determination to every detail make him a director’s dream on set, not to mention a co-worker who invests the time and effort in a professional way while still remaining fun and engaging. In the short time that he and I chatted, he gave me more information than some actors provide in twice that time period. And for that reason and many more, I am honored to be able to finally share this interview with my readers today.

If you have not had the opportunity to watch his most recent Hallmark movies, be sure that you catch The Last Bridesmaid on June 30th when it airs again on the Hallmark Channel (check your local listings for more air times and dates) and Jingle Around the Clock on July 14th on the Hallmark Channel. In addition to all this, please be sure to check out all his links below and follow him where applicable. While he does not always update his social media as regularly as some industry professionals do, you can rest assured that when he does post on one of his social media channels, it is something decidedly significant! I sincerely hope that Hallmark is preparing to feature him again in one of their upcoming Christmas movies (a lead role would be lovely as Jeremy has only done one lead role for the network to date–Destination Wedding). But regardless of the trajectory of his career, I am honored to be able to support this humble, gifted, benevolent man who allows his work to speak for itself. Thankfully, as one of his devoted fans, I am in a position to declare that he is a brilliant, kind soul who is perpetually a delight to chat with and to witness on my TV screen. Moreover, I can only hope and pray that his tenure in the industry will continue for many, many, many years to come!

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Interview With Actor Jeremy Guilbaut, “When Calls the Heart”

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