I remember the very first time I saw the actor Jon Cor in anything. It had been announced that he and Lacey Chabert were starring in Love On Safari, and being the good Hallmark fan that I am, I did my research. Once I discovered I had not seen him in anything…that I recalled at least…my mom was looking for a movie to watch on Hallmark’s streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now, and lo and behold, there was his name again! Although The Boy She Met Online is not a prime example of Hallmark content nor the best representation of the range of Jon’s acting talent, it was my introduction to him. I will say that I preferred his performance in that first Hallmark movie of his, and suddenly, he became a favorite in the community. I honestly didn’t expect to be able to interview Jon as expeditiously as I did, but I am honored to share our recent virtual chat in anticipation of his first Hallmark Christmas movie which is premiering tonight (November 9th) on the Hallmark Channel.
RH: How and why did you decide to pursue a career in acting?
JC: I’d love to offer a shorter answer, but I don’t think I can pinpoint a single catalyst. I was definitely an imaginative and adventurous child, the class clown, always playing with dialects and costumes in front of whatever late 80s or early 90s camera I could find, always outdoors, always searching… But basically, I had a young mother, and as such, we moved around enough during my formative years for it to feel disruptive as much as it felt exhilarating and new and growth-necessitating. When you’re the perpetual new kid in school, you’re probably either accepted and adored just for showing up, or you’re the target of local bullies – also just for showing up. I was pimpled, scrawny, shy, bespectacled, battling undiagnosed spondylolisthesis {slipping of the vertebra that occurs, in most cases, at the base of the spine}, it goes on and on… And so, popularity seemed inherently erroneous and illusory to me at an early age.
Fast-forward to a World Religions class in high school. I was made to perform some kind of comedic sketch for an assembly and much to my delight and surprise, everybody laughed, everybody clapped, everybody stood up. In true high-school-cliché style, I realized… They liked me. Suddenly, I saw that I could solve my problems and bridge the gaps in my life at the time without having to fight violence with violence as I had been previously; not knowing what else to do at the time, I only knew to never, ever stay down when faced with unwarranted and prejudiced adversity. Storytelling via acting was at first a means to accrue validation or to outsource my happiness and self-respect but over time, you grow out of that dependency on others and start to become – for lack of a better word – an artist. At least, I think the good ones do. [laughs]
What kind of training have you had to prepare you for this career?
In terms of my acting, I guess it began with the drama classes I started taking in high school, which led to a series of musical leads and the foundations of my vocal training. I was then taught by a litany of Stratford luminaries at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. I’ve taken all kinds of complementary classes over the years, specializing in everything from dialect study to guitar lessons to the explosive sincerity of the Meisner technique.
Otherwise, in terms of my movement background, I’ve been a lifelong martial artist with experience in disciplines such as Hung Gar Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and Capoeira, to name a few of my favourites. However, I’m currently devoted to martial arts tricking, which looks something like weaponized gymnastics to the unfamiliar eye. Schedule- and location-permitting, I train as full-time as I can at my home gym, Flight Club, in Richmond, BC. The coaches, the people, we’re family.
What was your first professional on-screen role and what are your memories of that project?
Jon Cor Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
Oh, gosh. Do we have to talk about this? [laughs] I was fortunate in that I booked my first audition for a major film franchise known as American Pie. I didn’t want to do it due to “edgier”, youthful, and kind of accidentally pretentious aspirations for my career, but my agent knew what he was doing and said something like, “Kid, you don’t have any credits on your resume. You just got out of post-secondary. This is a no-brainer and a rarity. You should take the job.” Ergo, gratefully and understandingly, I did.
When I got to set for my first day, I was equal parts excited and intimidated, but greeted warmly by an assistant director and invited to,”—go fill up!” Perfect, I thought. I’ve got a task! Given the aforementioned classical theater training which is far less… “Hollywood,” I looked around for a bucket or something, anything that looked like it needed filling up. [laughs] What they meant was that I had time to swing by craft services for breakfast.
You have worked on at least one big studio feature film. How did working on a feature film compare with working on a TV show or MOW {Movie of the Week}?
Brittany Bristow, Jon Cor, Lacey Chabert Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Maritz Verwey
Hm. Does it? I guess the filmmakers and their budgets vary a great deal which affects everything from A to Z, but overall, I’d say off the top of my head that in TV, as an actor I mean, you’re able to take a character on a much lengthier and potentially “deeper” journey. There’s just, a lot more screen time to play with, to really get into transformation and character study. In film, however, due to the parameters of having to tell an entire story in little over an hour, the entire piece tends to feel a lot tighter from the get-go, as it ought to be, whereas a series sometimes takes a minute to find its legs.
Dark Matter and Shadowhunters are some of your more major TV works. What was your experience like on those shows? Any special memories?
Tons! Dark Matter is a special one for sure. I met one of my genuinely best friends working as her twin on the show, and absolutely loved working with all of its producers, directors, stunt people, cast, crew, subject matter, etc. …I meaaannn, who doesn’t want to play a space pirate?! [laughs]
Shadowhunters Fight Choreography
And Shadowhunters was a benchmark in terms of exposure in the States for me, for sure. The first thing that comes to mind is this little angelic power rune tattoo that I have now thanks to a wrap party and some fabulous tequila, and the second is that I got my aging butt back into the aforementioned tricking. If I might further rave about it, it’s an acrobatic and martial arts-incumbent blend of flips, kicks, and twists, and this is, according to my doctor, exactly what’s saving me from a grisly and deleteriously life-altering surgery. I’m still in chronic pain and likely will be until the day I die, but, hey. Learnin’ to fly again, and against the odds no less. You can visit me at @Jon_Cor on Instagram and Twitter if you’re interested in keeping up with my tricking journey and career; at joncorofficial.com where you can also read several published short stories from my collection A Murder of Prose; or at my unannounced and sort of still-“secret” YouTube channel. {All links will be furnished at the end of the article.}
Before your first Hallmark movie Love On Safari, what did you know about the Hallmark network?
Love On Safari
Nadda! [laughs] Learning to make acting choices that are on-brand was a bit of a learning curve for me, but once I sort of “figured out” this Harlequin-esque world of peace and love and harmony, I was able to embrace and play optimally within it. It’s a welcome challenge to tell a story in such a way that our viewers might experience a kind of gentle yet no less cathartic and meaningful release from whatever their day-to-day struggles might be. In short? I love it! Hallmark’s been good to me so far, and I’d look forward to working with them again, and again.
Beaver Falls
Speaking of Love On Safari, not only did you work with one of the Hallmark queens, but you filmed it in South Africa. Please tell us about your experience filming that and what was most memorable?
I looove South Africa! And Lacey Chabert’s just the sweetest and coolest. I had already spent almost a year of my life there filming UK-based Channel 4’s Beaver Falls back in the day. So, to me, it’s home in many ways. I really do intend to live there one day. Anyway, on this shoot, I wasn’t staying in touristy Stellenbosch or metropolitan Cape Town, but in and around the, to me, far more “African” city of Johannesburg, which I thoroughly enjoyed exploring and experiencing. So many vibrant and fascinating cultures, people, places, wildlife, food… Phew’f. What an adventure, and a gift.
Jon Cor, Lacey Chabert Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Maritz Verwey
On the flip side, to be completely sincere, what’s most memorable is that my step-father passed away following a horrific six-year battle with sarcoma, an especially rare and aggressive cancer that attacked his body from head to toe, inside and out, and finally took his mind and life while I was there in the middle of a scene. I wasn’t going to accept the job offer given the situation at home, but he insisted, and I knew that if I self-destructed even temporarily somehow, I’d be doing the man a disservice.
Recently, we got to see you in the new mystery series Picture Perfect Mysteries. What was it like working on this series. Any chance you’ll show up in subsequent installments?
Behind-the-scenes
Picture Perfect Mysteries
Director Ron Oliver is an absolute riot and extremely talented, for starters. In loose and probably clumsy paraphrase, he maintains that his sets should make the actors feel as if they’ve been invited to a wonderfully relaxed and amusing cocktail party, and it certainly did. Warmth. Candor. Jokes. Camaraderie. I don’t know what they’ve got in store for me at the network, let alone what the future of Picture Perfect Mysteries looks like, but if asked to join the cast and crew again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
We are about to see you in your first Hallmark Christmas movie. Please tell us about your character and how he fits into the overall story?
Luke Roessler, Jon Cor, Merritt Patterson Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
My character, David, is a bachelor tasked with taking care of his nephew Troy, played by the ineffable, hilarious, wickedly-smart, and super-capable Luke Roessler. Despite being more than happy to step up to the challenge after the loss of Troy’s parents, David often feels overwhelmed and works tirelessly to balance his responsibilities as a father with his career aspirations and more. Enter the lovely Merritt Patterson and her character Sophie, whose influence and heart reinvigorates and inspires David to love, and to live actively in no small way.
Any other upcoming works you can mention?
Jon Cor Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
This is always a tricky one, isn’t it? I will say that I just finished shooting a thriller currently called The Babysitter; an indie that I did years ago called Hunter’s Moon in which I play a Frenchman whose girlfriend is graphically murdered is making its festival run; another film called Goliath in which I play a repressed gay man opposite the incredible Daniel Maslany is making its festival runs too; and a movie that I’m especially proud of and find very meaningful because it spotlights what’s known as the Sixties Scoop here in Canada, called Trouble in the Garden, is now available on iTunes and Apple TV following a successful festival run and theatrical release.
How will you spend the holiday season this year?
Life’s thrilling enough. [laughs] So, I’ll probably be in Northern Ontario with my family and friends, training as ever, preparing for pilot season, enjoying the outdoors, seeing my cats Rimbaud and Snicklefritz who presently reside with my mother, and, y’know. Watching Batman Returns over and over again. [laughs] Michelle Pfeiffer, if you’re reading this, slip into my DMs already, would you?
Jokes aside, thank you for chatting, and for taking the time to check out our little movie! We hope you like it, and we wish you all a Very, Very Merry Christmas.
Jon Cor Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster
Where do I even begin to encapsulate the absolute marvel that Jon is? To be perfectly honest, when I reach out for an interview with actors in the Hallmark realm, I never know exactly what I will receive in return. While each interview I am able to conduct is one I anticipate with joy and respect, it is rare to find one who has invested the time, attention, detail, and reflection that Jon invested in his responses. In fact, my job (as I mention to many of my actor friends) is to endeavor to portray these actors in an undividedly positive light while highlighting their strong suits, their genuine persona, and their remarkable aptitude. Well, this is decidedly not necessary in Jon’s case because as I’m sure all of my readers have noticed, Jon is a gentleman, a scholar, and an extraordinary artist who is perfectly capable of demonstrating the various facets of his psyche and personality through the written word. How this man has escaped my notice for so many years is beyond me! The forthright manner in which he writes is peppered with authenticity, self-deprecating humor, and profound, abiding humility. He is not in need of my skilled services to “make him look good;” he’s done a more than adequate job of that on his own!!
Therefore, I will conclude the interview in this fashion. Please be sure that you tune into the Hallmark Channel this evening, November 9th, for the premiere of what’s purported to be a delightful Christmas movie–Picture A Perfect Christmas–a movie infused with heart and soul, while featuring a stellar cast and crew. Moreover, I would invite everyone to pay a visit to all of Jon’s links below and consider following him where applicable. In my unreserved opinion, Hallmark has unearthed a rare gem within the vast pool of talent existent in the film and television universe today, and I cannot even begin to praise them enough for the connection I have made today in the person of Jon Cor. Yet again, Hallmark has introduced the community to an actor who is multi-talented, multi-faceted, kind, compassionate, generous, and above all, real. In short, I tend to think we are going to see a whole lot more of Jon in the weeks, months, and years to come, and it is my sincere desire that every single Hallmark fan reading this will enthusiastically support the career of this pragmatic, sensitive, benevolent man (not to mention handsome and gifted) for decades to come!
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