Thanks to Hallmark, I have another new artist to share with my readers today. I first came across Charla Bocchicchio in the cast list of Love, Fall, and Order, and thankfully in spite of a rather small role in that film, Hallmark opted to increase her role in one of their next movies. Better still, it’s a Hallmark Christmas movie! In anticipation of Check Inn to Christmas, which will premiere on the Hallmark Channel tonight (November 26th) {premiering on Super Channel Heart & Home December 20th}, I am honored to share our most recent chat!
RH: Please tell us a little about your background and how that led to you becoming an actress.
CB: I am the youngest of five children and always had a big imagination. I loved to perform and be the center of attention from the time I was a child. Many childhood memories I have consisted of putting on shows for the family with my siblings or creating some elaborate make-believe game with my brother Derek and the neighborhood kids. We would play Love Boat for hours. I was always Julie, the cruise director and my brother would play Isaac, the bartender with his OJ and apple juice mocktails. I guess acting was in me early, and as I got older I became interested in theatre, which I pursued in my teenage years and beyond. I studied theatre at the University of Utah and that’s where I also found my love of teaching.
What industry professionals have significantly impacted your approach to acting and the industry? Please feel free to elaborate.
Anthony Meindl and Judy Kain come to mind first. They are both acting teachers in LA that I studied with and they are both responsible for changing my game as an actor. Tony’s approach to acting changed my paradigm and made me realize the importance of being present and fully available in every moment in the scene without preplanning. His work is highly influenced by Meisner (whose work as a master acting instructor, I have always connected with). Tony also helped me remove major blocks I had in life. Judy taught me everything I know about auditioning and working in commercials, specifically. She became a good friend and mentor and I ended up teaching her youth division classes at her studio in North Hollywood, Keep It Real Acting.
From Yellowstone
What was your first professional job in the industry and what are your memories of that job?
The first on-camera job I ever got paid for was an industrial video back in 1989 in Salt Lake City for the VA hospital. I played a nurse. Looking back now, I realize how little I knew. I don’t think I was very good. Haha! Boy things have changed since then. Now you don’t really need to carry hard copies of your headshot and resume around all that much. Everything is digital and we have such easy access to information now as actors. The other thing that changed for me personally is that with a lifetime of experience I have become a much better actor. It just got so much easier over the years.
You have been a part of many shows and films over the years. With the exception of the past six months or so, what do you see as some of your more significant roles? Elaborate if you would like.
My most significant role as an actor personally, was the role of Becca, in Rabbit Hole, a Pulitzer winning play by David Lindsey Abaire. It was a stage production I did in Birmingham, AL almost a decade ago. I will always treasure that experience working with an amazing group of actors and a visionary director on such an incredibly written script.
On film, I think one of my favorite roles to date was starring in a short film in 2018 called Glass Cages. I played an agoraphobic woman and the levels I got to explore playing Tricia, were an actor’s dream come true. I won the best lead actress at the Utah Film Awards for that performance in 2018.
I have had the chance to be in many commercials in my career and one of my absolute favorites was an Internet ad campaign I did for PooPourri called “Control the Shituation.” It was a crazy scenario and I was given freedom to improvise and make it my own, which was like an actor’s playground. That is still one of my favorite comedic commercials. Here’s the link if you’re interested.
https://youtu.be/OIbLhhZ3B9w
I have heard of Prescription For Love, but I believe it only aired in Canada so far. What did you enjoy about being a part of this movie?
Prescription For Love
Oh, this was a fun one! I got to play Lena, the villain, the supervisor of the lead female character, Claire who makes her life miserable in a very Cinderella-like way to keep her from pursuing love with the new handsome doctor in the hospital where they work. We are hoping it will have a release in the US very soon.
Ruling Of the Heart
A real treat for me on this project was working with Trevor Donovan. He is a delight. A wonderful actor and a genuinely kind human being. Can’t wait to see this film! The entire cast and crew were outstanding. I have worked previously with the director, Brian Brough and producer, Brittany Wiscombe and I always love working on their sets!!! Another favorite film I did with them was Ruling of The Heart, available now on Amazon Prime.
Check Inn to Christmas
Your first Hallmark movie was Love, Fall, and Order. What did you know about the network before making this film? What was your experience like?
I knew what everyone knows about Hallmark, and that’s their reputation for the feel-good movies they produce. I just had one day shooting on that one in a very small role as an NYC Judge, but it was a wonderful experience. Claire Niederpruem is an excellent Director and it was a pleasure to work with her!
Incidentally, this shoot happened the day after my husband was admitted to the ICU for a brain bleed. So you can imagine my attention was a bit scattered that day. But everyone on that crew made my day quick and easy.
Check Inn to Christmas
I know you have a Hallmark Christmas movie coming up. Please tell us a little about your role and how that fits into the overall story. What was your on-set experience like?
Yes! And I am so excited to see this one! It’s called Check Inn to Christmas. I play Sandra Crawley, the mother of Rachel Boston’s character, Julia. She is such a delight, by the way. Our on-screen family was amazing and I’m pretty sure we laughed more than most humans as we spent three glorious weeks together shooting this sweet Christmas movie in Utah. I had the immense pleasure of acting alongside the very talented and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, Richard Karn (Home Improvement), as my on-screen husband in this one as well as some other industry veterans like; Chris Cousins, Jan Broberg and Wes Brown. The entire cast and crew felt like family. It was a hard one to wrap on and say goodbye to these people we become so close to in such a short time. Can’t wait for people to see it. It premieres on Hallmark Channel on November 26 at 8pm. Don’t miss it.
Richard Karn and Charla Bocchicchio in Check Inn to Christmas (2019)
Any other upcoming works you can mention?
I have lots of projects in the works right now, but a couple highlights: I have roles in a couple major motion pictures coming in 2020. Can’t say much about them, but one is starring Mark Wahlberg.
Otherwise, I keep very busy with commercials, indie films and various other projects that come my way. I love what I do and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to pursue my passion as well as help others improve their own acting skills as an acting coach.
How will you and your family celebrate the holidays this year?
We will celebrate quietly at home for the most part. My husband’s wonderful Italian heritage has given us some great Christmas traditions, like Linguini and clam sauce for Xmas Eve dinner at home. For Thanksgiving, we have a tradition in the last several years of going out to a restaurant for the big meal. No cleanup and great food.
In truth, it seems like recently Charla has been almost living a Hallmark movie life. While it is true that she has been experiencing increased success in acting, she actually booked two Hallmark movies in a row (and played the wife of Richard Karn?! I mean, really!!). I am immensely pleased to hear that her experiences on Hallmark movie sets have been tremendous, and I tend to think that Hallmark has found another new favorite in Charla. I adore the fact that she is not only an actress but also an acting teacher because it means that she is not only sharing her gifts with viewers on-screen, but she is sharing her passion with the upcoming generations of actors. I am thoroughly impressed with what I have seen both personally and professionally from this amazing industry professional, and it sounds like 2020 is going to be even more thrilling for her!
Be sure to tune in November 26th for the premiere of Check Inn to Christmas on the Hallmark Channel (or December 20th on Super Channel Heart & Home). And if you are feeling especially generous, why not visit her links below and give her a follow? She has labored intensively to reach the status where she now finds herself, and I know that working actors like her appreciate and value the support of their fans. But I invariably believe that as Hallmarkies, we should strive to rise to the occasion and wholeheartedly support those who regularly give of themselves to bring us the movies that we eagerly enjoy!
FOLLOW CHARLA
Richard Karn, Rachel Boston, and Charla Bocchicchio in Check Inn to Christmas (2019)
Check Inn to Christmas
