Late last year, I happened upon an actress with an impressive resume who had portrayed multiple supporting cast roles for various studios over the past few years, but for some reason, she had flown under my radar until I witnessed her character in the Freeform original show Siren. Back in January, I posted my first interview with the eclectic and engaging Sarah Hayward. In recent times, Sarah has been featured on a few more Hallmark works and various popular Vancouver shows, and it is my honor yet again to highlight the illustrious Sarah in anticipation of her upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie, A Christmas Duet.

PC: Ashley Ross

RH: Sarah, it’s so great to chat with you again.

SH: Always nice to chat with you, Ruth. Sorry we missed each other when you were in Vancouver last month.

It’s been a busy time for everyone, so maybe we can get together next time. But you have certainly been in some great things since we last spoke. I loved the fact that your character showed up again in Siren last season. 

With Rena Owen

Thanks, Ruth. I actually filmed three episodes, but as it turned out, they were only able to use me in two of the episodes. That’s how these things sometimes go in the business. I had a little scene with Rena Owen where I was walking her down the hallway.

I definitely remember seeing you in season two. And I remember that scene for sure.

So far, I haven’t been called in for season three of Siren, but I keep hoping. They might be going a different direction this season, but we’ll see what happens. But no matter what, I love watching Siren.

My daughter and I love it too. Now, you were in a couple big projects this past summer. Web of Dreams with Cindy Busby was on Lifetime this summer. 

Yes, I filmed that this past spring, and it came out this summer. I’ve actually filmed a lot of stuff this year. In fact, I have two other things coming up in addition to this Hallmark Christmas movie, but I’m not allowed to say anything about those other projects quite yet.

Web Of Dreams

That’s how things go in this business. I recently spoke with Cindy, and as I told her, she’s the reason I watched all five movies in the V.C. Andrews movie series. She was the first one to tell me about them. I have never read the books. I had honestly never heard of them. 

I had never read them either.

Okay, so I’m not the only one.

No, you’re not the only one. But a lot of people would tell me that they had read those books back when they were a teenager.

I enjoyed the movies.  I understand they didn’t follow the books, but I still enjoyed that set of movies. 

With Cindy

I agree. The one I was in, Web Of Dreams, I thought they realized it quite well. We filmed at this beautiful mansion called the Copper Stone Mansion. It’s almost at the U.S. border in Langley. It was really an amazing mansion. I had never been to it before. I guess they rent it out a lot for filming. Quite often, I get to film in all these amazing places. One of the fun parts of filming is going to all these different places that you’ve never discovered before. One of the places I filmed this year was actually in my neighborhood because I was on the show The Terror.

Oh yes, I have not watched the entire season, but what I have seen is truly amazing. I actually didn’t know what I’d think of it, but I had so many friends involved with it, so I decided to give it a try. And I’m glad I did. I was really fascinated from the beginning. In fact, my daughter watched part of an episode with me. She is a student of Japanese culture, and she was able to give me a little Japanese history lesson based on one of the scenes in the show.

The Terror

I think the show was really successful in bringing the Japanese culture to the North American market. A lot of cultures have their own TV system and their own style. The Terror is pretty slow compared to the North American style. It was really good for the culture and listening to another language and having to read subtitles. When I was on that show, I got to know an actor on it who was brought from Australia. He played the character, Henry, father of the lead. This actor, Shingo Usami, was brought from Australia to Canada to film this series for five months. I have a friend in Australia who told me, “Oh, my friend Shingo, is coming to Vancouver. You have to meet him.” So months before I filmed it, I met him for coffee. And then it was just a coincidence that our mutual friend from Australia was coming to town the day I found out I got the part and I’d be in a scene with him. It was a very small world kind of thing!

That job was very fun. We had a very interesting female director named Meera Menon, who directed the episode my character was in. I’ve actually worked with a lot of women directors this year. It’s been really fantastic. I mean, I like to work with men directors too. But working with so many female directors is kind of a new phenomenon.

PC: Ashley Ross

I love that. And it goes far beyond it being just a trend. These women are not just getting the position because they’re female. They’re getting the position because they’re good at what they do. Then it’s a bonus that they’re female. I am all for that. And I’ve noticed a lot more female directors working with Hallmark as well. 

The Hallmark movie I have coming up is called A Christmas Duet. It was directed by Catherine Cyran. She’s a really smart cookie from the States. She’s made her home now in Vancouver. She was really smart and quick. She’s very tiny in stature, but mighty in spirit and intelligence.

I’ve been enjoying all the Hallmark Christmas movies, and I’m definitely looking forward to this one along with all the rest of them. 

Speaking of Hallmark, another movie I did this year was In the Key of Love.

With Laura

Yes, I loved that movie! I know they moved it from the Hallmark Channel to the streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now, but it was just wonderful! It’s the movie that introduced me to the work of Laura Osnes. I thought she was amazing.

Isn’t she great?

Oh my goodness, I didn’t even know who she was, but this movie made me fall in love with her and become a huge fan of hers! 

Yeah, she’s a big Broadway star. And I didn’t know that. I have a friend in LA who wrote to me and said, “You worked with Laura?” He’s been a fan of hers since she was in some kind of song contest.

with Laura

As a result of seeing this movie, I told my daughter about her, and that prompted my daughter to look up a musical Laura was in, Bonnie and Clyde. And so now my daughter knows who she is too. I know some complained about the story and other things in it, but I don’t know why. I thought it was great.

Me too! I liked the story.

Did you film this on Vancouver Island?

No, we filmed it on Bowen Island. And that was such a cool experience. We were ferried there. We drove to West Vancouver where we took a van to a boatyard, and the ferry picked us up. It was a little, tiny ferry that would fit about fifteen people. And they ferried us over to Bowen. Bowen Island is a beautiful little island. It’s a really friendly little community. It’s about twenty minutes by ferry from Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver.

Well, I thought it was a gorgeous setting. I loved everything about the movie. The music, the story, and I remember seeing you in the film. Now let’s talk a bit more about A Christmas Duet that premieres on the Hallmark Channel today (November 25th). 

A Christmas Duet
behind-the-scenes

We filmed that movie this summer around June/July. I remember one of the days, we were in Ladner, BC. It was the middle of summer, but you know, the cottonwood trees were blossoming, and the cotton was flying around like snow.  It was just unbelievable. They did bring in real snow into the little town of Ladner and set up a tree and my character’s hot chocolate stand. The leads of the film are Chaley {Rose} and Rome {Flynn}.

I remember this one because during the summer preview show, they showed a small clip and talked about it briefly. This is the one where the leads used to be a singing duo and then they broke up, right?

Yes, that’s the one. It’s great that they have brought music into the Hallmark movies more.

Yes, they have! It’s been so much fun! So tell us a little about your role in this film.

Well, I was two days on set this time instead of just one. Also, my buddy Andy Thompson was in it too. He’s a very funny local actor. It was fun to see him on set. My character’s name is Miss Edith and I run the local hot chocolate cafe. You’ll see me in a couple of scenes, and I’m a real Christmas-spirited lady.

A Christmas Duet

I am very excited to see this one because of the diversity of the cast as well as the music and everything else. I am not familiar with either of the leads, but I’m looking forward to seeing them tonight. 

I am glad to see more diverse casts as well. But another Hallmark does so good is that they have meaty roles for women of all ages. It’s been a thing where most of the work industry-wide has been for younger people. You’ve got shows like Riverdale, which are wonderful, but mostly cater to younger performers. But I think Hallmark represents more what society is really like.

That’s so true. In this film alone, we’ve got Teryl Rothery and Chiara Zanni.

Oh, I got to know Chiara. She’s such a fantastic person and very funny.

I’m definitely looking forward to this movie. Even more so after chatting with you, Sarah. 

One of the things I can say about both A Christmas Duet and In the Key of Love is that the producers of those projects were so nice. They came up to each of the members of the supporting cast and welcomed us all personally. In fact, the producer for A Christmas Duet, Greg Malcolm, came and sat there right on set. It was like you were in his living room. He was so friendly.

I know this one will be a great way to kick off Thanksgiving week for us in the U.S. And then it looks like it will come to the W Network in Canada on Friday, November 29th. 

So, Ruth, I was thinking it might be nice to share a Christmas memory with you, if you’d like.

behind-the-scenes
In the Key Of Love

Sarah, of course! I was actually about to ask you about Christmas, so go for it. 

I’m sure you know about how Hallmark has a lot of Christmas movies that feature Christmas tree farms. Well, I grew up in Nova Scotia, and my Uncle Doug had a farm in rural Nova Scotia. Our whole family would pile into a small car and go choose the Christmas tree on his farm. We would walk around in the snow, arguing about which one we wanted. I always wanted the biggest tree possible. And my dad wanted a small, manageable tree to go on top of the car. My brother and I both liked the big ones so we could make a fort and sleep under the tree because it was such a magical place under there with all the lights and presents.

After we cut down the tree on the farm, one tree was so big that it covered the whole car, and it looked like there was a Christmas tree driving down the highway. My dad would cut a small piece off the tree trunk to get the tree into the stand. My mom would take that piece of wood and put it in a warm oven, and the whole house would smell like the fir tree. We truly had amazing Christmases when I was growing up. Then we would go to my grandmother’s for Christmas dinner. She had a huge tree in the bay window.

Now, for a little history lesson, if you don’t mind. I heard that Halifax is one of the first places in Canada to have a Christmas tree inside the house. I think it was a German thing first. But then there’s a cool story about how every year, Nova Scotia gives Boston a Christmas tree. That’s because December 6, 1917, there was the largest, man-made explosion that destroyed much of Halifax when two ships collided in the harbor, and one was carrying nitroglycerin. The people of Boston heard about it and immediately sent supplies and food and medical personnel and water to Halifax. So I think it was around 1941 when Halifax started sending a Christmas tree to Boston every year to remember and thank the people of Boston.

behind-the-scenes
Siren

Back to my mom…she made Christmas dazzling for us. I mean, there was the smell of the fir tree, but she’d also put boughs on the banister. And her Christmas baking! The cherry dreams and the Nanaimo bars and fried bread dough. I think my favorite Christmas cookies are shortbread with butter icing and a small cherry on top. My mom was an artist. She would stay up all night gluing glitter and artwork on all the presents. And when we came down Christmas morning, the room had been transformed into the sparkly Christmas that we wanted as kids. I had a really magical childhood Christmas.

Sarah, that is simply amazing! You need to get these stories written down in some way. They are the perfect basis for a Hallmark Christmas movie. Use your memories, add a little romance, and you have a great Christmas movie!

Oh, this is just the beginning of the stories I could tell, Ruth. Let me mention one more thing here. My grandmother left a manuscript, a kind of romantic manuscript based on her life. I never met my grandmother, and I only got to know her through the pages of her book. She was a very spiritual person. She came from England. She met my grandfather before the first world war broke out. Then when war broke out, she went back to be a nurse in England, and he went to war. He was captured by the Germans and then sent to Switzerland. She took the train from London to Switzerland to marry him, and they spent their first year in Switzerland in an internment camp. So I’m fascinated by this book she left behind. She wrote all kinds of experiences. She talks about the Christmas Armistice where the Germans and British and Americans stopped fighting and came out and sang together and traded foods and gifts. She has a personal account of that from her nephew in this book. All of the stories in this book are so sweet and touching. I also went to visit the place where they stayed in Switzerland in the mountains. It’s a little town where there’s no cars. You have to take cable cars to get there.

Sarah, it sounds like you have the basis for several Hallmark Christmas movies. I really hope you find a way to transform these stories into something special like that. And I thank you for sharing all this wonderful history and these incredible stories with my readers and me. I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and I hope everyone tunes in for A Christmas Duet!

Thank you, Ruth, for letting me share my stories and my ideas. I really appreciate that. I’m excited for everyone to see A Christmas Duet, and when I can tell everyone about the other things coming up, I’ll be sure to let you know!

PC: Ashely Ross

Indeed, Sarah is one of those people who always lives a life that is inspiring on so many levels. Many people tend to romanticize the life of an actor, even that of a working actor. Some might look at Sarah’s acting career and wonder why she even bothers to persevere in her dreams of acting because she has not earned the coveted lead roles in any films or shows. Thankfully, Sarah has the correct attitude for this business–the only attitude you can have, to be quite honest. She has a love for all things connected with the arts and this industry, and nothing deters her from pursuing her aspirations. She savors each on-set experience, and the connections and friendships she has made in this business are paramount. She doesn’t arrogantly inflate her character’s significance, but she recognizes that undeniable fact that “there are no small parts, only small actors.” While the leads of any production are often hailed as predominant to any production, without every single piece of the puzzle giving his/her all to create a masterful work of art, that work cannot be called a truly finished product. Even if all members of the viewing community do not recognize the gaps in the production, in time, those who are not committed wholeheartedly to giving their all in this industry will decline and probably disappear, at least to a degree. But here’s the amazing thing about Sarah. Her tenacious and gracious heart will not permit her to give less than her utmost no matter the size or scope of her role. And as far as I’m concerned, that makes her an exceptional success in her own right. 

I hope that everyone will make a concerted effort to watch A Christmas Duet either tonight (November 25th) on the Hallmark Channel or Friday (November 29th) on the W Network. Additionally, I invite my readers to visit each of Sarah’s links below and maybe even think about following her on social media. While Sarah is not massively active on social media, you can always count on her to promote her works and provide motivation to those in her circle of influence. Indeed, Sarah is the epitome of grace, persistence, and giftedness, and I am honored to have someone with her vision, kindness, and charity in my life. The world is a better place because she is a part of it, and whenever she can lend a hand to a person in need, she is invariably there to help. I’m glad Hallmark has featured her more this year, and I hope you watch for her character tonight and in all subsequent productions!

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