Yet again, I must credit the Hallmark Channel with introducing me to another working actor with whom I was previously unfamiliar. Although I had seen Scott Christopher in another movie a few years ago, it was not until he appeared in a couple of 2018 Countdown To Christmas Hallmark films and then again in a fall movie for the network in 2019 that I began to “connect the dots.” Recently, he and I had an opportunity to have a virtual chat about his career thus far, and it is my honor to share this interview with my readers today.

RH: How/Why did you decide to pursue a career as an actor? What kind of training have you had to prepare you for this career?

SC: I knew from a very early age, around the age of two or three, that I wanted to be an actor. I used to pretend while playing around the house that I was in a movie or tv show. I never really dreamed of being anything else as a kid. In my heart, I knew I was an actor. I could read when I was three, and by kindergarten, I was reading at a high school level. I always had a faculty with interpreting scripts and other copy really easily. It all just sort of came together.

I briefly studied acting at BYU {Brigham Young University}, but then figured I’d get better training by just being in the plays and using my college scholarship on some other degree. Eventually, I won the Irene Ryan scholarship in Washington D.C. as the nation’s top male actor, as a communications major. While BYU as a school was very proud, I don’t think the theatre department was too happy.

What was your first professional on-screen role and what are your memories of working on that?

At Gunpoint

I had just left Salt Lake City with an old girlfriend to live in LA and become the next big thing. I hadn’t been there a week when I got a call from a director friend from Utah. At Gunpoint was shot in that summer of 1988 when I was twenty-one. It was a low-budget indie shot in the wilds of the Nevada mountains. We camped out there for two straight weeks and shot every day. Some of it was up in some abandoned mines and it got me a bit claustrophobic. A couple of the other actors were from LA and I sort of got the skinny on how the business works from them. I struck up a bit of a romance with the director’s kid sister who had come along and who happened to be about my age. It made for a much more interesting few weeks away from civilization. Sadly, a crew member was killed in an auto accident on the last day of shooting. He was just a young guy, only twenty or so, and it cast a pall over our final scenes.

Please tell us about your time on the show Everwood.

I was fortunate to play a small role in one episode where I was dressed up like a turkey or something out on the street collecting donations for Thanksgiving and made an impression on some people and ended up doing three or four more episodes as a gym coach at the high school. Chris Pratt (the world’s biggest movie star) and I became pretty good friends and had some good long conversations and played some basketball during breaks. I doubt he would ever remember me today, however. Still, it’s a claim to fame– haha!

You were a part of the show Granite Flats. What did you appreciate about being a part of this show? Any special memories?

Granite Flats was the single best “job” I’ve had over the years. What started as a very small “co-star” role blossomed into a series regular part that had the show continued on for another season, it would have been a truly fulfilling part for me. As it stands, it remains a real benchmark in “family television,” a superbly well-written little period drama that really grows on you with each twist and turn, all without falling back on the usual sex and violence and vulgarity that virtually every bit of scripted entertainment relies on to hold their audience. I worked with some really great people and made lifelong friends. The entire experience was just magical.

Frank (Scott Christopher) takes aim on his target on Granite Flats

Everything about Granite Flats was fantastic. The cast, the crew, the producers, writers, extras, catering, and just the general friendliness and collective sense of excitement was intoxicating. The first season’s cast was mainly actors who still hadn’t quite “broke” yet into the big time, but had flirted with it for years and had great credits and familiarity. So everyone was thrilled to be doing a scripted series.

Granite Flats, Season Two

When Cary Elwes and Christopher Lloyd joined in season two as well as adding some other familiar actors and directors it raised the level of credibility and excitement. Having Parker Posey join the whole gang for season three boosted things even further. For me personally, it was an incredible experience to see the development of my character from a walk-on day player to a series regular, crucial to the entire arc of the series. I learned a lot on set from the other actors, all of whom were based in LA or NY. I was the only regular who actually lived locally in Salt Lake City, where the series was shot.

Granite Flats episode 308, Scott Christopher and Parker Posey

It was interesting to observe each actor’s individual “process” in preparing to shoot their parts. I had a great time getting to know Peter Murnik and George Neubern, two actors about my age whom you may not recognize from their names alone, but if you look them up, they have extensive television and film experience and are very recognizable. We all got along beautifully since we shared a lot of humor and didn’t take anything too seriously.

I got to see you in Not Cinderella’s Type. My parents and I really enjoyed that film. What was special about working on that project?

Not Cinderella’s Type

I’ve done several films with that production company and again it’s just so refreshing because the content is cool. In that particular movie, I mostly worked with a younger cast made up of teens and young adults, and we just all meshed so well. There was great camaraderie among the whole cast and the crew and the younger lead actors performed so well it was an honor to just be around them all. I know the director, producer, DP and most everyone else so well from other projects over the years that it makes me really comfortable when the cameras start rolling. I know their style, what they’ll allow me to get away with and what works for them. Tanner Gillman, who played Maxton, has been a friend since before Cinderella. I went to school with his mom YEARS ago, and it’s been really great to see him get his thing working. He’s extremely talented and is so likable.

Singing With the Angels

Although you have only recently begun working on Hallmark movies, you have quite a repertoire of making faith-inspired/family-friendly movies. What have been some of your favorite movies that are not Hallmark?

One of my favorite films is The Best Two Years, a comedy about Latter-day Saint missionaries serving in Amsterdam, Holland. We spent a couple of weeks in Holland shooting there on location and not only was that an unforgettable experience, but the movie itself ended up being really quite good.

Another one called Singing With Angels was a neat experience as it followed the life of a woman who tries out for and becomes a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I played her husband and the movie has a really sweet spirit about it.

Christmas Made To Order

An Hour Behind with Emily Rose was another cute, family-clean romantic comedy that could have ended up on Hallmark, but it didn’t have “Christmas” in the title so it was Amazon or Netflix or one of those.

I believe your first Hallmark movies were last Christmas–Christmas Wonderland and Christmas Made To Order. What was your level of familiarity with the network before those movies?

I was aware that they made good, wholesome, often cheesy films and shows, particularly around the holidays, but I’d never watched any of them. I thought they maybe just did one or two Christmas movies, but I had NO IDEA they did thirty to forty!! My wife, on the other hand, watches them.

What was your experience working on those films?

Christmas Made To Order

I always feel privileged and blessed to work on ANYTHING that matches my own personal values. I’m not perfect; I’m not pious or free from saying and doing stupid things, but I do feel that there simply aren’t that many media choices for people who want to be uplifted, or at least not brought down by negative, loud, brash, smutty, graphic and violent content. I love knowing that no matter what they cast me as iI don’t need to worry about poring over the script to make sure i’m going to be comfortable being in it. I know their formula and while their interests are probably more business-based than morals-based, I’m okay with that. I’d love to be a series regular on any number of their shows, for that reason alone.

Christmas Wonderland

My work on Christmas Wonderland got the attention of one of their execs who is an absolute sweetheart and I think it helped me get the part on Christmas Made to Order. She said they all sit around laughing at my outtakes when they are editing them, so I try to provide some material for them if time permits. Let’s just say I ad-lib a lot once the written words are in the can.

This past fall, you were also in Love, Fall, & Order. What was most memorable about this filming experience?

With director Brian McNamara on Granite Flats, episode 206

I still haven’t actually seen my little part in this movie yet, but I imagine it’s forgettable. The best part was working again with KC Clyde, an amazing actor that I had been with in The Best Two Years and The Dance years ago. We’ve been friends now for fifteen years or more and it was great to show up and have his little trailer right by mine. Fun reunion and I’m thrilled at all the work he’s been doing. Look him up. His credits are awesome. Otherwise, I was blown away by how stunningly handsome Trevor Donovan is in person. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know who he was before we shot the film, but I couldn’t get over how perfect he was.

This past Christmas season you were a part of the cast of Matchmaker Christmas and Christmas Hotel. Please tell us about your roles in these films and any special memories from filming them.

Christmas Matchmaker

Once again, I was able to work some with Emily Rose on Matchmaker and that was just fun. She’s one of the sweetest actors I know in Hollywood and such a cute little Mommy. I think she was four or five months pregnant while we were shooting and you’d hardly know it all except for the baggy sweaters and such.

Christmas Hotel was the briefest of cameos for me yet still a long, cold day and a lot of my scene ended up getting cut. Not much to report there. Tatyana Ali was extremely pleasant to work with though with a great sense of humor.

Any other upcoming works you can mention?

Nothing really worth mentioning right now.

Scott Christopher and David Naughton on the set of Granite Flats episode 307

Most of your works would be considered family-friendly and/or inspirational. What do you appreciate about making these kinds of films? Why do you think these kinds of films are so popular today?

In addition to what I said above already, I think one of the reason they are popular is that they’ve always been popular, but Hollywood is so hesitant to embrace them. People basically make movies, TV shows, art if you will based on their own lives and experiences or as a reflection of their ideals and values. And let’s face it, most of Hollywood is a cesspool driven by people whose motives are greed and power. They pander to the lowest and basest elements and say “this is what people WANT, who are WE to argue?” “Middle America” is mostly good, God-fearing, noble people who don’t want to be bludgeoned by garbage. They want to be uplifted and moved in some way. I want to be a part of THAT, if at all possible.

Since you also have a family, how have you learned to keep the balance between your family and professional life?

Christmas Made To Order

I have an agent in LA and SLC and only work on shows when the timing is right and the material. I try my hardest to not do any R-Rated movies or TV-MA shows. Amazon Prime offered me a lead role in a cop series, but the script was very MA so I turned it down. Not the easiest thing to do for a lifelong no-name actor, but keeping my integrity gets easier with age.

What is your favorite season of the year?

Why? Fall. It’s not too hot, not too cold, the colors are beautiful and there are great memories associated with starting the school year and Halloween and football games.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Play basketball with the fellas. Watch a good game (any sport) on TV or in person. I love crossword puzzles, especially the NY Times. I even was a contestant on a short-lived TV game show called CROSSWORDS (a Merv Griffin show) and made no money at all, but won a nice wristwatch. My wife and I like watching Columbo or Seinfeld or other old series at night and I love riding my motorcycle in the warm months.

Christmas Made To Order behind-the-scenes

There is nothing I appreciate more than sincerity and authenticity when chatting with my interviewees, and Scott provided this and more, including a perspective that demonstrates where his heart and values lie. While he is a working actor who has portrayed a wide variety of characters throughout his career, he appreciates high-quality, family-friendly entertainment, the kind of movies and shows for which Hallmark has distinguished itself as an industry standard and leader. Moreover, Scott’s giftedness and perseverance within the business have stood the test of time, and his connections remain steadfast and strong. I have definitely enjoyed seeing him in an extensive assortment of roles, and I look forward to the next amazing project in which I am sure he will be cast. The fact that he turned down a role that was too edgy for his tastes encourages me to be all the more supportive of who he is as a professional who stands by his principles no matter the consequences. If you have not had the opportunity to see Scott in any of the projects we discussed in his interview, I would invite you to visit the links below, follow him on social media, and check out some of the movies and shows that were mentioned within our enlightening conversation. I am grateful to Hallmark for shining the light on this hard-working industry professional, and I greatly anticipate what will be coming for him in the near and distant future.

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