Because of Hallmark, I have been introduced to some wonderful industry professionals, and it just so happens that Zach Smadu is one of those distinctive creatives. Back in 2018, I first discovered his work in the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Return To Christmas Creek, and this past year, I witnessed his work in even more Hallmark original works. As we welcome 2020, it is my honor to present my recent chat with Zach where we discussed several facets of his career, including his impressive Hallmark career, and even what he is anticipating this year in the world of film and television.
Photo by Chris Frampton
That show led me to getting involved with a children’s musical theatre company, Do It With Class, which I spent the next eight years working with before I graduated from high school. This company was, and still is, quite extraordinary. The founders, Andorlie Hillstrom and Rob Ursan, not only provided an opportunity for the youth of Regina, Saskatchewan, to consistently perform, but gave us foundational training unlike anywhere else. We studied music theory, choral, modern dance and ballet, and integrated everything with dozens of full-stage productions every year. Needless to say, there’s a unique talent pool of performers spawned from this company that have gone on to work professionally all over the world from stage to screen. I’m proud to be one of its alumni.
Photo by Ahmed Klink
I was in grade seven when I booked my first professional gig—a practical video guide for babysitters! It was so fun! I was the babysitter who accidentally set the house on fire with a stove fire…I think it was hamburgers if I remember correctly. The video was all about what you do in an emergency, how to escape a burning house and how to call the police. My fondest memory was that it was a night-shoot out of town on a farm, which happened to fall on a school night. So, I got to take the next half-morning of school off!
Kim’s Convenience
Each and every project I work on always has a special place for me. Whether it’s because of the time and place I am in my career when it happens, what I learn as the actor, or even just the people I get to work with. My memories of Kim’s Convenience include laughing nonstop with/at Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Appa). We had a lot of time to sit and talk when filming the couple episodes I appeared on, and Paul couldn’t be a more welcoming, humble, funny guy. The style of the show was a bit loose, so we could really play within the scene, play around with the comedy and timing, and Paul kept making me “corps” (theatrical slang for laughing inadvertently) with everything he was doing. He’s very charismatic. The show’s welcoming environment allows you to be relaxed and play and make choices.
Designated Survivor
Your first Hallmark work was Return to Christmas Creek. What did you know about Hallmark before making that movie? Any special memories from making that film?
Photo by Ahmed Klink
Hallmark viewers recently saw you in the first Crossword Mysteries film. How did you experience compare to the Christmas movie you did? Any behind-the-scenes moments?
As the viewers will know, Crossword Mysteries is outside the realm of a Christmas-themed movie. While staying true to the Hallmark style, it has a little more edge, as the show plays with suspense and the dramatic aspects of the murder-mystery genre. Lacey {Chabert} and Brennan {Elliott}were very welcoming and sweet. Also, I’d either worked with or knew of so many other castmates—Genevieve Kang, Kelly Penner, Jonathan Langdon and Anna Hardwick—that filming was made easy.
A behind-the-scenes moment for me was while shooting downtown Toronto on a busy street. Just before Lacey and I are about to start rolling, a friend of mine randomly walking down the street stops, interrupts and asks, “Hey man, what are you up to?… And what are you wearing?” I guess he missed the cameras and lights and forty people loitering around us and everything blocking the sidewalk.
Workin’ Moms
You were also in a studio film, A Simple Favor. How did working on that movie compare with the TV work you had done previously?
The Expanse
I believe you have several things coming up or recently out—The Expanse, Cardinal, Two Turtle Doves. Please tell us anything you can about these projects and why you believe the fans will enjoy them. And if there’s anything else coming up, please add that to the list.
The Cardinal
The Expanse is one of the best sci-fi space shows out there! I was personally a fan before I joined the show for season four. And speaking of fans, The Expanse’s are crazy impressive—shout out to the #ScreamingFirehawks! The show was tentatively dropped from the sci-fi network after three seasons, but because of a huge petition and fan-run campaign, Amazon quickly picked it up! Without providing spoilers, it was a thrill to work on such intricate sets and witness truly special effects. I loved every second of it. It was released on Amazon Prime December 2019.
The Cardinal
We shot Cardinal season four during the coldest part of winter in Northern Ontario. And, it may be the best season yet. (All I can say about that, too!) But, more importantly, this show feels like family. I’ve worked on it since season two. Each and every person—from the producers to the drivers, the grips to the caterers, EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT—was a pleasure to work with. And of course, it’s a brilliantly written and constructed show that makes the job of acting so much fun. Being released 2020.
I’ve also been working for the last year on a cartoon called Rusty Rivets. I provide the voice of the highly energetic, very eccentric, slightly silly, but always genuine Ozzy, a geologist, who along with his brother, Oliver, the paleontologist, befriend and help Rusty and Ruby on their adventures. For those who have kids, the show is smart, very fun, and from what I’ve heard from my parent friends, truly entertaining for child and parent alike!Two Turtle Doves was a fun few weeks shooting in Winnipeg! Also shot in the middle of June, so the anticipated “Christmas spectacle” you’ll witness was done with a lot of craftiness, especially considering the mosquitoes! Already released for the 2019 holiday season.
Angel Falls A Novel Holiday Cast
Country at Heart dives into the world of country music and the lives of the creatives that inhabit it. Not only does it have the Hallmark magic and story the fans are so fond of, but the music is actually performed by the actors and it’s all original! Just wait and see. Being released sometime soon on the Hallmark Chanel.
I was really excited to be a part of not one, but two Hallmark holiday movies this past season! Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday premiered in December 2019. It’s a continuation of some of the “magic” that happened in the first Angel Falls, set in the same sleepy town but following new characters. (For comparison to the other Christmas films I’ve mentioned, we actually shot this during a relatively winterish period of the year! I never thought I’d appreciate being cold for a Christmas movie. Careful what you wish for, I guess!)
Angel Falls A Novel Holiday
And to end 2019 off well, I’m recently two very different shows back-to-back. It was great to be in the middle of filming the Hallmark heavy-hitter series, The Good Witch. Your audience will be well versed about this show, I’m sure. What I can say is that I’m enjoying this role because there’s a specific playfulness and romanticism in my character that is quite true to who I actually am, which means I get to lean into some of my own quirks truthfully and bring him to life.
Immediately after wrapping this show, I jumped onto Letterkenny. An award-winning, huge fan-favourite comedy series that really pushes the boundaries in so many ways. I have been an avid fan of this show and am really looking forward to being a part of it. I busted a gut reading the script, and the hilarity did continue in the making of it.
The Cardinal
Before I moved to Toronto in 2001, I was told the city was vibrant and teeming with productions, shows and lots of work. Then upon my arrival, there were a series of events that all but killed the industry. My first day of theatre school was 9/11. Then the SARS crisis hit Toronto. And then the parity of the Canadian dollar to the US essentially drove out any remaining US productions. There was very little work for everyone, including people who already had their own shows and successful careers. By the time I graduated theatre school and started auditioning for entry parts, I was going up against these seasoned professionals who had all the experience and reputation but no work. So, needless to say, it was difficult out of the gates, but perseverance matters. In the ten years I’ve been doing this professionally in the city, the industry has turned fully around. Toronto (and many other parts of Ontario) seem to be booming. There’s more work and projects happening here than there is space to film them.
Designated Survivor
I appreciate that there are many voices telling stories and a wide range of people embodying them. My feeling is that actors increasingly have the ability to embark into roles and characters that are so multifaceted and novel because audiences crave nuance, complexity and contradictions. My job as an actor is to mine all the parts of my personality and navigate those intricacies authentically, while at the same time exploring fearlessly without borders or boundaries or judgments…all experiences and ways of being foreign to who I am. Acting is empathy. It’s going outside yourself.
It’s my job to bring forward the most authentic parts of who I am and apply them to characters that are devastatingly different from me in any and every possible way. The more unlike me the better. That’s why you “play” a part.
Photo by Ahmed Klink
After my virtual conversation with Zach, it’s self-evident why Hallmark has chosen to feature him in a variety of their projects. In addition to his unmistakable talent, his collaborative attitude, and his sincere optimism, his profound comprehension of the industry and what is requisite in order to be a successful working actor is vibrant and infectious. Additionally, he entered acting for the right reasons and continues to bring his unique perspective to each of the characters he is blessed to portray.
If you have not had the opportunity to watch some of his past works, I would invite you to investigate those of his movies and shows you may have missed as many are available for streaming and on-demand across an extensive assortment of platforms. And while you are revisiting his former works, be sure that you make it a point to watch for his soon-to-be-released projects such as Good Witch, Cardinal, and more! As it would appear that he has found his niche and endless appreciation from many studios, I believe it’s rather apparent that he will figure more prominently into the world of film and TV in 2020 and beyond, and I am exceedingly grateful to have the honor of turning the spotlight on him while anticipating that my readers may join me in this worthy endeavor.
FOLLOW ZACH
