Interview With Actor Kavan Smith, “When Calls the Heart”

By Ruth on April 19, 2020 in Interview, movie, television

When referring to the Hallmark show When Calls the Heart, I have made it obvious that Lee and Rosemary are my favorite Hope Valley couple. While it’s needless to state, I ecstatically throw my support behind the two phenomenal actors who make the Coulters who they are–Kavan Smith and Pascale Hutton. I interviewed Pascale last week, but this week, it’s time to feature Kavan. To be quite forthright, interviewing Kavan has been one of the supreme delights of my career. Although Hearties adore him as an actor and find his exuberant antics and droll sense of humor rather endearing, I have had the honor of delving beneath the surface with this incredible artist. His profundity and wit never cease to impress me, and once in a while, he even injects a word or two into our conversation for which I must consult a dictionary. We did actually have our lengthy, informative chat before our current pandemic crisis, so a couple of things have been altered as a result. I do invite all Hearties to luxuriate in the authenticity and realism Kavan has ventured to share with us, and it is my sincere desire that no one criticizes him for anything he has shared, for in his words, “he is just keeping it real.”

RH: Kavan, I’m so glad to be able to chat with you today.

KS: Same here, Ruth, I always appreciate you reaching out.

It’s been quite a while since we last talked.

When was the last time?

It was actually right before your movie Love On the Menu premiered.

Oh, was it? Wow, that is going back quite a ways. It’s funny because everybody knows you quite well on set and everybody talks about your interviews, so I feel like we’ve chatted more recently. I know I saw you at the Hearties Family Reunion this past fall. But everyone talks amongst themselves during set-ups, and sometimes your name will come up. People will say they just did an interview with you or they will be doing one soon. So I feel like it hasn’t been that long probably because I’m living vicariously through everybody else.

I can understand that. That’s how it felt at HFR. Whenever the cast would come to my table, they all knew me even if we had never met. And one of the other ladies at the table remarked that everyone seemed to know me. {laughs} So I said, “Yeah, that’s kind of how it is,” and I explained to her why.

with Kavan and Pascale
HFR October 2019

Yeah, well you’ve put in some time for sure as you’ve taken the time to get to know everybody.

That is my pleasure, Kavan, and I’m honored to be able to know everyone as well as I can. I cannot believe that season seven is here and now it’s almost over!

I know. It’s so shocking. Right after season seven started, Pascale and I had a meeting with the showrunner for the show. We were putting out new ideas. And one of the things we talked about was how we were already at season seven and it is currently airing. And that’s a long time. We’re hoping for a season eight now. We want to keep going. Everybody on the show really likes one another. I’ve probably told you this a hundred times, but we’re becoming even more of a family.

You know, last summer, we did Christmas Cookie Matchup. Now, it was the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. Oh my gosh, it really is a contest! You’re working your butt off the whole time, and Pascale and I were there till the very end.

Yes, you guys were. I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Even though we all loved the people we worked with–our partners–what really made that event for us was that the entire cast was staying at the same hotel. Every night, we would all go back to the hotel and have dinner together. Even though we all got along before that, it was just really different to get to know everybody for the week or ten days we were there. It was a chance to get to know somebody in a fun environment, not just in between shots. Having dinner, having a glass of wine, laughing with everybody. I would say that even though we were close before, that really solidified the bond, especially between the people who were on the cookie show. Not to exclude the others, but we became a very tight group.

Getting to where we are now and thinking about season eight, we’re all now more invested than I think we were before. We really want to step things up if we are granted a season eight and make it the best show it can be quality-wise. We want to make sure we have story arcs that are going places, that are better and more interesting. We realize it’s a small miracle that you get to season eight on any show. But When Calls the Heart has such a loyal following. I feel like if we put our best foot forward–I mean, we probably should have thought about this every season, but now where we are is really sinking in. If we can get through season seven and then get a season eight, how far can we go? We’re really going to have to step up our game, and we’ll probably have to do that every year to try and keep it going.

But I really felt a concerted effort by everybody this year to pull our socks up. Pascale and I, in particular, started coming up with ideas on our own. We started pitching these ideas, not just to the writers, but to everybody. I felt like maybe at some point we took our success for granted, and we just didn’t think much about it. As actors, we’re always planning for when the show ends and where do you go next? But this time, it was like, “No, let’s dig our heels in right now and make this show the best it can possibly be.” I feel like everybody has tried to up their game this year.

And I would agree that everyone has. It’s very evident in season seven. Now, speaking of the Christmas Cookie Matchup, I absolutely loved that show, and what you’re talking about came through very well. I had so much fun watching it. We were able to see the cast without you all being in character, and you acted more like yourselves.

Yeah, everybody really was themselves. I mean, I think you can see parts of ourselves that are in the characters that we have created, but it was really a much more open version of each individual person. I really enjoyed it. I got to know Kevin {McGarry} and Chris {McNally} a lot better. I’ve known everybody else for quite some time, but this was the first time I had spent any real quality time with those guys. And I just fell in love with them. They’re just the nicest guys.

Now we’ve had some truculent seasons. I think the fans have shown that they really love the show, and they really love the characters. They’ve hung in there in spite of the crazy stuff that has happened. One character leaving the show. One character going through personal problems and having to leave the show. We just want one season where nothing crazy happens and we can shoot an actual season of a show with nothing crazy happening.

I think the cookie thing, even though it was never planned for this outcome…I don’t think the network thought anything about us coming together as friends. I think they just thought it was good PR and a good idea, so they decided to try it. But the end result was that you got a group of guys and girls that fell in love with each other and wanted what was best for each other. There was very little competition. And in the acting world, that just doesn’t happen often. There’s often so much insecurity. “I want this” or “This is about my character.” Actors aren’t always thinking about the ensemble. But I think an unwitting byproduct of doing that show was that it created a group of people that really, really pull for one another.

You know, the Facebook Live event the cast did right before the season started in February…well, let me just say that I don’t tune into Facebook Lives that often. I’ve been tuning in more lately, but typically, I just don’t watch them. If it’s someone I really like, I might watch later on. I wasn’t planning on tuning into that Facebook live, but I actually did. And I’m so glad I did. What you mentioned came across so clearly. It’s a really special thing. I don’t think you typically see that kind of connection and camaraderie between cast members of shows like this. I don’t even know if there’s necessarily a word to describe it. You just sense that there’s something very special.

Kavan Smith, Andrea Brooks, Paul Greene, Pascale Hutton, Chris McNally, Erin Krakow, Kevin McGarry, Jack Wagner Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Alexx Henry/Alexx Henry Studios, LLC

Yeah, there really is. It’s kind of like we’ve developed into a little family. I’ve been on lots of shows, and I’ve been on shows that have gone lots of seasons. And I’ve had friends on those shows. But it wasn’t everybody. It’s never like the whole group. Whereas this is really kind of the whole group. Even for that event. I think we were in Los Angeles for maybe four days. Again, we all got together for dinner every night we were there. That’s a big group of people, and everybody enjoys one another’s company. I think that even though there’s always a heavy amount of ribbing and everybody teasing one another, I think that’s part of what makes us a good family because nobody takes it too seriously.

behind-the-scenes with Pascale

Nobody takes themselves too seriously on our show. We take the show seriously. We take the job seriously. But we can laugh out ourselves, and I think that’s what has bonded us. Everybody is quite genuine and doesn’t take themselves too seriously. I think nobody takes for granted how lucky we are. It’s just a good group of people. There’s no giant egos that are killing the vibe. It’s just a great place to be. And I’m glad that you said that it comes across that way. We certainly feel it. And when we finished that panel you’re talking about, some of the people were worried that it wasn’t very good. Some were worried that they were stuttering. But I thought we were just talking like friends. It was a nice vibe. Everybody was joking a little bit. We were having a good time. We were giving some heartfelt answers and some funny answers. It was a microcosm of what we’re really like. But when you’re in it, you don’t always know how it’s perceived from the outside.

with Erin behind-the-scenes

All I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and you all did a great job with it. And something I have really noticed is the way Erin {Krakow} has embraced being an executive producer. Now, I loved her before. But she has totally stepped up and she has become a leader. Not the kind of leader who is going to be dictating how things are going to be done. But she has become a leader, and the cast look to her as a leader. You are still friends and you’re all on equal footing, but she has totally stepped into this role in such an amazing way.

Oh my gosh, you’re absolutely right! I’ve always really liked Erin. Right from the get-go, we had a good bond. I’ve kind of felt like she’s a kid sister all the way along. I think she’s just been soaking it all in. I think she’s been quietly on the down-low soaking everything in like a sponge. Then last year, she really took the leadership role, there’s no question. There are a lot of people on the show who care about the show, but nobody is more invested than Erin. She is the number one person on the show. When anybody has an issue, they go to Erin first. They don’t go to the producers or the directors or other people. Everybody talks to Erin first. She’s like the godmother, and everybody always talks to her. She never ever takes it lightly. She listens and then thinks about whether she agrees and what she can possibly do about it.

She’s really taken that mantle, and without a doubt, she is the top dog on the show. She has taken the executive producer role very seriously, and she made herself a kind of conduit for everybody to voice concerns through to actually get answers. She really will think about these issues. She is pensive, and she takes the time to think about these things and decide if she agrees or not. If she agrees with the concerns, she will always follow through.

with Pascale and Erin
(a thorn between two roses??)

We have a lot of lunches together. She and Pascale and I have lunch with her almost every day on set. We always talk about what’s going on. We don’t even pitch whatever we’re talking about as, “Okay, I need you to help me solve this problem.” We’re talking as friends. Even when I didn’t think I’d asked her to do anything, two or three days later, she’ll come back with an answer. “Oh, I looked into that thing you said, and here’s what we’re doing about it.” And I’m like, “Wow, I didn’t really even ask, and you stepped up and took care of this problem for me, and you made it much easier for me to do my job.” I know Pascale feels the same way. So yes, Erin has really, really stepped up her game. Always a wonderful performer, always really engaged, always on top of what she’s doing and what her character is doing. But now she’s grabbed the whole show and taken it under her wing. She’s figured out how to be an executive producer, and she’s doing a great job.

Erin with Pascale and Kavan behind-the-scenes

Oh, there is no doubt that she is! And what you’re telling me, Kavan, just supports what I already knew about her. It’s so good to hear that confirmation. I really believe she has come into her own, I would say.

Yes, absolutely yes.

I never had a doubt that she wouldn’t step up, but it’s exciting to see it happen. You know, you and I are about the same age, and to see Erin at her age to be able to what she’s doing…it’s like, “Whoa!”

That’s the thing. At that age, how many people step up? She was given an opportunity because she’s on a show that has gone on a long time. So yes, she’s been given the opportunity. But still, how many people would either balk at the opportunity or wilt under the pressure of it all? She works very hard and takes the show very seriously. And you’re right. Seeing her blossom at her young age like that is incredible. You know, I’ll be fifty coming up here pretty soon. And to see Erin mature like that at such a young age is impressive. We’re all blown away by her. She’s done a terrific job.

Jaeda Lily Miller, Johannah Newmarch, Gracyn Shinyei, Eva Bourne, Aren Buchholz, Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Erin Krakow, Chris McNally, Jack Wagner, Andrea Brooks Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

She’s amazing for sure! Before season seven officially started, we got to see the Christmas movie, which was lots of fun to watch. And then last season, Lee and Rosemary had to deal with the infertility issue, which I thought was incredible. I know you’ve spoken a lot about that. I think it’s wonderful to see a show like When Calls the Heart deal with an issue like this because Hallmark doesn’t always deal with such weighty issues.

I agree. Hallmark makes a specific product for a specific audience. Our show is generally one that you can watch with your kids. You can sit there and feel safe and enjoy it and have a great time and be entertained. Hopefully, you fall in love with the characters. But there are those moments when things happen that are real-life issues. I have a funny feeling that should season eight occur, some of these things are gonna step to the forefront a little bit more. That’s what we’ve been talking about. We’ve been trying to make things stay with the same formula that has made When Calls the Heart so popular, but I think they want to delve into some of those real-life issues a little bit more. Not dwell on them or be too depressing. Nothing awful or scary, but things that people can relate to. I think that’s part of where we want to go moving forward. But we’ll see. First, we have to get picked up for another season. Then this crisis has to end. And then we can get busy filming again.

Of course, we also saw you on season one of When Hope Calls. I saw the season last year, but many Hallmark fans only got to see it this year.

That was something. We went out there to help out as a favor to try to get some eyeballs on that show. We went out there to shoot in an area where there are crazy, crazy bugs. Oh my gosh, it was otherworldly shooting out there. I don’t know how they do it. We were out there at the very beginning of their season, and it was the best part of their year. But shortly after Pascale and I left, the bugs really came out to play. It was bad enough when we were there, but after we left, it got much worse. I really feel bad for those actors having to stay in character while bugs are flying all over them.

I lived in Florida for a while, and I can remember running into that one time where there were bugs literally everywhere, and they just covered the cars. They would live for twenty-four hours and then die. Everywhere! I can remember eating at a restaurant, and there were all these bugs on the ceiling and they would just die and drop while you were eating. There was nothing you could do. But it was fun to see you and Pascale on that show.

I think they may have wanted Lee and Rosemary to have a bit more of a storyline for that episode. We were ready to do more. But when you’re starting on a new show and trying to build new characters…it didn’t work out to do more than we did. I know our main purpose of being there was to get eyeballs on the show. We were happy to help out, and I really hope it works out for them. They did talk to us recently about going back again, but it just depends how the timeline falls.

What you’re saying is true. I know they didn’t do much with your characters, but it was fun to see you both.

I think there may have been more intended for Lee and Rosemary, but when we got there, the reality of trying to set up a new show and establish each new character and the amount of time they needed to explain who everybody was…I think our roles got chiseled away time-wise.

Yeah, that happens sometimes. But I really enjoyed When Hope Calls so much as the season went on. In fact, for a while there, I was actually enjoying When Hope Calls more than When Calls the Heart only because everything was new, and I never knew what was going to happen next. It was fun to watch each week. I know they could do more with the show if a season two happens. It was a new thing for us too because it was on the streaming service, and we were always sitting around waiting for a new episode to drop each week.

That was something we talked about when we met with some of the producers recently. To just segue off what you’re talking about…having to do a show every week, we’ve talked very seriously about trying to do more episodes. You just feel like the season is over so quick, and there’s such a giant chunk of the year where there’s nothing. There’s a Christmas episode, if we do another one. But there’s a big swath of time that goes by, and audiences nowadays have so much to choose from. Personally, I think it’s risky to let so much time go by before you start airing more, so even if they could do another two or four episodes, that would give you another month. Maybe a month and a bit where you can keep your audience and hold onto them for a little bit longer. I know we had some traction on that last year, but I’m just not sure if they are able to follow through with it. So I have no new information about this, but we are very open to the discussion of having more episodes, and at least, they were listening, which was nice.

Of course, the Hearties would absolutely love if that happened. We would love more episodes. I can’t get over all the new Hearties we’ve had this season. I know new Hearties are always coming along every season, but there seems to be more now. Or maybe I’m just noticing more. In fact, some of them have been watching the show, and now they’re live-tweeting. In fact, people will say, “I’ve just joined Twitter so I can tweet with the cast. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Sounds like me. I’ve run into so many fans. I know I’ve told you this before, but I’ve done a circuit of sci-fi shows in the past. I’ve been on a bunch of different stuff as a matter of fact. I get recognized from time to time when I travel with my wife and kids. But in the last year/year and a half, it’s really jumped up and it’s different. It’s very unexpected. We went away for Christmas this past year. We were up in the mountains, skiing, in a kind of out of the way place that not very many people know about. A couple with their kids from Mexico City were there. They came by and they wanted to talk to us. We chatted for a few minutes and they were big fans of the show.

They left, and then within twenty minutes, a family from Brazil walked by, and they were like, “Oh my gosh!” So people from different countries, different languages and running into them in the weirdest places in the world…None of us are giant stars like the Avengers or anything like that, but we’re recognizable faces to our fans. The fan base is really growing, and it’s surprising where the fans are coming from. It’s really something to see what’s binding everybody together and to see the tentacles of the Hearties branching out internationally. It’s really something else. When the second family left, my kids were like, “Dad, was that from When Calls the Heart?” And I was like, “Yeah.” My kids were like, “Geez, I didn’t know they had it in Brazil.” I was like, “I didn’t know they had it in Brazil either.” It is quite interesting.

That really is something. I know it has branched out quite a bit, but I had no idea it had made it to Brazil either.

I’m in a lucky position, I suppose.

With season seven, I have been so impressed with the writers and the way they have tried to give great story arcs to every cast member they can. With such a large cast, it can be difficult to make sure they cover everybody. But I think they’ve done pretty well. With a cast this size, things can get pretty choppy with transitions or they can severely neglect some of the storylines. I have felt all season like the transitions have been seamless. And they have tried to get to every storyline they can. I think it’s the best of any season I’ve seen so far. There is a real cohesiveness to it.

I’m glad to hear that, Ruth. The group scenes, in particular, are challenging. It’s tough to get all the storylines tied up, and one of the ways this show tries to do it is with these bigger group scenes either at the saloon or wherever. Those ones are hard because the directors have to be on their game and plan accordingly. They only have a certain amount of time each day to work. So it’s very challenging to get every storyline connected in one bigger group scene, but that’s always one thing they seem to pull off with varying degrees of success.

The one where we all ended up watching the movie in the first episode this season, I just love that. When I first read that scene, I thought, “Oh, that’s gonna look so cool.” And it’s so time appropriate. I could just see it happening that way. I was talking with Martin Wood, the director of that episode, I talked to him on the first day. He and I are friends, and I told him, “I could just see it. Panning across all those kids that are wide-eyed and mouths agape and just transfixed.” And I just thought that scene was so cool. I really enjoyed that.

Yeah, it was great. Now we’re almost through the season, but is there anything you can tell us or tease about this season? Without any spoilers, that is.

Well, the Coulters have had a pretty exciting season, and it’s not over yet. A few of the ideas that were proposed at the beginning of season seven didn’t really germinate until what might be coming up in season eight, if that happens for us. So you won’t really see or be conscious of our ideas until next year when we hopefully get a season eight. But this year is more concrete. They’ve had to face things in their marriage some more. I think things have happened that have forced them to acknowledge their own mortality.

Rosie and Lee have to reassess themselves. I think sometimes we see them going through life and they’re kind of impervious to things. They don’t argue much. They just truck through life, happy and in love with each other. This season, I think there’s been a hiccup or two for them in that train, and they have to reassess where they are. There are two really big things that happen. I think you’ve seen at least one since it happened at the beginning of the season. The second is at the end of the season. I’ll let you decide if you’ve seen that already or not. They have to reevaluate themselves. Not the marriage per see, but themselves within the marriage. It’s interesting the way I think that will play out. But what’s fascinating about it is what we hope will happen in season eight. We’ve laid the groundwork for these things. They were gonna happen in season seven, but we didn’t have the time nor the money to do them this season. So hopefully they’ll bring us back next season since they had to be pushed to a potential season eight. We’re pretty sure they are going to happen. Right now, they’re like seeds germinating, so if you watch Lee and Rosemary this season very carefully, the beginning of season eight should be really cool.

That’s exciting to look forward to.

I’m super excited about the potential for season eight. Pascale and I have been talking about one set of ideas for two seasons now, and people are finally listening to us. So if season eight happens, we’re gonna do it, and it’s gonna be really cool and exciting.

Now, I know you and Pascale always tend to get scenes with the Taylor twins–Baby Jack.

They’re great kids, and their mom is terrific. When you get gold, it’s GOLD. I mean, when kids do something spontaneous on camera, it’s heart-melting. So Pascale and I are lucky to get the benefit of it. The kid will do something cute, and we get to ride that with them because really the star of any scene we’re in is the baby. But getting there IS NOT easy! {laughs} It’s really hard work. You’re a mom. Pascale and I are both parents. It’s hard work when it’s your own kid. The amount of love and attention and patience you have to have for your own kid is staggering at times.

Lee, Rosemary, and Jack

But for somebody that’s not your kid and it’s a professional grind and it’s work…oh my gosh, this is so hard! You just want to go up there and go for a walk instead. You don’t always want to deal with this right now. {laughs} It would be the same with any baby, with any kid. They’re so unpredictable. You don’t know what a baby’s gonna do. They write that the baby in the scene is gonna do X, Y, and Z. But then it’s like, “How are we gonna get a baby to do this? It’s impossible!” So what they do is they hand us a baby and say, “Do your best. Let’s see what happens.” It’s fun because the end result is usually gold. You get good things. But so often going there, it’s like an improvisation. You really don’t know what the kid is gonna say or what the kid is gonna do. If it’s all gonna be as it was written down or if we can change the scene based on what the kid did or didn’t do that works. And then we have to change quickly on the fly. Luckily, Pascale and I work quickly and we work well together. And we’re really good friends. We can tag team a bit. But it can be real challenging. It’s so rewarding. And she and I have talked about this many times because our characters are facing their own issues about how parenthood may or may not happen for the Coulters in the future. But on set, it’s no joke. It’s hard work. There’s no way around it.

Lee, Jack, Rosemary

I can only imagine.

One day this past season, both kids had pink eye and both kids were so sick. We were doing a scene that we had no time with. It had to happen now. The mom was gonna pull the kids and rightfully so. They had to go to the hospital and work on the pink eye. The kids were sneezing all over Pascale and I and wiping their hands all over us. In between takes, we were wiping their noses. It was, “Oh, his nose is dripping again.” So instead of waiting for the hair and makeup to come in and take care of all that stuff with gloves on and everything, we’re just like, “Give me a cloth and let me wipe the kid’s nose so we’re ready to go.” We put their hankie in the pocket, and when it happened again. We pulled out the hankie and did it again. “So we were all getting sick,” is what we thought. Interestingly enough, we did not get sick. With kids, you just don’t know. You gotta work with what you’ve got.

The Wedding Party

Oh my goodness, you talk about pink eye. I remember being a music teacher, and I was a single mother. My daughter was in preschool. The last day of school, I got a call from the daycare that she had pink eye, and I had to come to pick her up. I had a music program to direct that last day, but I had to go pick up my daughter and take her to the doctor. I picked her up and brought her back to school with me so I could do the program. And then I took her to the doctor. That was a crazy day. I actually had to take the day off, but I had to come in and do the music program.

Yeah, it can be crazy sometimes, but we roll with it. That’s what it’s like when you work with babies. Horses are similar in some ways. Animals are similar too. You never know what you’re gonna get, and whatever you get, you gotta work with it and make something out of it. That’s why it’s kind of like improvisation. It’s loosely based on the script, and whatever the animal or baby does, you go with it. I’m very thankful that ninety percent of the scenes I do with the baby are with Pascale or Erin or both because they are so good, quick and smart. We can navigate those waters pretty seamlessly and get something really great. I hate to sound like a downer, but it’s hard work.

No, I don’t see what you’re saying as a downer. I would call that realism.

Good! I’m just keeping it real.

If everybody has this romanticized idea that the Taylor twins come in and they’re perfect little professionals all the time at their age, that’s not even reality.

Adults aren’t even like that! Babies are babies. They’re not professional actors; they’re babies. And they behave like babies. Sometimes that’s wonderful and adorable and sometimes it smells like vomit. It’s unpredictable. You just say, “Okay, this is the job. I’m lucky enough to have this job, and this is one of the things we do in this job.” So I don’t ask questions. I just feel very fortunate that the people I’m doing it with are great. And their mom is so great too. Everybody is really good about it. But we’re keeping it real. It’s hard work.

I think that’s good to be reminded of that. Some people still hold this romanticized idea about actors that it’s just a bunch of fun and games and going to parties.

Absolutely. And there is fun. I was very fortunate that when I was young, I chose something that I loved. I tell my kids that every day. If you pick something that you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Your life will be joyful and filled with opportunity. Hard work, yes. But it will be joyful. And there is that in acting. If you choose acting for the right reasons, it can be very fulfilling. I’ve had a very interesting life because of acting. But it is also riddled with insecurities and rejection and poverty. The number of people that actually make a living in this profession is just a fraction. A very small percentage of people that do this can actually make a living. And an infinitesimally small size of those make a good living. Then you have those big stars which is like .001 percent of the people that do this for a living.

My father told me this when I was young. It is almost a guaranteed way to be poor. You have to be able to deal with that. The people who think this is a cakewalk have not really tried to do it for a living. It’s a really challenging way to make a living. It’s hard on families. You have to be really thick-skinned. Even if you’re talented, you’re going to receive a large amount of rejection. And nowadays with social media, the rejection isn’t just that you’re not getting the job or you’re not getting as much work as you’d like.

Now even if you get the work, fans may not like you. All the trolling that goes on and the negativity for the sake of being negative for no real gain. People just enjoy hating and they hate and it gets clicks. It’s changed things a lot. So when people think this is all fun and games…you see a lot of the fun and games because that gets publicized. But you also see the lowest of the low and when people can’t handle the pressure, when it gets really bad, it can be the opposite of fun and games.

I don’t know if you and the Hearties have noticed, but I’ve taken a big step back from social media. I never was very good at it, but I come from a different era, I suppose. I keep telling my kids, “Get your face out of that Ipad. No more screen time.” And they’re always asking, “Why? Dad, you’re on your phone. You’re doing your thing.” But I’m like, “Yeah, but I’m working.” But then it’s like, “Are you really?” So I realized I had to show my kids by example, so I had to step back a little.

One thing I have to say about the Hearties and this stuff is that they are incredibly positive. Ninety-seven percent of the comments they make are just wonderful. They just make you feel great. I feel like these fans are getting me and getting my performance. I feel empowered because of this.

But it just takes that three percent to take the wind out of your sails. And part of being an actor is that you’re pretty sensitive. Well, I am. I’m a very sensitive dude. Even though I’ve got thick skin, I don’t like reading the negative. And I don’t want my kids to see the negative. So I’ve taken a step back. And especially on this show, I don’t need to be at the forefront. Erin and Pascale and some of the guys on the show are great at it. I’m terrible. I’m just as likely to post a picture of my thumb as I am to get out there what I want out there. They’re great at it, so I let them do it.

Now, when Pascale and I do other projects outside of When Calls the Heart, I do try much harder to connect with the fans. But with this show, I don’t know. I think I’m just feelin’ my age. I look at some of the stuff I’ve posted, and I’m like, “Oh gosh!” It was a terrible picture, and then I don’t know how to attach people. I do it all wrong. It’s just a mess every time. I put something up, and usually within ten minutes, Pascale calls me and says, “You know that went to nobody, right?” I’m like, “Argh! Screwed it up again!” Now, my wife is great at it. She’s like, “Why don’t I just do it for you?” But that just doesn’t seem genuine when somebody else is doing it for you. At least if there’s mistakes and I screw it up, everybody knows it’s me. Like, “Oh, that’s Kavan because he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

{laughing} But you know what? That’s actually part of what we love about you. Not everybody is skilled at social media. I’ve had to become skilled because of the nature of my job.

It’s supposed to be part of what I do. The newer generation of actors and the older generation of actors that are staying relevant have made it a part of their job. Promotion has always been a part of the job. I’m just not very good at it. I’ll regroup one of these days and give it another shot. But right now I’m taking a little bit of a sabbatical.

Going back to this season, are there people you shared a scene with that you hadn’t gotten to much before?

Well, I had this big scene with Aren Buchholz. You probably saw that one earlier this season. I hadn’t done much stuff with him before. But this season, Lee and Jesse really got to bond. Lee has taken Jesse under his wing. As a result, Kavan and Aren ended up getting along so well. He’s much younger than I am too. When I work with some of these young guys, I worry that I might not have anything in common with them. But he is an outstanding young man, and I really enjoy hanging out with him. He’s one of the most positive guys I’ve ever met, and I really enjoyed working with him. I really loved some of the scenes we got to do together. We got to do big brother/little brother stuff, and that had a special meaning for me. He’s a really nice guy, so those were special scenes for me this year.

I also got do a couple of scenes peppered around with Kevin. I hadn’t done a lot with him before. Lee never really got to know Nathan’s character that much, so those scenes were fun. It’s so interesting because we all sit together in between scenes. Even when people aren’t shooting and you’re just waiting in your trailer, oftentimes people will come up just to be social. So even though I’m not on the camera all the time with the guys, I feel like we’re sitting in the green room all the time talking. So I feel like we’re working together all the time even if it doesn’t show up on the camera.

But I guess the real answer to your question is Jesse. He and Lee get really close this season.

That’s great. I’ve been so impressed with Aren both as a person and as a performer.

with Pascale

Yes, he’s getting stronger and more confident. He’s trying things and taking bigger risks. I think he’s starting to feel very comfortable on the show. I think he feels like he’s earned his spot and he’s really trying to do more.

Last time we chatted, you mentioned a new project you and Pascale had been working on.

Yes, we have a project that has been taking longer than we thought to get off the ground. We do have the green light on it, but unfortunately, it’s delayed again. But it will happen. We’re pretty sure of that. We were supposed to shooting this new movie in Hawaii this month, and we were very excited, but it’s delayed for now.

Oh my goodness, Hawaii! Kavan, that’s amazing!

We’re very excited about it. It’s with Hallmark, and they’ve shown enough confidence in us because they’ve never shot anything in Hawaii before. It’s hard to wait. Pascale and I are very excited about and have talked about it a lot over the past few months.

Initially, the whole thing started with our friend Martin Wood. He got a job shooting a movie in Fiji. We were both jokingly bugging him about why he didn’t take us. Why weren’t we the two that he did the movie with? In a good humor way, we were disappointed that we didn’t get to travel with him. So we thought, “Why don’t we pitch our own show?” We know the people at Hallmark well enough that at least we know they’ll take a meeting with us. So we called them up to ask if we could pitch something. We didn’t really have an idea at that point, but I said to Pascale,” If you could be any character you’d like to be, what would you be?” She was like, “Okay, I want to do this, this, and this.” I was like, “Great! I’ll be the opposite. Let’s go write this down, and let’s take it to them.” They were really excited about the idea.

Pascale and Kavan
behind-the-scenes

I didn’t write this movie of ours nor did Pascale, but we got to help co-produce. It sounds more grandiose than it was. We did very little besides bringing them the whole idea. But they kept us abreast the whole way, and we finally got the script to where we’re comfortable with it and where they’re comfortable with it.

It is such a shame that it had to be postponed, but it sounds like something worth waiting for.

When we do go, we hope to be able to take our families with us for a bit of a vacation as well. But while we’re talking about the future, we do have another project in the works. We are in the very infancy of putting it together. We are great friends, and we want to keep working together. And why wouldn’t we? We work well together. We enjoy the banter. It’s nice to go through this with a partner. It’s so rare to have a business partner. She’s got my back, and I’ve got her back. As long as people are willing to take a risk on us and employ us and to keep taking advantage of the fact that we love it and want to keep working together, we are excited to keep developing and working on projects together.

Well, I hope that you two will still be the trailblazers on this project that will eventually be shot in Hawaii. I really hope Hallmark doesn’t have anyone else shoot there first. I have a feeling they won’t let anyone else do it first.

You know, some networks have good deals with certain companies around the world. We weren’t sure if this could be filmed in the Caribbean or the South Pacific, but when we pitched this movie, we just said “an ambiguous tropical location.” We went all over the world for the longest time. It was gonna be Costa Rica then some islands in the Caribbean and then in the South Pacific and then it went back to the Caribbean, and then all of a sudden, they settled on Hawaii. It was unexpected, and it came out of the blue. Until they told me we were filming in Hawaii, I didn’t even know that was on the table.

As far as the story goes, it’s great. It’s right up our alley. When we do film this, I think we can definitely hit it out of the park. We just have to hope that the overall experience works well and that all the logistics work well. And that our current pandemic crisis ends soon.

And that’s another reason why having a partner in all this is great. It’s so rare that you go off to do a show like this with someone you’re already best friends with. Normally, when you show up on day one for shooting something like this, you’re gonna be nervous on day one. You’re gonna be terrified because here we are in Hawaii, and you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. You’re freaked out and hoping you get along well with the other person. But we don’t have to worry about that. We’ll fly out together. We’ll chat every night about what went well and what we can do better. Like I said, we’ve got each other’s backs. It’s a unique kind of situation like back in the old days with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. They did a bunch of movies together. John Wayne did a bunch of movies together with certain people, and that was sort of the old star system. It’s kind of a throwback to that time. And we’re given this opportunity largely because of When Calls the Heart. I think we’d be foolish to not try and take advantage of it. We have such a good time doing it, and usually, the shows we make are well-received.

We are looking forward to working on it as soon as we are able to. The script is perfect for us. It’s a good kind of microcosm of what Pascale and I do. Lots of humor and banter but heart as well. And that’s what we pride ourselves on. We both love to laugh. We both are quite jovial characters. We both love to have humor in it, but we both love to ride that up and down both ways. Have some emotion. Have lots of heart. And then have a fun and really compelling story. We’re both a little proprietary on this one because it’s our idea. We’ve gotta sink or swim on our own now.

You know the Hearties will support you on this movie when it’s made. Even as you’re making it. And we’ll definitely look forward to watching the rest of When Calls the Heart season seven and look forward to a season eight.

Thank you, Ruth, and thank you to all the Hearties for all the support. Oh, and as to any of my own writing, I still find the time to do it, but only in my spare time when there’s no time crunch. But there are other things in the works. Till then, enjoy When Calls the Heart and here’s hoping our Hawaii movie can go forward sometime soon.

What some of you may not know is how arduously and persistently I labored to earn my first interview with Kavan. I’ll never forget that experience, and as I marvel at the friendship and mutual admiration and respect we share today, I am overwhelmed with what an extraordinary human being Kavan is in addition to his being particularly clever and dynamically gifted. Moreover, he’s a devoted husband and father, two roles that are sometimes rare in this jaded culture in which we live today. I am awestruck by all the details Kavan shared in this interview, and by detailing more than just the fun stuff, his vulnerability beamed vibrantly, thus making him even more charming, pragmatic, and genuine, as far as I’m concerned. To know that he trusts the fans and me to share on the profound level he has is a quality that endears him even more to the fans. And it certainly helps that he’s rather handsome too! (I mean, I’m not wrong, right Hearties?) How Hallmark struck gold in casting both Kavan and Pascale in When Calls the Heart is beyond me, and I pray that this show continues to exist for many more seasons to come! If for no other reason than just to witness my very dear friends providing hope in such dark times. Very few shows abide in the marketplace like When Calls the Heart. In fact, I think one could classify it as a bit of an anomaly in its own right (but only in the best way). To witness the movement that this show has sparked and to experience the connections I have as a result of this show…I am practically speechless!

Therefore, it is my sincerest desire that everyone tunes in for the season finale of When Calls the Heart season seven next Sunday night (April 26th) airing simultaneously on the Hallmark Channel in the U.S. and Super Channel Heart & Home in Canada. In addition to this, be sure that you visit Kavan’s links below, and why not go ahead and follow him even though he rarely ever shares anything? You never know when the “spirit” may move him to post, and if there’s one thing you NEVER want to miss is one of Kavan Smith’s hilarious, fun-filled, sometimes-totally-wacky, off-the-wall posts! He is decidedly captivating, and Hope Valley would never be the same without his persona and vitality. I could use a wealth of highfalutin adjectives to describe the wonder and miracle that is Kavan Smith, but permit to leave it at this. To quote the “Good Book,” otherwise known as the Bible, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3), and I can’t begin to tell you how many times I think of Kavan (along with the rest of the cast and crew I have come to know and love) and praise God for enabling me to have someone like him as a colleague and friend. I feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to Kavan, but just know, Hearties, that this man who entertains us to a fault whenever he is on that screen is exactly what you’d expect him to be plus innumerably more than you could ever imagine. (And he’s far too humble to say any of this himself, I can assure you of that!) May his career continue to be a long and prosperous for multiple decades to come!

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CHECK OUT MY OTHER INTERVIEWS WITH KAVAN

Interview With Actor Kavan Smith, “When Calls the Heart”

Interview With Actor Kavan Smith, “Love On the Menu” & “When Calls the Heart”

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RuthView all posts by Ruth

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” — Franz Kafka Ruth is an inspirational entertainment journalist who instinctively sees the best in all and seeks to share universal beauty, love and positivity. She is an artist who leads with her heart and gives readers a glimpse of the best of this world through the masterful use of the written word. Ruth was born in Tacoma, Washington but now calls Yelm, Washington her home. She lives on five acres with her parents, a dog, two miniature goats, cats and a teenage daughter who is a dynamic visual artist herself. Ruth interviews fellow artists both inside and outside of the film/television industry. At the core of all she does is the strength of her faith.

Tags: Hallmark, interview, movie, television, When Calls the Heart

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5 Comments

denise April 20, 2020 Reply

What a nice interview. He’s so real.
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  Ruth April 21, 2020 Reply
  
  Absolutely agree 100 percent!

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