As a result of one of the Hallmark mystery series (Emma Fielding, to be exact), I happened upon an actress named Sunita Prasad, and last year, she and I had our first ever interview. As her star has begun to ascend over the past year or so, I have noticed that the network appears to share the same admiration for her talents and persona as I do. They have begun to cast her in more movies, and as a result, it would appear that other networks are discovering her prowess as well. Recently, she and I had had our second virtual chat, and it is my honor to share that with my readers today.
Photo by Kristine Cofsky
RH: Since our last chat, we’ve seen you in The Good Doctor in a few episodes. What has it been like being a part of that show? Any special moments you’d like to share from filming and/or interacting with the fans?
SP: Filming on The Good Doctor is always a great experience. Even though I have a small role, it’s a privilege to be on set with such an incredibly talented cast and see them bring their characters to life. Not to mention watching them master some incredibly tongue-tying dialogue with all the medical jargon involved. It’s funny…when I was growing up, a lot of people expected that I’d follow in my Dad’s footsteps and become a doctor. Soooo that clearly didn’t happen–haha! But I feel like getting to pretend to be a part of that world on a show like The Good Doctor is a good compromise.
A Million Little Things
You also made an appearance on what is my current favorite show, A Million Little Things. Why do you believe this show has become so successful? What was your experience like on this show?
Such a great show! I think it’s so successful because it’s not afraid to deal with life issues that can be hard to talk about. I feel like people can relate to all the ups and downs the characters go through. Life can be messy and the show addresses that and tackles it in a way that is heartwarming and sincere but also infused with humor, which rings true to how we all face problems.
The cast and crew on this show are all ridiculously nice. I mean, to the point where there were multiple times throughout filming where someone on the production would tell me they’d never worked with a nicer group of people. And I’ve heard that echoed from other friends who have worked on the show, which speaks volumes about what a great set it is to be on.
This past Christmas season, we saw you Christmas Town with Candace Cameron Bure. Any special memories from that film? What was it like being back in a Hallmark Christmas movie?
Well, I grew up watching Full House as a kid, so getting to work with Candace was a big thrill. I also got a nice surprise when I stepped onto set for the first time… the camera crew ended up being the same awesome crew of people I had just spent the previous month working with on a different Hallmark project. It’s nice when little unexpected things like that happen and always great working with familiar faces.
Oh man, I’m such a huge nerd for Christmas in real life so getting to work on these movies is always fun for me. I get to feel like I’m experiencing Christmas in July– which I will never say “no” to!
Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries
You now appear to have a recurring role in two Hallmark mystery series–Perfect Picture Mysteries and Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries. What do you appreciate about being on both of these series? What do you enjoy about these two characters you get to portray?
I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of two different Hallmark mystery families. Having a recurring role is great as an actor because it allows you to have this journey with your character where you’re able to see them grow and develop. Each mystery, I get to discover new things about Maya and Britt, whether it’s different quirks they might have, learning more about their backstories or seeing their relationships evolve with other characters. And on a personal level, I adore the cast and crew on both! I know we’re making murder mysteries but I’ve never laughed more during filming than I have on these two sets.
Picture Perfect Mysteries
Ha! What DON’T I love about portraying Maya! She’s basically the comic relief on Picture Perfect Mysteries, which is a huge kick for me to play. I love, love, love comedic roles. Maya’s a struggling actress who dreams of making it big and takes her quest to do so very seriously. Unfortunately, she’s a terrible actress– a fact that escapes her. It’s pure joy getting to be inside Maya’s head. The thing is she’s never trying to be funny; instead, the humor comes from how sincere she is in everything she says and does, completely clueless to how inappropriate or wacky she actually comes off. The stuff that gets written for her makes me laugh– like when she adds her own acting headshot to the board of potential murder suspects. She’s not the brightest gal, but she has good intentions and that combination of qualities is incredibly fun to play. And it’s literally impossible not to have a blast working with our fabulous director, Ron Oliver, at the helm.
with Sarah Lind
And I love that on Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries, I get to play something completely different with my character Britt. With this role, I feel like you really get to see a special bond of two best friends– that of Britt and her bestie Zee, played by the amazing Sarah Lind. The duo always have each other’s backs whether it’s giving fashion advice or literally saving the other’s life. It’s nice to have those different levels to play with– having fun, light-hearted moments mixed with really dramatic, intense ones. In this last movie, Britt really got put through the ringer. It was a big rollercoaster of emotions, which was extremely fulfilling for me to sink my teeth into. And the fact that we film this series on Vancouver Island is an added bonus to the whole experience. We’ve been fortunate to shoot at some absolutely breathtaking locations over there, and the island just has an overall laid back vibe that’s great to be immersed in when filming.
with Sarah Lind
You also made an appearance on Nancy Drew. While this is a CW show, it’s a bit of a different dynamic in many ways from some of their other offerings. What was most memorable about being a part of that show?
Well as a teenager I lived for pretty much every show that aired on the CW. (Which, to date myself, back then was known as The WB.) So it was cool to be part of a show that I know my teenage self would be glued to. It’s kinda one of those moments of seeing things come full circle.
Unfortunately, things are currently on hiatus in your industry, but do you have anything else upcoming that you can mention?
Picture Perfect Mysteries
We actually wrapped filming on the third Picture Perfect Mystery right before everything shut down, so that’ll be on deck. I know it’s going to sound cliché, but it was honestly my favorite one that we’ve done yet in the series. There are a couple of other projects I had the pleasure of working on as well recently, but I will have to keep those under wraps for now.
During this unparalleled time in our world, what are you doing to keep yourself busy?
Sunita Prasad Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Hugh Tull
First, I’d like to say my prayers go out to all those affected by the virus and to everybody struggling during this hard time. It’s heartbreaking to see the impact it’s having on people around the world. As well, a huge thanks to all the front-line workers that are tirelessly working to save lives.
I’ve been spending a lot of time staying connected with family and friends over the phone, having a lot more video chats these days. I’m reading more books and have been in de-clutter mode for everything– closets, cupboards, and my email inbox where you’d think I’ve never deleted an email in my entire life. I’m also trying to stay active by doing workouts at home and going outside for runs– self-distancing at all times!
Speaking of this time of self-isolation, what are the top shows/movies you are watching now?
The new season of Ozark is at the top of my list right now. I’m also really far behind on a lot of my favorite shows, so I’m trying to play catch up with a few of them like Killing Eve, This is Us and Veep. And if you know me, I’m never not watching reruns of Friends.
What is one type of role that you haven’t gotten to play yet that you hope to some time in the future? Feel free to elaborate if you would like.
I don’t know that there’s a specific one I can think of right now, but in general, I’d love to do more comedic roles.
Photo by Ryan Orange
It has gratified me to no end to witness Sunita’s achievements within the industry, and I am appreciative of Hallmark’s utilization of her diverse and engaging talents. Moreover, how exciting is it to discover that another Picture Perfect Mysteries has been filmed and will come our way eventually?! Her dedication to honing her skills in addition to her humility and work ethic have all combined to create the very kind of artist and human being that I am elated to support and promote. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see her mystery movies as of yet (as well as her other Hallmark and network projects), I would invite you to use this time to check out those past works of hers while anticipating her future ones. Furthermore, feel free to check out her links below and follow her where applicable. While she is not one of the most prolific social media users, she consistently makes it a point to highlight the projects in which she has been featured, and she regularly interacts with the fans as time permits. In light of her current success, I look forward to observing the steady rise of her career in the days, months, and years to come, and I hope every one of the Hallmark fans can support her whenever possible.
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