Interview With Actress Andrea Brooks, “When Calls the Heart” Season 8

By Ruth on April 25, 2021 in Interview, movie, television

Well, we find ourselves near the end of a particularly successful When Calls the Heart season eight, and by this time in the season, usually, I have been able to consistently share all sorts of interviews with cast and crew from the show. However, this has been a year of massive change for me, and because of that, only now am I able to publish the few interviews I have been honored to conduct this year.
First on the schedule is a young lady with whom I initially connected way back in season two of this profoundly successful show. It is my privilege to present the delightful Andrea Brooks. Her character, Faith Carter, has enjoyed quite an intriguing narrative in this series, and the woman who portrays her has become a valued friend of mine. It was an honor to get to reconnect with this stunning, gifted, intelligent industry professional, and as we near the conclusion of season eight, I am ecstatic to finally share our recent chat with all my readers today!

RH: Andrea, it is so good to see you are so well. I mean, you look fantastic.

AB: Thank you, Ruth, glad to see you are well and healthy too.

I know that it is a little bit of a difficult, potentially still challenging time in our world. And who would have believed that almost a year later, we’d still be having these issues?

We are almost at the year point, which is pretty surreal.

Yeah, it’s it is. I think we all kind of thought, “Oh, this will be over in no time. You know, it’ll be; it’s just gonna be another case of the flu, and everything will be fine.” But at least you guys were able to film season eight.

I was so worried when things started to extend themselves that we might have a big shutdown. I was so worried, and miraculously, it all worked out. So I’m still just so grateful. So grateful that we got our full season.

Oh, so am I because when everything happened, I was actually more concerned about the film and television world. All I could think about was all of you guys. My family and I are kind of sheltered out here in the country. There aren’t many cases out here. You would have hardly known anything was happening except that businesses were closed and people were wearing masks—no major outbreaks. And so I was more concerned in many ways about all my friends are out of work. Now, when it all happened, were you in the middle of filming anything?

Yeah. So when the shutdown happened, we were working on the last Supergirl episode of the season. And so we never completed that episode when the shutdown happened. I think we got about half an episode. So they had to rework things for the next season. And it’s all fine. But it was very shocking because we heard rumors.

I remember waking up one morning and driving to work and hearing on a podcast I was listening to that they were thinking of shutting down the Olympics. Now that doesn’t seem strange at all. But in that moment, it was like a huge deal.

So yeah, the shutdown happened. And it was a bit of a blessing in disguise for me because I had been working hard. After I had the baby, I went right back to work. But it was quite nice–well, I can’t say nice. It was such a tragic time for so many people. And there was so much uncertainty. Myself included—my job. I didn’t know what was going to happen either. But I had a little baby at home to focus on, so I had a distraction, which was lovely in its own strange silver lining kind of way. But yeah, I don’t even have words for this past year. It’s just been so strange.

So how old is your little one now?

She’s almost 17 months now. She grew up during a pandemic. It’s been very weird.

I have heard a lot of positives that have come out of this time. Not to downplay the great challenges and tragedies that occurred because of the pandemic, but I have heard of so many positive things and unexpected blessings.

Yeah. Unexpected blessings is a great way of putting it. This is gonna define a generation; it’s just such a massive change. It’s so bizarre, especially in film. We’ve had to adapt. And there are so many new protocols. And just there’s this awareness of how we work in such close proximity to one another in film. I mean, we do scenes in the cameras right here and the cameraman right there, or the camera operator is right there. And, you know, makeup, hair–we’re all in each other’s face all day. And it really took a pandemic for me to realize how difficult it is to make changes when you’re used to operating in that kind of environment.

I was so focused on what was going on in the film industry. Any little thing that would come out like that was that was my focus, of course. Also, having a daughter who’s in high school, and now that and now she’s in her last year…she’s actually her last semester before she graduates. And she hasn’t been back to regular school in over a year now. They just have begun to return most days of the week to in-person school. It’s been tough on kids and parents, and teachers. But thankfully, my daughter has kept her 4.0 grade average and continued with her honors classes.

Wow, you must be very proud. That’s amazing.

I am very proud of her. So now, was your husband able to keep working during this time?

Yep, luckily, he is still working. And to be honest, I feel like the film industry…I don’t want to say we took a huge hit because we did get back up and running pretty quickly in comparison to other industries. Certain industries could adapt quickly. And certain industries, film included, just had to figure out protocols, and they’re still figuring out protocol. So I’d say some people are luckier than others in that sense, for sure because some people didn’t experience much of a change, which seems so crazy because, for us, it’s been so drastic.

Well, and thankfully, your daughter’s not gonna even remember. You’ll have to tell her the stories about this. She just had her mom around a lot more than she would have.

I fear more for parents with school-aged children like elementary age because there are so many formative years where you need your peer group to figure out things in that sense. I feel for those parents because that’s difficult. You can’t replicate a classroom environment. I mean, in high school, it’s tough to absolutely, but you’re a little more mature. You know who you are. You have a sense of self in a way that you don’t quite have in those formative elementary years.

Yeah, I’m totally with you. Hopefully, we’re beginning to come on the other side of it. We’ve been saying that for a while, but hopefully, since we have vaccines now, the process might be quicker.

Yes, hopefully, we’re on the right track.

Of course, you guys were able to film. You were able to film a full season, which was really great. We didn’t get a Christmas movie, but at least we have 12 episodes.

That was the real upside, absolutely. Because I mean, 10 episodes, is always so hard. I’ve worked on so many other projects that go 22 or 20 episodes; you just have so much more time to flesh out the storylines and build whatever you’re building towards. But yeah, getting 12 episodes is great. We’re headed in the right direction; the more, the better as far as I’m concerned, because then you really have the time, and you can play the nuance a little bit more, and you get to have more conversations with more people in town. So getting to go from 10 to 12 was really fun.

Yes, and another positive for me…I’m sure you would probably agree. There was a lot more opportunity for Canadian talent to be more prominent because of all the quarantine stuff that people were going through. I was very excited about that.

Yeah, I think you’re absolutely right because we don’t have to do the mandatory two-week quarantine, and they’re strict about it in Canada. The Border Agency will call you and make sure that you’re there, and I’ve heard stories about agents going to people’s homes, knocking on the doors, making sure they’re quarantining. They call to check in and make sure that you’re okay. And they’re strict about it, which is good. That’s how it should be. But two weeks in a hotel room or in an apartment or a house…that’s a long time. You can’t go for walks and get fresh air. It’s tough.

I remember when Paul was up there quarantining because he checked in regularly with the fans And then I talked to several of my friends like Cindy Busby, Brennan Elliot, Andrew Walker–they all told me about the quarantine life. I even talked to Candace Cameron-Bure about it. Many of them got very creative during quarantine.

Yeah, I think people started cooking and reading books they wouldn’t have otherwise read. I mean, it forces you to get creative, that’s for sure.

It was so funny. I remember one of the things that Paul said when he was in quarantine and people believed him. He said that he had an eagle that brought in meat every day or something like that. And people were believing him! They didn’t know he was joking!

Oh, that’s hilarious! I’ve not heard anything about an eagle.

Oh my goodness! That was a standing joke during his quarantine. Ray was the name of the eagle.

I will have to ask him about Ray.

So let’s talk about the first episode of season eight, which was great. The premiere was awesome. In fact, the whole season so far has just been amazing. There has not been a dull moment. I feel like I can’t look away or I’m gonna miss something. I feel like there was a storyline that has opened up for everybody. I know there’s not equal treatment of all characters, but I have not felt like anybody has been on the screen without a purpose. No one is just marking time. They are on-screen always to advance the storyline. No fillers.

Good, I’m glad that you’ve read it that way cuz I think that was Mr. Tinker’s intention. He wanted to do justice by every character. And he’s, he’s been so lovely. He wanted to meet with the entire cast one-on-one. He went out for lunch or coffee with everybody. We met up–I think it was actually right before the pandemic, right before the shutdown, really early March of last year. We went out, and it was just so nice. He was a great sounding board. He got to hear from all of us, you know, our concerns about our characters, the futures of our characters, how we’ve been playing them, what we would like to see what we wouldn’t like to see and, and that’s a lot of information to gather from a lot of people because it’s such a big cast. And he really worked hard to do right by everyone. And that was really nice.

When I heard that John Tinker was coming on as showrunner, I was so happy because he and I connected during season one of Chesapeake Shores. I have been a great fan of his work since then.

Yeah. He’s a very sweet, sweet man.

I was looking forward to seeing what direction he would take the show, and I have been so happy with what I’ve seen. And the song Carson sings in the first episode!

Oh yeah, Paul was so excited about that. That was super neat.

I told him that he made When Calls the Heart history because no cast member has written a song and then performed that original song on the show. That had to be a neat part for you as well.

Yes, it was. I didn’t know this in advance until we were actually on set. I can’t remember if it was the day we actually shot it or if it was a couple of days prior, but he was like, “Oh, I’ve written a song. I mean, I wrote a song for you as Faith.” And I was just like, “What? I want to hear this; that’s so cool.” Because when someone writes a song for you, even though, of course, we’re speaking in character terms…when you’re listening to the song being played for you, you pay very close attention to it. What are you saying about us? What does this mean? What’s the meaning here?

Well, and seeing Faith come back to Hope Valley…that whole scene. I mean, I wasn’t always Team Infirmary. You both had to win me over. Which you did. I now want Faith and Carson together. I can’t imagine you two not being together now. But I tell you, seeing Faith come back like a modern woman from the big city…

Yeah, that was super exciting. And that was an idea that was floated by me. When I first met with Mr. Tinker, he’s like, “Here’s my idea. Here’s my pitch. When we start off the season. I want Faith riding in on a buckboard. She’s got the reins. She’s got a cowboy next to her. She’s wearing pants. She’s a new woman.” And I was just like, “Sold!!”

Because I think you know, there has to be a stark difference between the Faith that left Hope Valley in season seven and the Faith that returns and season eight, because this is a hugely transformative experience to attend medical school to finish up your medical credits in a big city like Chicago, in the late 1910s. It would be all men; she would have been one of the only women or one of if not the only woman. She would have faced a lot of adversity. She would be trying to prove herself over and over and over again.

I didn’t want to come back and have things just be easy. And neutral because that is a formative experience. That’s a challenge. And she accepted that challenge with open arms. And she went to Chicago. I don’t want to say it changed her because she’s still absolutely the same character. But she’s a little bit more free. She’s free to be herself. She’s free to express her opinions. She has been operating in a man’s world, and that’s a big deal. We’re talking 1918; that’s a big, big change. And I wanted that reflected, and I was so excited with Mr. Tinker’s idea. It’s like, “Let’s start off with a bang. She’s back. And she’s a new Faith. She’s Dr. Faith, no more Nurse Faith.”

So it’s a big leap. And I’m not sure what the reaction has been per se because I feel like what I see on Twitter at least is generally positive and very kind, but it is a change. And it’s meant to be a change. And I stand by that change. And I’m really excited about it.

Oh, no, I loved it. I thought it was great. And I loved seeing Carson jealous. I also loved when Faith asked him, “So are you a bit jealous?” Awesome. So are you a bit jealous?” That was such a cute scene between you two. I really enjoyed the storyline between you two, even though I know that it wasn’t the whole focus of the episode. But no matter what, I don’t want any spoilers!

That’s kind of a smart way to operate. I kind of feel like I operate in a similar way. When I read the scripts, obviously, you can’t; you have to read the whole thing to know what’s happening. But I don’t want to know every detail about every character and their inner feelings. Because as Faith, you don’t want to approach people being like, “I know everything that’s going on in your life.” You want to approach that person the way you would someone in that situation. So, you have to choose where you focus your attention.

Absolutely. And I just want to experience the season as it unfolds. I do love the way the show is handling the love triangle between Elizabeth, Lucas, and Nathan.

Me too. I love a good love triangle.

I know that some are complaining that this reminds me of season two. But I’m thinking, “No, it doesn’t remind me of season two.” In season two, you knew who she was gonna pick you. You knew that she and Jack were going to ultimately get together. You knew that. This one? Honestly, I used to think that I knew who she picked. I have no idea. I no longer have any idea. And I’m perfectly content to just watch how the season unfolds.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

And so so we now have two doctors in Hope Valley. The question is…I have heard people talk about this. I think they have a valid point. Can Hope Valley sustain two doctors?

It is a great question. It’s a very good question. I don’t know if I have an answer to that. That’s just kind of the way things ended up unfolding character-wise. I think it’s super interesting because it allows two different medical dynamics.

Because you have Carson, who’s classically trained. He’s been a doctor for a very long time. He’s old school. And he’s kind of a product of the older system.

And then you have Faith, who’s just finished medical school, who has a new wealth of knowledge. And they’re different. And, and the fact that they’re contending with a relationship as well…I find that super interesting.

But can Hope Valley sustain two doctors? I mean, Hope Valley sustains a lot of professions or a lot of things in this town. We have a dentist. Everyone in Hope Valley does have very good teeth. So I assume that that dentist is a pretty good one. But no, it is a good question. At the same time, we’re in a town that is rapidly expanding as well. We have new characters joining. It grows every season. And even just as us as a physical set, our set grows every season. They’re always building new buildings; there are things under construction. So my answer to that would be…I don’t see why not.

Right. Exactly. Yeah. That’s what I’m thinking. And we have to remember, people, it is a TV show. I mean, while you have historical elements, we’re not trying to say that this is exactly the way things were. I remember hearing from a guest star back several seasons ago who said that with When Calls the Heart, it’s like you have this postcard version of how things were back then. It’s kind of like you go into a world–not that there’s no conflict–but it brings a more idealistic version of things, and that’s okay because you get a chance to escape. The people who want to tear all the things apart and say, “Well, this costume isn’t right. And this hairstyle that right and this wouldn’t have happened and what happened in WWI.” I know those are valid points if we were looking at this being a historical show, but I don’t really see history as being the most important part of the show.

I fully agree with that. I think it’s not a biopic; it doesn’t claim to be. This is very much a fantasy. It’s a reimagining of the past. And there are some nods to things that that are going on. But you know, I don’t know about you, but this is 1918. There was a pandemic happening back then. Do you really want to watch a show about a pandemic during an international pandemic?

No, not really.

I fully understand that this is a form of escapism, and I think that’s important. And, you know, and also I get it. It can be fun to criticize things too when you’re like, “Well, that wasn’t right; actually, that book came out this year,” etc.; it can be fun. And oftentimes, I will say that that’s a compliment because that means people are invested enough to care about details like that. And that’s so lovely. But you know, it’s it’s not perfect, but it’s a fantasy; it’s a reimagining. That’s the way that I’ve always looked at it.

That’s a good way to think of it, Andrea. Yeah. I’m not watching When Calls the Heart to get a history lesson. I mean, come on. And you know, if something comes up, and I’m curious, I can go and look it up and find and find out if they’re right or wrong. It doesn’t make any difference. It caused me to go and look it up myself and find the absolutely real story.

And it doesn’t take away from the fact that there are things that we try. I mean, for example, with Faith’s pants this season–I was so excited about the pants, and I was thinking to myself after my first meeting with John, I was like, “Okay, what are we going to do? Like pants? How, what were they? What did pants look like for women back then?”

So I typed in woman, city, Chicago, pants, 1918. And I found a fabulous photo, and I sent it to John, and he was like, “Yes.”So in that respect, the pants did exist. And there were some forward-thinking women who were wearing them in the big cities. And that was an interesting detail. Now is it historically perfect? Are they exact design? They’re actually pretty close because Barbara did a fantastic job. But I mean, you know, it’s an homage to the past.

Exactly. I like that. I really like that. You and I are on the same page as far as that goes. Oh, and, and I love the fact that when it comes down to it, there are challenges that come up in Hope Valley, but it comes down to it, we still have people being kind to one another people. There’s this whole sense of community. Yes, I watch the edgier shows on networks as well, but it’s nice to have a show for an hour that you can sit down and not be inundated with violence, gore, blood, and inappropriate things. And you’re gonna walk away from it feeling like, “Oh, that was nice.” You walk away feeling more positive about the world. You tell uplifting stories with heart.

Absolutely the little tender moments. I think for me, I’ve always understood what this show is about. And I know that this is a source of positivity for so many people and a form of escapism. And I’ve always understood that. But for me, I think it took the pandemic when people were feeling pretty low in general… for the first time, I kind of got to a point where I was like, “Oh, I want to feel happy.” And I watch true crime, and I watch everything. And for the first time in my life, I was sort of thinking, “Well, I might go back and re-watch The Notebook.”

So I re-watched a whole bunch of Rom-Coms that are romantic comedies, romance movies, things that I just hadn’t engaged with for years because I felt like I needed that little bit of uplift in my life. And it was great. I re-watched Runaway Bride, Notebook…I haven’t re-watched You’ve Got Mail yet. I used to love that movie. So that’s on my list. And I just wanted to engage with happy romantic content. And it was fantastic.

So I’ve always understood what this show stands for. But now I feel like I truly get it because of the state of the world if that makes sense.

Oh, totally. No, I totally get what you’re saying. And, and I think that’s why Hallmark continued to do so well during the pandemic even when they were not able to release as much original content there for a while. Why else were we seeing Christmas movies at odd times? But it’s like people wanted to escape, and it’s lovely to have these shows and movies that you can walk away and feel good about the world and not worry about them.

So back to When Calls the Heart…I don’t want spoilers. In fact, I don’t even like to watch the previews. I hide from them.

I’m with you. I’ve never liked previews. Ever since I was young, I would just hold my hand up, or I would close my eyes because I don’t want to see what’s to come. I want to watch it for the first time when I’m watching it.

But is there anything that you can tell us about? Either anything that you want to tease about Faith in this upcoming season? Maybe like how you would describe her journey?

Sure. Well, this is kind of going off of what I previously said. I’m very excited that this character’s grown up a lot. You know, when we first encountered her, she was in her early 20s, a nurse in Hamilton, a bigger town than Hope Valley. But, you know, I still consider her to be a bit of a small-town girl. She was such a hard worker; she was so brilliant and smart and good at her job. But she got into this career because her mother, who passed away when she was young, was a nurse. There’s so many lovely things, but she was always more than she was perceived to be.

And then there have been scenes throughout the seasons where she’d be studying medical textbooks. And she often would need a little bit of encouragement to chase her dreams. And I’m so glad that she finally has done that. And we get to see her as a full-fledged adult. In her truth, standing in her truth, she’s become what she’s always wanted to become. And she’s worked so hard for it and, and she celebrates that. There’s a sense of pride that you see in Faith this season. I don’t think she’s always carried that with her because she’s always wanted something that she hasn’t quite had the chance to grasp yet. So it’s been interesting and dynamic.

And there are some changes to her in the best of ways. Two of my best friends in real life are doctors. I know what it takes to become a doctor and to get through medical school; it is no easy feat. And Faith was doing this in the early 1900s, you know, completing medical school in 1918. It’s a little bit mind-boggling, and you’re gonna see her content with that because she’s coming back to her hometown now. And she’s a doctor; her mail is different now–Dr. Faith Carter. And you’re gonna see that reflected in a lot of interesting ways. So it was very exciting. The season was really fun for me.

And also, we get to see Faith with the girls this season. Which we’ve seen. That’s not a spoiler by any means. Because that was sort of set up in the first episode with Fiona opening the barbershop. There’s a bit of like a sisterhood that we see this season that has never really had a light shone on it before. And that was really fun.

I also adore all the women on the show so much, and that’s what this is about. You know, the majority of our viewers are women. It’s a show about strong women who can, you know, contend with reality no matter what’s happening when the odds are stacked against them. They always rise to the occasion. And there’s more of that this year, and it’s so exciting.

Well, all that all sounds really, really fun to me. Yesterday, I was just thinking about how I’m so glad that season two happened because we wouldn’t have you without season two. I know I was thinking about that because people were complaining. I know that the people who complain are usually a lot louder than the people who aren’t, of course. Sometimes I get tired of the complaints.

I remember Madonna saying that you could have a roomful of 1000 people complimenting you, and there’s one person with a negative opinion, and that’s what you remember.

So true. But people are saying this season reminds them of season two. But I didn’t think season two was bad. It was different, but it wasn’t bad. And I was thinking, “Hey, we got Faith out of it. She’s still here!” And I’m glad because I didn’t know you and I wouldn’t have without season two.

It’s so funny to see how so many of the fans were totally against Faith when she first entered. And now it’s like, “Oh, we love Faith. She’s so wonderful and sweet. I would venture to say that when they first conceived of your character, they didn’t necessarily expect who she has become. And I bet they didn’t expect Faith to become a resident of Hope Valley.

No, I wasn’t expecting that. I remember that season two went well. I remember getting great feedback after I shot it. And I had so much fun. And Daniel and I had some fantastic scenes that are still some of my favorite scenes that I ever shot. I just loved working with him. I remember the vibe was positive. And, and people were like, “Oh, wouldn’t it be cool if you came back?” Like, you know, there was chatter on set. But it wasn’t very much. I figured, “Oh, well, this show takes place in a small town that my character is not in. But you know, if there are some other characters over here in Hamilton, maybe they’ll come back from time to time. And I could say ‘hello.'”I was never expecting to move to Hope Valley by any means. I just sort of thought, “Well, if this show involves a couple towns, and I’m in one of them, hey, that could be fun.”

But when I got the call that they wanted to place me in Hope Valley, I was elated. It was just sort of a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to be on a time period project. And what a gift. It’s just the gift that keeps giving. How serendipitous and crazy.

And then Paul joined. I remember when he showed up? I’m like, “You’re here.”

I know. I remember when he showed up…when he when I heard he joined the show, I was like, “What? Where did that come from?”

It’s been so great having him on the show. And he’s so he’s always positive and joking and light. I mean, you know what he’s like, and he doesn’t take things too seriously. Whereas, you know, a lot of actors can get very stressed out and especially when time’s running thin, and you don’t have your scene yet. And things get crazy. And he never let that affect him. And I think that’s such a positive attribute of his. We’ve been doing this for a while now. We’ve been working in that infirmary for…I don’t even know how long it’s been. I think since season four. That’s a long time.

You know, it was just a few weeks ago that we rerelease the concert that you guys did. We put it on YouTube.

Oh, I know. And he texted me. He was like, “Oh, drop in and say hello.” And I couldn’t because I was in the middle of moving. I was picking up furniture, and because of COVID protocols, everything’s delayed. I was just like, “Oh, just message me in advance next time. I’ll carve out a time.” But he said it went really well. And everyone was having a great time. And I know you guys also re-released the one with Kevin and Paul singing, and Chris was eating.

Yes, and we also re-released the one with just the two of you singing. So both of those are on YouTube. And they’re both doing really well. I mean, they got a really good turnout for both. And lots of people were commenting how Andrea could really sing and how much they loved you.

I haven’t watched it, because I don’t love watching myself. But I remember he was just like, “Come in like for it. We’ll sing a couple songs.” And then I ended up staying like the entire lunch. And then I guess we went right back immediately after lunch. And then, at the end, I was like, “How long were we doing that?” Yeah, I was completely unrehearsed, unprepared. I haven’t been singing a lot at all. Just because life is crazy these days. But it was really fun.

Well, it was really neat to watch both of those concerts again. Everybody had so much fun. Lots of positive feedback I’ve seen.

I’m excited to see how this season ends. And, of course, we have a new family that’s in this town. My goodness, when I found out that Viv was joining…and when I found out that his real-life kids were playing his kids!!

They are such lovely people. Just the most wonderful family group. And Natasha is amazing. Natasha and I share a manager, so I’ve known Natasha for a while. Yeah, 10 years, maybe or eight years. And she’s so wonderful. She’s such a great addition to the show. I was excited when I found out she joined. Hope Valley is expanding. The more, the merrier. I am so excited to see them on screen.

Viv wanted to tell me he was on the show, but he had to wait. He knew I’d be thrilled.

Yeah, they were very good about respecting the reveal. And, you know, they always like to play this out the right way. And oh, yeah, I couldn’t be more excited. There’s so many adorable family scenes this season with them. And the fact that they are his real kids…you should see him on set as a dad, and they look up to him so much, and they asked for advice, and he always makes sure that their costumes look right. And they’re just…it is the cutest thing. I’m obsessed. I’m obsessed.

Yeah, that’s Viv. We’ve done interviews in the past, and we met a couple of years ago. He’s such a gentleman. A true gentleman. I shall always treasure those moments.

Oh, yeah, he’s a class act. And now Supergirl has been filming and is back, right?

Yeah.

And this is the final season. Is that what I understand?

Supergirl

Correct. it is kind of nice to be able to know there’s going to be one more and knowing that it’s going to be complete as opposed to kind of finding out midway through a season. It’s time, and you know, there’s a lot of new projects coming up on to the CW network. So many, so there’s always so much going on over there. And yeah, it feels like the time’s right.

You know, I’ve seen a few episodes from various seasons, but I just think I just want to sit down and binge-watch when it’s all done.

Supergirl — “Luthors” — Image SPG212b_0191 — Pictured (L-R): Andrea Brooks as Miss Eve Tessmacher and Melissa Benoist as Kara — Photo: Cate Cameron/The CW — Ã‚Â© 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Yeah, Eve doesn’t come in until season two. It’s like fractured; she’s in and out. And there were a number of episodes I couldn’t do because of When Calls the Heart. You know, it’s an endurance test to binge that one, especially if you get really involved. That universe is connected to all the others. There are so many shows that connect that. Some people follow them all and I don’t know-how. There’s so much to them.

I also have another movie I recently finished filming on Vancouver Island, which I don’t have details yet, but I can say it’s called Fishing For Love. Oh, and it stars a fabulous Canadian actor by the name of Spencer Lord, who I had never worked with before, but I adore him. He is a fabulous actor, and it was just such a fun way to start off 2021 with this super exciting little project in a small town, and we got to finish well.

Fishing For Love

I mean, my goodness, filming on Vancouver Island is always a treat.

Yes, Erin’s recent movie was all shot on Vancouver Island as well and it’s so beautiful. The cruise over there is beyond fabulous. The Island has dealt with the pandemic very well. There’s a lot of reasons why a lot of shows are heading over there right now to shoot and there’s nothing like it; it is so gorgeous. It’s so gorgeous.

What I will say is that I’ve been very impressed with Hallmark and what they are now creating–the movies and the shows…everything that they’re creating. They’re just blowing me away. I mean, at Christmas time, I never missed one of their Christmas movies. I have Lifetime movies from Christmas I still haven’t watched because even though Lifetime movies are not bad, I think Hallmark has just totally raised the bar. Big time! I love all the diversity they are including. And they are adding in a lot more comedy stuff as well. And then there’s their location movies which are just fabulous! I also am loving the movies. I am trying to remember. Have you done a mystery yet?

No, not yet.

I would still like for them to put you into a mystery. I think that would be so much much.

It would be so fun. Because that’s like the kind of thing I love. In my life, I love mysteries. I love murder mysteries. I love all that stuff. So that would be such a interesting departure. I feel like for me, it’s always wedding movies. You know, we all kind of have our thing.

I know. I know. But that would just be great. I could definitely see you as being cast in one. I mean, honestly, I could see them cast you use that as a murderer. And you’d never, never be the person that we would think would be the most likely suspect.

That’s kind of like what Eve is on Supergirl. I like that she’ll commit murder with a smile on her face.
Right, right.

Well, there’s enough mysteries being filmed so I still I will I will definitely throw that out there because I think it’d be great.

It’d be fun to do something a little a little different tone-wise.

I think that’d be awesome. Because you’ve gotten married in movies quite a few times.

Yes, I have been in every style of wedding dress going, which has been awesome. I love a fake wedding. Sign me up. Honestly, I really love getting “fake married.” It’s a real highlight. I don’t know why. It’s just, you know, you look around. You don’t know anybody at your wedding. But you’re smiling and everyone has tears in their eyes. And everyone’s so happy. And you’re just like, I don’t know, if it’s just the imagery of a wedding that just really touches everyone. I don’t know what it is. But it’s a joy. I always have a blast shooting fake weddings. I’ve got wedding photos, married to all different types of people. It’s great. I will have those forever. And I love it.

Yeah, I don’t I don’t know if you’re the Hallmark actor that has gotten married the most, but I’d say you’re in contention. Their contention was that I would have to look it up and look at all the facts.

Hilarious! It’s fun. I would never say “no” to a wedding project, especially at this point. Just because I feel like I’ve got it down. I’ve got it down. Got a big wedding down.

Oh, definitely. You definitely do. Well, well, that’s good to know what you have coming up. Of course we’ve got When Calls the Heart. Supergirl. And this movie Fishing For Love. So is there anything else that you have coming up that you can mention? I mean, that’s quite a bit.

You’ve kind of covered the big ones. I’ve also spent a lot of the pandemic writing so I’ve been writing some projects. I have no plans as of yet. It was just kind of a matter of wanting to get back, and get the momentum back when I wasn’t shooting, I love working and I felt myself thinking about movies and what I would want to change or what I would want to write or what I would want to see. And then it just got to the point where it’s like I’ve written before. I have a bunch of screenplays on my desktop that I haven’t touched in a while; let’s finish some of these. So that’s been kind of a work in progress for me. And then I guess we’ll see, we’ll see what happens.

Well, I tell you, it’s something we’ve talked about before. I know you’d love to do one of your projects, and I know you’d love to even one day be a director, I know you’ve mentioned it before.

I would. I think being on the other side would be super interesting after spending more than half of my life at this point acting on camera. But there’s so much more to this industry beyond just acting. And especially as actors, we’re very focused on our aspect of what ends up on screen. But there’s so much that goes into it on all sides. I mean, we were so lucky, we show up on set, and it’s perfectly decorated to a tee. It’s someone’s vision that’s been brought to life. And we take that for granted. We come in, and there’s so much to appreciate and it really is a production line. It takes a production line of really talented people to make these things come to life. And it would be fun to produce something or to direct or to oversee the other side. I think it would be just wonderful for just even an actor’s perspective to gain that knowledge. So we’ll see what happens.

But writing has always been my thing. I mean, I have a degree in English literature I’ve written since I was young. And it’s just I’ve had I’ve been so blessed to have so many years of work and craziness. It kind of took the pandemic to make me slow down and think,”I love film. How can I continue doing something creative, but we’re not able to shoot?” So I kind of picked up the pen again.

Good. Well, I tell you Hallmark’s definitely the place to be because they are very loyal to their actors. We’ve seen a lot of actors that have their either writing projects brought to screen or they’re directing, Just recently, Peter Benson started directing films. I was so happy for him!

That’s amazing. I love that.

Yeah. And he’s never done an official lead role with Hallmark, but now he’s directed two movies for them. That’s very cool. I mean, he directed and starred in the first one. It was an Aurora Teagarden mystery.

Also, Hallmark is so pro-women. So I could totally see you executive producing, directing, writing, whatever. I mean, I could see you doing all of that, Andrea.

Awww, thanks. Well, we’ll see what the future holds.

Right. But that’s good that you did some writing, I think the pandemic was a time for lots of creativity. I know things aren’t back to normal yet and probably won’t be for quite some time yet.

Right. But there’s a lot that you can continue to do when you live a creative life. I feel like it’s easy to take it for granted. When you get to do what you love every day, and you wake up, you get to play a character and dress up and have all this fun. When that stops, you find it’s a little bit shocking, a little bit crazy. But yeah, there are lots of ways to be creative and to fulfill that desire to create.

And that’s good to hear Andrea. Because I know that it could be very easy for some people to just say, “Well, the pandemic happened. I’m just going to sit around and nothing.” Which I think, I mean, I’ll be honest. I did that at first. I was not overly inspired or creative right at the beginning. For the first couple months. I’ve kind of felt like I was in a holding pattern and just waiting to get back to normal.

I totally understand that.

Yeah. But it’s good to know that so many used the time productively, and there’s been a lot of creative things. So I mean, it’s great that we will definitely look forward to seeing more from you in the future because I know there will be. I mean, I knew from seeing you in season two. I knew when we first saw you, I was like, “This is somebody really special.”

Such a compliment, I appreciate that. Thank you.

Well, it’s true. There is no doubt how talented you are, Andrea. And you have great interactions with the fans. I know you wrote about how live-tweeting was tough.

My fingers were sore. I was like, “How did I used to do this?” I know there was a time I used the computer. And now I feel like it’s been a while, and I feel like I’m missing out on it. I didn’t tweet as much last year. Things were a little hectic for me. And now people are talking to me, and I’m trying to respond, but you miss things. And then things have passed. And then: “Whoa!” But it’s so fun. It felt like coming home in a way. It was just something we’ve done for so many years. And to see that people are still showing up and tweeting and they’re still as passionate. I have to just say “thank you.” That’s why we all have jobs. So it’s so appreciated. So very appreciated. And, and always so fun. Always so fun.

I will say that most of the Hearties are so positive. The Hearties that say negative things are probably the exception. And they get noticed and everything. But when you look at the Hearties as a whole, they are absolutely beautiful and very supportive.

And I do have to say that even with the negativity, I understand because I try to always take it as a compliment. It means that that person is invested in the show; they care about it. Maybe it’s not going the direction they wanted and they have a knee-jerk reaction. I understand that, I do, and especially when the show’s been on eight seasons, things change. They have to change; no show can stay the same for eight years. People come and go; concepts change; characters grow. And that can be hard for someone who’s invested so much time into a project. I fully understand.

Yeah, the negativity can sting. But I always try to approach it from a positive place. And I think you know, that this person is still watching. They’re still invested in the show, and they’re engaging with our content, which is at the end of the day, that what we all want. And if they don’t like the way something’s going, okay, they want to voice that. Fine. I try to always accept that with grace. I really do.

I’m glad you brought that up because that’s something that I am learning to do. I mean, I know getting thrown into my current position, it’s like I’ve learned a lot about that.

I’m sure you have.

Yeah, and now I have that same philosophy. It took me a little while to get there. Because it’s so easy to look at those negative things and go, “They’re just like that in real life.” It can get to you if you let it.

People can say horrible things. It is not fun. It can be hard. I’ve taken a step back from social media a couple times where I’ve just had to delete it off my app because things hurt. It’s the reality that we have to contend with. But always at the end of the day, I think people–I feel like people are good-natured at heart.

I do maintain that sometimes people say things in a knee-jerk reaction kind of way. I don’t think everything is intended to hurt. Sometimes it is and that’s cruel. But sometimes also, it’s because people are passionate. And that was my takeaway.

Yeah, I’ve been learning that if I let people vent and don’t make a big deal about it, most of the time, those people come back and say they were sorry. They didn’t mean it that way. Almost without exception, they are just reacting from a really emotional place and really weren’t really thinking about what they were saying. And now they’re like, “Oh, I wish I hadn’t said that. I shouldn’t have said it that way. I’m so sorry.” And it’s really wonderful to be able to say, “It’s fine, let’s just move on. And we’re fine.” And those people often end up becoming like some of the best fans because they realize that they didn’t get yelled at and no one said, “Oh, you’re just a terrible person! How dare you!” They were met with kindness.

I think if a lot of people could learn to just be a little bit kinder and not just rant and rave, like “Oh, so-and-so said this about me!” It’s like, if they could just be a little bit kinder, and just take a step back for just a moment, I think we’d be in a lot better place.

Yeah, just take a breath.

Exactly. Exactly. Well, Andrea, I’m so glad we got the chance to catch up. I’m really excited about everything that’s happening for you. You have you’ve always been such a wonderful person that I’ve just enjoyed getting to know over the years.

I feel the same way. We’ve been doing this for a number of years now.

I remember our first interview because I interviewed you before a lot of people were wanting to interview you because so many didn’t like your character and they were like, “She needs to go.”

Oh, yeah, the good old days.

Thank you again, Andrea, for your time. It was great talking to you.

And thank you, Ruth. I hope everyone really enjoys the rest of the season! Thanks to all the Hearties for their support.

To even put into words just how phenomenal Andrea is while including her myriad of talents…I doubt my words would even suffice. When I stated that I knew how extraordinary she was when I first saw her on the show, that was the understatement of the year, and maybe even of the decade. Andrea is one of those once-in-a-lifetime people and creatives. Rarely have I ever seen a woman in this world–let alone in this industry–who is more selfless, more talented, more compassionate, more vivacious, more focused…and the list goes on and on. Andrea is grounded and committed to the work at hand, but she always makes time for a smile, a laugh, and a kind word. She genuinely cares about every single person she meets and/or who crosses her path, and I have never ever never ever never ever ever heard her utter one untoward word about anyone!! Not only does she hold true to the old adage of “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” but she takes it a step further. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt and then some. Furthermore, this is not merely a facade she wears in public–no, this is Andrea Broooks at her very CORE! To be able to call this remarkable woman a friend and colleague is an honor for which I shall always be exultant.
I do hope that everyone will tune in this evening (Sunday, April 25) for episode ten of what has already been an explosive season eight for When Calls the Heart. Hallmark and Super Channel Heart & Home will be showing what has become a Sunday night celebration of all things “Hope Valley” and a reminder of what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. While you are savoring this show that continues to smash rating records with a vengeance, be sure that you check out all of Andrea’s links below and consider following her where applicable. As far as I’m concerned, there is no one who matches the grace and essence of Andrea on or off the screen, and I breathlessly await her diverse, upcoming projects as I believe the best for her both personally and professionally is yet to come! And as her friend and supporter, I can only celebrate and squeal with joy every time I witness amazing things headed her way!
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CHECK OUT MY OTHER INTERVIEWS WITH ANDREA

In the Key of Love

Interview With Actress Andrea Brooks, “When Calls the Heart” & “In the Key Of Love”

Interview With Actress Andrea Brooks, “Jingle Around the Clock” & “When Calls the Heart”

Interview With Actress Andrea Brooks, “When Calls the Heart”

Andrea Brooks Credit: Copyright 2016 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Eike Schroter

Interview With Actress Andrea Brooks, “When Calls the Heart”

http://starrymag.com/andrea-brooks-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: Andrea Brooks, Faith, Hallmark, Hearties, interview, movie, television, When Calls the Heart

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denise April 26, 2021 Reply

enjoyed the interview.

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Interview With Actress Andrea Brooks, “When Calls the Heart” Season 8

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