Interview With Actor Brennan Elliott, “All Summer Long”

By Ruth on August 24, 2019 in Interview, movie, television

In the past, I have been playfully accused of “stalking” certain actors who are regularly featured on the Hallmark Network, and it should come as no surprise that Brennan Elliott is one of those extraordinarily special people. While he is undoubtedly one of my all-time favorite people on this planet and I am often rather cognizant of his upcoming and current projects, I never pass up an opportunity to speak with him and highlight him here on my website. In anticipation of the Hallmark Channel premiere tonight (August 24th) entitled All Summer Long in which he plays the leading role opposite the vivacious Autumn Reeser, it is my honor and privilege to share our most recent interview with all of my readers. (And don’t forget to check out our previous interviews listed at the bottom of this post as well. This is our seventh interview after all!!)

RH: Brennan, thank you so much for chatting with me today. I know it’s been a busy time for you. In fact, I think you’ve just gotten back from filming.

BE: Yes, I just got back earlier this week. I feel like I’m rubber.

Yeah, I do know that feeling. I am sure with your busy schedule, it can take a lot out of you. You’ve kept a very busy schedule for quite a while.

That’s very true. But as they say, it’s good to be busy.

I agree with you there. So we just saw the Crossword Mysteries Preview Special this past weekend. It’s one of the only preview specials my mom will actually watch. Usually, a preview special comes on, and she is out of the room. But because you were on the special, she stayed and watched it.

I know she’s a loyal fan, and you speak highly of that lady.

Now, while we know Crossword Mysteries is coming back with a couple of all-new movies, this weekend, we get to see you in another Hallmark movie.

Yes, All Summer Long premieres on the Hallmark Channel August 24th, this Saturday.

I just talked with Anne Marie DeLuise just the other day.

Oh, I love her.

Me too. I got the chance to meet her and Peter {DeLuise} last year. But I finally got the chance to interview her and hear her story. And of course, she spoke very highly of you.

Oh, that’s very kind of her. She’s a wonderful lady. Very talented, and it was so great to work with her.

All Summer Long was another production with Beth {Grossbard}. So what can you tell us about your character and how he relates to the overall story?

Well, I play Jake, who is a chef–a very successful chef. But what I want to say is that I think this movie is really a story about second chances and the accepting of yourself–who you are and what you look like, and everything about who you really are. About your dreams, and not letting any criticism from the outside world get you off or keep you off track. And then, of course, freedom. And when you’re busy doing all those things, you can find love. So I found that very interesting. And Beth and I had obviously filmed All Of My Heart 2 and 3. She’s a very close friend. And then Peter and I did the first All Of My Heart, and so I just loved that recipe for this movie. And I also love the idea that Peter was going to be acting in it with his wife. And I’d never been on a boat before, so I thought this would be really fun. It was a very, very quick prep, and we went to work right away. I think I had the script for about five or six days, and then I was on set.

Then, of course, you got to work with Autumn Reeser.

Of course. I had never met her before this film, and I have nothing but great things to say about her. Lovely, lovely lady and we had a lot of fun together for sure.

I know that Anne Marie was telling me how beautiful the area was where you filmed and how much she loved filming on the boat.

Oh yeah. It was where they filmed Beachcombers back in the 80s. That was a show that my stepdad used to watch, so I grew up watching that show. So the area was kind of nostalgic for me. It was so gorgeous that it was almost too much. Unfortunately, I got so dehydrated one day that I ended up having to go to the hospital to get some IV fluids because I had been on that boat without keeping myself hydrated. You know, it doesn’t feel hot. I mean, you’re sweating profusely, and you don’t realize it. You’re not drinking any water, and you’re in trouble. The sacrifices we make for our art. {laughs}

Um, yeah, and thankfully you survived the ordeal to talk about it. We’re very grateful it didn’t end in tragedy.

Oh, no, all was well. It was quite the experience, and a little spook for me and everybody else. While it was nothing but dehydration, dehydration is no joke.

While I’ve not experienced it myself, that is something I do know.

But we had a lot of fun shooting the movie. It’s a different kind of Hallmark movie, a little out of the box. But it’s got a lot of sweetness, a lot of fun, and a lot of relatable story points. I think people are really going to be able to relate to the characters and the story.

That’s good to know. And I know that you mentioned that you worked hard–I mean, you always work hard. But you hadn’t played a chef before.

Yeah, you know that thing that worried me is that I was off for about four or five months. I was at my cabin with my family. I got a call from Beth saying that she really wanted me to do this movie. I was a little overwhelmed. I had never played a chef, and I’m not a cook. So it seemed rather daunting to me.

But I thought it would be a good challenge. I worked with a real-life chef who owns a lot of restaurants in LA and around the world. I wanted to learn about what was important to a chef and how they saw their art. I wanted to get into character. He told me, “If you’re gonna play a real chef, you have to try to be honest and real about it. You have no social life. You work twenty hours a day. You’re always eating. You’re always drinking at the end of the day. You’re always trying sauces. And the stress is immense. You live on every single plate that goes to every single table.” It’s a very intense experience. Adam Sobel from Cal Mare, which is a restaurant here in LA, was very gracious and wonderful to let me spend the day and the night just watching him and shadowing him and seeing what real chefs do. It was a great experience. And I brought what I learned to my character, Jake. The whole lifestyle is about cooking and being in the kitchen. It’s about the way you see life and how food is beautiful and important and not just a form of nutrition. It’s something that makes you feel good. He just kind of instructed me on all these things that I had never been privy to in the cooking world.

What I will say about Hallmark is that each of the summer movies has gotten progressively better. So, of course, we have high expectations for All Summer Long.

Well, I will let you decide about whether we met those expectations.

It’s been a strong year for Hallmark in general.

I think every year for them is great. They’ve got their brand and what they do well, and they’re exploring all kinds of different types of content. They’re really growing, and I’m proud to be a part of the family for sure.

I know we are all looking forward to seeing this movie. Every time the preview comes on, my mom remarks about how long your hair is. And I explain that you’re playing a role. And from the scenes we have seen, yes, your character definitely looks different from the other roles we’ve seen you play. I have expectations that like you said, this role will be a little different.

I always like to say that I’m the other leading man on Hallmark. I really have gotten to play some diverse characters, and I always try to make each character its own person. Whether that’s the character psychologically, emotionally, physically–if I have time. You always look for some part of yourself that you can bring to every role, and some of those characters are very different from you. Not every role you play is clean cut with a big smile every second. I’ve been really lucky to play a lot of different roles on the network, and this one was very out-of-the-box for me. Very different, and I thought it was a nice challenge. I guess we’ll see what everyone thinks this Saturday night.

I’m sure we’ll all be live-tweeting for the premiere.

I will be there. I will be live-tweeting and communicating with the army of fans.

That’s good. I’m sure I will end up in Twitter jail as I do almost every single time there’s a Hallmark premiere.

As do I.

We also have more Crossword Mysteries coming up this October, right?

Yes, October 13th and 20th as of now is when they are scheduled. October 13th is slated to be Proposing Murder which is our second installment of the Crossword Mysteries series. Then the third one is Abracadaver, which we just wrapped this past weekend.

The Preview Show did a pretty good job of introducing us to both of those films.

Did it get you all excited, Ruth?

Well, of course! The mysteries are…yeah, I love the romantic films. Don’t get me wrong. But the mysteries are the big movies for my mom and me to watch together. We love the mystery films so much.

They’re kind of taking over the world.

I would be okay with that. You and Lacey {Chabert} are so fantastic together.

We appreciate that, Ruth. And I will tell you that movies 2 and 3 are amazing. Crossword Mysteries 2 and 3 are really quite spectacular.

I have no doubt. And then having Barbara Niven as a part of the series too…it’s just incredible to have you three as a part of this series.

We’re very blessed and we’re very privileged. Barbara and Lacey and I just get along so well. I’m just lucky to be working with two lovely women.

If people saw the preview show, they might have a basic idea of what might be in store with these next two films. But what would you like to tease about these two upcoming films?

I think each movie in itself is not just its own case, but it feels like its own entity, its own movie. It always feels like the characters are maturing and evolving. There’s obviously great intrigue involved. And the thing I love about what we are finding with number two and number three is that we’re finding with Logan–Detective O’Connor–and Tess Harper and even Barbara’s character…I think we’re all starting to find–and even the show itself–we’re starting to find the voice for each character and for the show. The show itself is finding what it wants to say and what kind of show it wants to be. It’s very exciting. And I know the network is ecstatic about the dailies for movies two and three. And we’re really excited about it. We’ve put a lot of heart and soul into is as has the crew.

Abracadaver is dealing with magic. Proposing Murder deals with a crime that is involved, but weddings and getting married are a part of it too. As is proposals and love. Each movie will have its own kind of theme and subject matter, and within that is this great mystery. Both of them have so many layers. For our audience, it’s a real mind-bender. You really gotta think. It more than just rooting for them to find the person. And sure, that’s a part of these mysteries. But we want our audience to root along with us and help us find the clues and solve the puzzles.

What I’ve noticed this year is that Hallmark mysteries have become much more intricate in their mysteries and made them much more difficult to solve. It used to be that with any upcoming mystery, I could look at the cast list, and nine times out of ten, I could tell who did it based on the guest cast alone.

Ruth, I would LOVE to see if you could guess either of these mysteries. You talk about intricate. I’m thinking of what we just filmed–Abracadaver–Crossword Mysteries 3. If you like magic, if you like “Clue,” if you like to sit there and go, “I think I got it…” and then you’re very surprised by the outcome…that is the one out of the three so far that I’m like, “Wow! I didn’t see that one coming!”

That is what I’ve noticed about these Hallmark mysteries. No longer am I able to figure out who did it with relative ease. The network has so upped the level of writing, and they include lots of red herrings along the way. The mysteries are so well-written. I’ve been totally impressed and blown away by this year’s offerings, and I’m sure these two Crossword Mysteries will continue that trend.

That’s great. I’m glad to hear it. I’m very, very proud of number two and three as are Lacey and everyone else involved. Not that number one was bad by any stretch of the imagination. Number one was the first one, and I was playing more of a rookie detective. We were all trying to find our footing, and there are a lot of great things in that one. I think two and three are just getting better and better.

And ideally, that’s what you want. You want each one to get progressively better.

Absolutely. I’m really excited about them. We want to bring the fans forty of these over the next few years. We want to keep doing it. They’re really good.

So we have the two coming up in October to look forward to.

That means I have three new movies coming out over the next couple of months.

Originally, weren’t you going to try to bring three new Crossword Mysteries movies in October?

We were going to do a fourth, but unfortunately, with time and post-production, it just wasn’t feasible. But there will be a fourth in the near future.

That’s kind of what I thought. I have to admit when I heard that you were doing All Summer Long in addition to three Crossword Mysteries, I was thinking, “How on earth can he do all this?” So when I heard there were only two coming this time, I felt better about things for you. Now, we’re also very interested to know if you’re doing a Christmas movie this year. I know you just got back…

Well, I’m waiting to see. A lot of the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies have already been cast. So if I am able to do one, it will probably be a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Christmas movie. I know the fans want me in a Christmas movie every year, and I want to oblige them. I’m just trying to find the right one. The last Christmas movie I did on the Hallmark Channel was Love You Like Christmas, which was a huge success. And all of my Christmas movies I’m very proud of. The only thing I can say that I’m pretty sure about is that is will not be for the Hallmark Channel, but it will probably be for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.

I understand that. It’s a busy season. We just hope to see you in a Hallmark Christmas movies regardless of which channel. The last two years, your Christmas movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries have been fantastic.

Well, thanks, Ruth. I can’t deny the fan base I’ve been so blessed to have. It’s mind-blowing how big it is and how many people come out and are really fervent about making sure that I’m in a Christmas movie or a Valentine’s Day movie or on the network all the time. I cherish support like that. I know how hard I worked on these last three movies. I know how hard I work on every movie I do. But I work hard for the fans. That’s a lot of the reason I do it. We want them to be entertained, so I fight really hard to make something the best it can be with the time frame we have. So it means a lot that the really appreciative fans are clamoring for this movie or that movie.

Of course, we fans are still hoping for more of All Of My Heart. I know that’s something you and Lacey are definitely open to. I know there are so many variables that go into making a movie. But then I know when you’re trying to do a sequel and get that all worked out, I think there’s potentially even a lot more to work out.

You know, it’s interesting because we were just talking about Christmas. I think the fans are the ones who really dictate whether something gets done or not. It’s this business we’re in. I think the fans drive all of us, no matter what. I was at the airport earlier this week, returning to Los Angeles. This guy came over to me and asked for an autograph. He is a fan of the Hallmark Channel. He asked if I was gonna do a Christmas movie. I said, “I think so.” And he went, “You think so?? It can’t be Christmas without a movie from you. You’re Mr. Christmas!” {laughs} It was very funny and very endearing. It made me feel like “wow.” You don’t always realize how many of these people really appreciate what you do. For a lot of the Hallmark stars, hearing it on Instagram or on Twitter or whatever…I know it means a lot to all of them. There’s so many talented people on this network.

If I am asked by the network, me doing Christmas is a no-brainer. Like I’ve always told you, when Hallmark calls, I always say, “yes.” It’s just the respect and loyalty I have for them. If the fans want an All Of My Heart 4 and we can find the right story…Lacey and I have talked a little bit. We might reach out to our writer, Karen Berger, and see if there’s something in there. If the network likes the idea and they know people are gonna come and watch because they do love those movies, I would love to do it. I know it’s Lacey’s favorite thing, and she loves them. And I’m obviously very partial to them too. I love those movies. And I hope the fans can get a lot of that with the Crossword Mysteries too, because we’ve got a lot of stuff that we’re developing with that. But if Hallmark called and said we were going to do a fourth All Of My Heart, then of course! Absolutely!

Well, we will keep hoping and asking.

Definitely!

Hopefully, everything will work out. People regularly message me about all sorts of things with the network. I know that people tend to think I know everything that is happening with Hallmark.

Well, you pretty much do! You’re pretty plugged in.

{laughs} I try to be that way.

You should have your own talk show where you’re the host. “Ruth’s Truths” and have it be all about Hallmark. You just know everything about the network!

Well, I’m not sure about that, but it’s been nice over these past few years to connect with so many in the Hallmark family and to meet many of them in person. {And I hope Brennan is on that list soon–I was thinking that during our interview, but didn’t say it at the time.}

Look, it’s no secret the reason why Hallmark is doing so well. It’s because they have the best fans in the world. To be one of the actors on their network…it’s a real honor. I’m also having a lot of fun doing it. I love the fans. I really do.

I know you’re looking for the right Christmas movie, but hopefully, you’ll get a little bit of downtime before filming your next one.

Well, Tuesday, I filmed the Fall Harvest Preview Special with Lacey. If you remember, we did that special last year, and so we got to do it this year too. I don’t think either of us have a Harvest movie except for Crossword Mysteries. But that’s not a “Fall Harvest” movie. But we always have a lot of fun doing these preview shows. There will be a lot of great Harvest movies coming out. And I’m sure the Christmas movie will come in time. I will definitely let everyone know when that happens. And there’s a lot of other things going on that I can’t mention. So while I can’t really talk about it yet, I will be able to very shortly. Hopefully. It’s going to be a very exciting 2020. So thanks to the fans–the Brennies and the Hallmarkies–that have been really supportive of me over the years. Yourself included. When I did Warren Saget, you might have been my only fan. {NOT TRUE Brennan and you KNOW IT! And just to fill in, he was trying to be funny and just go on, but because I started laughing, he started laughing too.} But at this point, it’s so nice to have three films coming out. One on the Hallmark Channel and two on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries over the next six to eight weeks. I’m looking forward to the fans just being entertained. And while that’s happening, I’ll go off and produce and act in another one. Here’s hoping.

I know you’ve mentioned over the past few years, you’ve talked about different projects that you were hoping to bring to the network. I know you’ve had your ups and downs with that a bit.

We had one that was a go, and then it didn’t work out. And that’s just the way it happens sometimes. But I have a couple of things and a few pieces with a few writers that I know that have some stuff. There’s a bunch of stuff floating around, but I know that until something is actually in development and is solid, I don’t want to speak about it yet. These things do take time. And I’m so busy that I don’t know what I would do outside of what I’m doing right now. So some of these things have been on the back burner. But 2020 is a very important year. But I’ve still got four or five months left of this one. And let me say that I do appreciate all my fans. They are so incredible with their support. And I tell you when you have such great fans like this, you must be doing something right.

I would agree with you, Brennan. Thank you for your time. And we are very excited to see all the movies coming up. First in line is All Summer Long.

Well, thank you for your interest, Ruth. And I’m eager to hear your thoughts on the movie.

I will be sure to tell you. I mean, I already know I’m gonna love it. I don’t even have to think about that.

You never know. {Come on, Brennan, are you trying to be the Devil’s Advocate??}

I tell you, Brennan, I can’t think of anything of yours that I’ve seen that I didn’t like, at least in some way. Even if it wasn’t my favorite movie, you were always really good in it.

Well, I think All Summer Long has a lot of elements in it that I think people are going to connect to. I hope that all the fans in droves come out because it’s one of the movies where it’s got everything. It has humor, romance, contention, argumentative moments which are all based from being in love. It’s got food. It’s got wine. It’s got joy of life. It’s got sailing. It’s got summer. It’s got a lot of elements that on the page I hope that we were able to bring out in the filming of it. And Peter, our director, is a genius and one of my faves obviously. I think we had a lot of fun creating something that’s…we wanted people to feel a lot like they do when they sit at a dinner table and they’ve had a really good meal and they go, “Ahhhhhh…” You know what I mean?

I know that Anne Marie mentioned that it had a lot of comedy points to it. She remarked that romantic comedies are sometimes not as comedic as she felt they should be. But this movie definitely has a lot of comedy, according to her. And I agree with her because there are romantic comedies that aren’t as funny as you would like them to be.

Well, you know that I always try to find the comedy in everything.

Yes, that I do know.

There are some very funny moments in this movie. I’m not gonna lie. All I will say is that there are three scenes that I love. I won’t tell you which ones. I want to see what you think.

I will definitely remember that and see if I can figure out which three scenes they are.

It will be interesting to see if you can figure that out. Thank you again for the chat, Ruth. See you and all the fans on Twitter tonight!

I know that one of the trademarks of my interviews is that they typically feel like a conversation between friends, and there is no doubt that is exactly what I got with Brennan. The fact that he was fatigued from filming and still took time to chat with me (and was relatively coherent) was a genuinely benevolent gesture on his part. Moreover, when I witness Brennan’s graciousness with and accessibility to his fans, it consistently reminds me that he is more than merely a phenomenal artist. Indeed, Brennan is one who does his best to live the very tenets and values of the Hallmark Network in his everyday life.

When I consider all the Hallmark leading men, I consistently place Brennan in a class of his own. I am thoroughly convinced that if Brennan wanted to, he could aspire to practically anything within the Hollywood universe. However, Brennan has made the conscious decision to make Hallmark his brand of choice, and if anything else comes along, that is a brilliant bonus. No one can question his integrity, his fortitude, nor his devotion to the craft, and very few are able to exhibit such authenticity across the screen. In a world where industry professionals often project a facade of goodness to their fans and live completely opposite of that in their private lives, Brennan is an anomaly. He strives to live the kind of life that reflects all that is wholesome, charitable, and righteous in this world of ours, and I cannot tell you just how thrilling it is to be able to present him regularly to the fans and the viewers in such a fun, engaging, and often thought-provoking manner. With Brennan, we go beyond the expected “what you see is what you get,” because Brennan is far more incredible than what may meet the eye. He is consistently evolving professionally, personally, and spiritually, and I, for one, wish there were more who aspired to the lofty ideals he embraces and practices.

I invite everyone in the U.S. to watch and enjoy All Summer Long on the Hallmark Channel tonight (August 24th) and revel in this glorious story that will be told by Brennan, Autumn, Peter, Anne Marie, and the entire cast and crew. And while you’re preparing to live tweet tonight and trend the hashtag #AllSummerLong, please be sure that you visit all of Brennan’s links below, follow him where applicable, and send him a kind word on Twitter or Instagram. There are few in this world for whom I would set aside all of my plans and business in order to promote their work, but Brennan Elliott is one of those impeccable individuals who commands my utmost respect, loyalty and support by just being the person he is. By the grace of God, Brennan continually infuses talent, virtue, and positivity into this sometimes dark world of ours, and I am so grateful to be amongst his thousands and thousands of fans worldwide!

FOLLOW BRENNAN

Twitter

Instagram

IMDB

READ MY PAST INTERVIEWS WITH BRENNAN

Interview With Actor Brennan Elliott, “Christmas At Grand Valley”

Interview With Actor/Executive Producer Brennan Elliott, “All Of My Heart: The Wedding” & “The Crossword Mystery”

Interview With Actor Brennan Elliott, “Christmas Encore”

Interview With Actor Brennan Elliott

Interview With Actor Brennan Elliott, “Flower Shop Mystery,” “UnREAL,” and More

Brennan Elliott – Flower Shop Mystery: Mum’s The Word

FOLLOW ME

Spread the love

About the Author

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

Permanent Link

Media From the Heart by Ruth Hill

Interview With Actor Brennan Elliott, “All Summer Long”

About the Author

4 Comments

Add comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Copyright Protected

Interview With Actor Brennan Elliott, “All Summer Long”

About the Author

Related Articles

4 Comments

Add comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Copyright Protected