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

By Ruth on December 21, 2018 in Interview, movie, television

There are certain actors that hold a particularly special place in my heart, and these are the actors that I could easily interview any time they’re in a new production in the works or their new movie is premiering on the Hallmark Network. Brennan Elliott is one of those extraordinary people who continues to create and produce amazing characters on screen across a variety of networks, and chatting with him is one of my favorite things to do on earth. In anticipation of his upcoming premiere tonight (12/21), I am honored to share my fifth (what?) interview I recently conducted with this gifted, kind, gracious, humble, incredible man!

RH: Brennan, thank you for making time to chat again with me. I know it’s a very busy time of year.

BE: I am always happy to chat with you, Ruth.

Your Christmas movie with Danica McKellar is finally getting ready to premiere. It has been moved around a lot on the schedule.

Yeah, that happens sometimes. Obviously, those decisions are beyond my pay grade. My job is to show up and do the movie and do the best performance I can. And after that, it’s out of my hands. Especially with this one. I wasn’t executive producing or part of the creative team. I don’t know the reasons why it got moved around. I am hoping that December 21st a lot of people will be home and cuddled up for the weekend before Christmas. So maybe people will view it more because things are finally winding down.

I was thinking the same thing. I am amazed at how many people in lots of different age groups are watching these Hallmark movies. Just the other day, I was in the classroom at our local high school, and I brought up your name in class. After the students looked you up, they were like, “Oh, we know who he is.”

Oh, that’s so sweet.

And these are high school students. They recognized you, which means that it’s not just the parents and grandparents tuning into Hallmark Christmas movies anymore.

With Danica and Dan Lauria

No, there’s a wide variety of ages. I mean, look, I think the content on the network reaches a fan base of all ages. There’s a project or a movie for everyone. Whether it’s Fall Harvest or Spring Fling or June Weddings. There’s always something for everybody. And I think that’s one of the brilliant things about the network is that they always have different types of movies that can touch the hearts of anybody at any age. And I think that’s something that just shows how brilliant the powers that be over there are in diversifying and still keeping the brand what it is. It is the perfect recipe to ensure the kind of growth that is happening at the network. And obviously, that’s a smart business tool. I don’t think I’ve gone out in public over the last four or five months and not had somebody recognize me from a Hallmark movie or something I’ve done. It’s really an honor to be a part of a network that is doing great family entertainment. I know we’ve done many interviews where I’ve said it before, but I cherish this relationship and I’m proud to be a part of the family.

By the way, the last All Of My Heart: The Wedding was fantastic.

Thank you very much. I’m very proud of that movie. I thought the fans were calling and screaming for a wedding, and we wanted to give it to them. It was my first opportunity as an executive producer, and I was glad to be a part of the creative process. I really felt that I was able to be collaborative with Lacey {Chabert} and with our director and the writers and the network and dealing with notes. It was great to be able to deal with everything and even have a hand in selecting the music. I really felt like I was a part of the process. It was a lot of work to act and be a part of the producing team, but at the same time, I tried to stay focused on the work. And if they ask your input and you see something that might benefit the movie, it was great to say it and give my two cents. I was really proud of how the movie turned out, and the fans seemed to really enjoy it. The viewership numbers were great, and the network loved it. It was a real whirlwind for everybody as well as a lot of fun.

Absolutely. I even got to meet a couple people connected with the movie. I met Pauline Egan.

Oh, that’s right. She’s a sweetheart, isn’t she?

Yes, absolutely.

With Lacey and Pauline

She’s a really sweet human being and a great actress. She really had, in my opinion, probably the hardest role of anyone in that movie. I think it would be difficult to come into a franchise like that and to be the antagonist and the villain so to speak. And she played it with such grace. It would have been so easy for her character to be disliked and not have any attributes that would be redeeming. She played the role faithfully to what was written, but she played the role in such a way that the audience understood her motivation. In addition to that, she is such a sweet, genuine, and wonderful person, and we had a lot of fun with her.

I also met Peter DeLuise, who spoke very highly of you.

Oh, he did? That’s so nice of him. He’s a wonderful man. I look forward to working with him again.

Well, he looks forward to working with you again too. That’s what he said. He just couldn’t say enough about how talented you are and how much he enjoyed working with you. It was nice to have the opportunity to meet him.

Behind-the-Scenes
All Of My Heart

Yeah, he’s great, isn’t he? He so obviously comes from the amazing pedigree with his dad and his family. He understands humor in a way that is from an honest place, and it’s really smart, witty, and grounded. That original movie is always going to have a special place because of him and I and Lacey and the whole crew and my good friend, Michael Ogiens, who passed away a couple of years ago. But it was a really special movie. It has obviously reached the masses and has blossomed into another couple of movies. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Peter again. He’s a great man.

Of course, we all want a fourth movie or however many movies the network chooses to give us.

You guys want forty of them!

Sure, hey, why not?!

Yeah, the fortieth movie will be All Of My Old Farts! I’ll be around eighty by then! {laughs}

{laughs} I could just see it!

We are very proud of that movie, and Lacey and I are extremely close friends, and I love her dearly. It was a wonderful experience all around.

So your Christmas movie, you got to work with Danica McKellar for the first time.

I did. From The Wonder Years. I can’t remember the name of the movie or what exactly it was, but we were going to cross paths and possibly work together earlier, but for some reason, either I was working or it didn’t happen. For whatever reason, it wasn’t feasible for it to happen back then.

This year, I was offered a few Christmas movies to choose from, and with this one, the scheduling made it so I had some time to think about it and see if it could work. I asked some friends who knew Danica about her. I didn’t know her at all. But everyone spoke so highly of her. So I agreed, knowing this was going to be wonderful. Even Michelle Vicary was like, “I want you guys to work together sometime.” This was years ago.

So we had a wonderful experience, and it was a great opportunity to collaborate. She was executive producing, and it was her movie. I just tried to fall in line and do it however she wanted it. And she was wonderful. She’s really professional and she’s been doing this longer than many people have been alive. She was like seven or eight years old when she started out–much like Lacey. Actresses like Danica and Lacey have been around and they know the game. And we had a lot of fun.

Remind me of where you shot this film.

We shot this film at a few locations actually. We shot it in North Bay and then we were in Muskoka County. And then we were up even further north in a hotel that was further in the woods. So we had different locations, which was exciting. It was nice to have so many different environments. You have the lodge and you have the city life. I was mostly in the lodge location because most of the filming was done there. It was fantastic and so beautiful and peaceful. You felt like you weren’t really acting. You felt like you were actually taking a break from life and going away and being in nature and getting grounded. It was great. I really loved it and relished it.

What can you tell us about your character and the story?

You know, the last couple Christmas movies I’ve done have been more character-driven, simpler Christmas movies. Obviously, in these, Christmas is the most important character. But in this film, my character is a father of two. He’s a widower. He lost his wife; she passed away a couple of years earlier. He’s all into his work, and he focused basically on providing for his kids. And I think he has closed his heart and thinks that’s the safest way to live.

He gets this opportunity where his boss wants him to see if this lodge is worth anything. He works for a real estate development company, and he is supposed to determine if this property is a viable financial property that is making money, or should they close up shop and sell it? I got there and evaluate whether it’s a property we should maintain or get rid of. And I end up taking my kids with me on a Christmas vacation so I can kill two birds with one stone. Obviously, my heart hasn’t opened up yet. It’s Christmas vacation, and I’m still working. I think it’s that nice dynamic between always working and also trying to have a family life and balancing both of those out. When I first read it, I felt like that was something that as an actor traveling around so much and having small children, you always battle that dynamic. And that was interesting.

Then Kelly, who is played by Danica, she is an artist and she wants to come back home and be with her family during Christmas. She’s trying to get out of the hubbub of it all. We come to the lodge, which is a big part of the town, and things ensue, which I won’t be too long-winded about. But I think it’s a story of finding your heart again and finding what makes your heart feel alive out of the spell of Christmas. I think her character really opens up my heart, and I realize I can love again. And I see how she is with my children.

There’s a lot of elements in the story that I found really, really sweet. It’s a very simple, honest, grounded story about what happens to these people–these characters–under the guise of Christmas. That’s the basic story. I don’t want to spill too much of it. Like Christmas Encore, there’s a real simplicity and honesty about what’s going on between these two people, and that under the spell of Christmas, we’re really learning about each other and ourselves and opening our hearts and finding out what makes our hearts tick. Sometimes, you go back to a simpler life. In her and my case, we realize that I can feel love again not only for her, but because of Christmas and the lodge. And I realize it’s the first time I’ve felt love since my wife’s passing. It’s a really layered story and it was a lot of fun. But it was also a tough shoot just because so much was going on underneath the surface.

This time, you have two kids, not just one, in the story.

Yeah, you know it’s been a while since I’ve played a father. That was one of the elements I appreciated. I did All Of My Heart: The Wedding then went right into Crossword. I was away from my kids for a while, and obviously, I missed them terribly. And I remember my daughter and my son were on FaceTime during Crossoword and they said, “I miss you, Daddy.” And I thought, “I want to do a Christmas movie where I get a chance to be a father.” Since I’m away from my kids, it would be a really interesting dynamic for me to play a father for a few weeks while I’m filming. That was something I really gravitated towards and was affected by.

These kids, Gage {Graham-Arbuthnot}and Hattie {Kragten}, they were just the cutest, true pick little angels and so spunky and full of life. It was so wonderful to play with them. When you’re in scenes with them, you’ve just got to react to them because they’re full of so much life. It was so much fun. And unbeknownst to them, it fed me a lot being around that childish energy. It reminded me of all the reasons I love being a father.

I actually got to interview Gage, and I’ve been in contact with him and his mom. I don’t think either of these kids have been involved with a lot of other projects.

I think Gage has been in more than Hattie. But they’re fairly fresh and new and both extremely talented. If they want to do this business, they’re going to be working, as they get older, for as long as they want to do it. They’ve got great instincts. They listen well. They react and they’re in the moment. Those are all very important things to have as an actor. They are adorable and full of life. And Gage is a character, and I don’t want that to ever change. When the filming was over, I gave him a hug and told him, “Don’t ever change. You’re a character, and just accept that. It’s beautiful the way it is.”

And Danica was so wonderful with them as well. The scenes that she was with them, without giving too much away, she was just great. My character does a lot of observing in this film and does a lot of processing. And he’s a little fearful of opening up and falling in love. He sees this woman with his kids, and it really pricks at his heart. There’s a real tenderness, honesty, and simplicity about the story.

While I know you and Danica had not worked together previously, it looked like you both got along very well right from the beginning.

You know, I’m so lucky. I was telling a friend of mine the other day that one of the things that has been a real blessing is that with Hallmark, I’ve always been able to work with all these wonderful leading ladies. There’s a great group of these amazing leading ladies at Hallmark. Danica and I worked really well together. We talked about our characters and how to do things. She was EP on this one, and she was so passionate about trying to make this the best it could be. She had ideas, and to be honest, she’s incredibly brilliant, and I’m talking cerebrally. She has an incredible mind. Obviously, she’s like a math genius. And I can’t spell math, so we got along great! {laughs} We were Beauty and the Beast. She was the beauty, and I was the beast. She’s just so lovely and incredibly intelligent. I thought that relationship really added to the scenes. It was organic and very available. We’re both very different people, which I think it exciting. We come from different types of worlds as people with different interests. She’s very smart in acting, and she’s a mother and understands all that. She’s one of the big stars here on the Hallmark Channel, but my education is not nearly as accomplished as hers. It was a really nice mix. It was a lot of fun, and we got along great.

And didn’t Danica give you a math book or two?

Yes, she did.

And I predicted she would do that. I’ve seen her do that with all of her co-stars that have kids.

It was very sweet of her. And I never asked for that. I didn’t feel comfortable asking her for one. I just wanted to be present with her in this film. I was so receptive and impressed with her. And I knew about her math books before we shot the film. She came over to me one day and said, “I want to give this to you and your kids.” And she gave me two books. One that was better for Luna, since she is younger. And the other for my son. And I called my wife and told her, and we were both very touched. It was a wonderfully warm gesture and having the kids open it up and look at the books and read them. It is a learning tool. And it was a really sweet thing to do, and I was very impressed by it. And touched.

I tell you, your fans are so on top of things, they usually keep me informed about what movies of yours are airing and all that.

I tell ya, and I’ve said this before in other interviews, and I want to make this very clear. I do have and am blessed to have the best fans ever. I mean, I have so many fans. And all of them are such rabid supporters. They’ll tell you what they like and what they don’t like and when things are wrong and what you should do. And I love it. I think communication is vital for us. And I try to stay on top of things with them and let them know when things are airing and what we’re doing. And I know they appreciate that, which means a lot to me. But I appreciate them so much as well. They’re very supportive and understanding of the level of hard work that goes into making a film, whether as an executive producer or as one of the leads. They’re just really appreciative of what I try to bring to anything on the Hallmark Channel. And anything on any channel. A lot of my fans watch a lot of the other stuff, and a lot of them are also Hallmark fans. And I love that. It’s been a great symbiotic relationship.

And of course, we saw you and Danica on Home & Family and Extra. Always great to see you on those shows.

on Extra

Yes, I’m always happy to do those shows to promote our films. We always have a lot of fun there.

So we have Christmas At Grand Valley, isn’t that the name of the movie?

Yes, that is correct.

I’m sorry, I didn’t have the name in front of me.

on Home & Family

It’s Brennan, by the way, Ruth, just in case you’d forgotten. And Danica McKellar, you might have heard of her.

{laughs} Yes, I think I’m familiar with you both.

{laughs} Of course, I’m just kidding.

You know, your name is one I never have any problem remembering, though I sometimes see it spelled wrong in various places. I see people writing “Brendan,” and I will sometimes step in when it’s appropriate and say, “It’s Brennan.”

Yeah, make sure you clarify. {laughs}

I always do!

Yes, my protector Ruth!

Well, sometimes I can tend to be like that with the actors I follow very closely. Sometimes I just have to step in and say something or respond to something. So we’ve got Christmas At Grand Valley premiering tonight on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Network. And I understand that it is supposed to premiere in Canada on City TV on Christmas Day. Fingers crossed that is correct.

Well, I hope everyone tunes in and watches.

And I understand that Crosswords Mysteries got changed from January to March.

The Crossword Mysteries

Yes, both Lacey and I have seen a little assemblage of it, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun. The network’s very excited, and I think we found a nice voice for it. But we felt that moving it to March would work better. I will tell you that the relationship banter between Lacey’s character and mine is lots of fun. It’s going to be a great series, and the plan is to do four or five a year over the next four or five years. We are trying to make it a series that the fans will enjoy, much like Garage Sale Mysteries. We thought that in January, people would be so inundated with content and getting back from the holidays. We felt that viewership might be a little bit better in March when people are back into the swing of things. And it seems like the network reached the same consensus.

Well, I think it’s a very smart move. And there’s another mystery series premiering that month, Ali Sweeney in The Chronicle Mysteries, so that should be good for both series. I understand they plan to do twenty episodes of that series as well.

I think the mystery channel is trying to develop more content to increase their viewership. I know that channel hasn’t been around as long as the Mothership, which is the Hallmark Channel. So I think a lot of these shows are going to bring more viewers, and it’s just a really successful thing for the network.

The Crossword Mysteries

I talked with Barbara Niven since I talked with you last. And she was so excited to be thinking about doing so many episodes of Crossword Mysteries with you and Lacey.

That’s great. Lacey and I are both on board for doing as many episodes as possible. As long as the fans want to watch it, we really are enjoying it and will continue to make as many episodes as the network allows us to.

So is there anything else coming up that you can mention?

I’ve got some things that I’m working on with Hallmark. I’m going to be very busy with them next year. I’ve planned my year around them for a number of reasons. Obviously, I put them in high regard. They’ve been very good to me, and so we’re going to do a lot of business together over the next number of years for sure. And if viewers have been following all the different things happening at the network, you might have heard the first podcast that Nikki DeLoach and I did for the network. If you haven’t heard it, be sure to check it out. The plan is for me to continue to be a part of that if all goes well. I think it’s really exciting to let the fans know more about what’s going on with the network.

I’m committed for the next few years to branching out with Hallmark on both of their channels, whether it’s executive producing or starring or even having a series with them. I’ve pitched series ideas to them, and that is something that could come into fruition. There’s a lot of things going on with that, and I’m just so proud and happy to a part of that. I get what they want, and it’s something I appreciate in movies and TV as well. They provide a lot of content for family viewing, and it is very needed. In our climate right now, it’s better to sit down and watch something on Hallmark and feel better after two hours. And they do it better than anybody else. It has been a lot of fun working with them over the years.

I was just talking with a friend of mine recently. When I started with Hallmark, my first movie with them was The Nanny Express. That was a while ago, but it has been a really great, gradual, wonderful relationship that is kicking into high gear now. I’m just happy to be a part of working with Bill {Abbott}, Michelle, Randy {Pope} and all the team. And obviously these wonderful leading ladies as well. And all our writers and producers and so on. I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen during the next number of years with them.

Well, I saw that article recently that came out saying that you’re one of the top ten actors as far as the number of movies with the network goes.

What an honor that was to be included in that. I think there were about two guys, and all the rest were ladies. I’ve said this in many interviews. When Hallmark calls, I always put them first. It’s something I do because they have been respectful and appreciative of me and what I bring to the table. I have a lot of affection for the network and the people involved. And the fans are just amazing. I have more fans on Twitter and Instagram that are trying to market my career and manage me to do more and more Hallmark. If they had their druthers, I’d be doing one a week!

I think you’re right!

I keep saying, “Let me try to figure that out.” {laughs}

And speaking of the network, I have always heard such great things about Bill and Michelle from you and from others I’ve interviewed. And now that I’ve met them officially, I can say that it is all true. They are just as wonderful as everyone said they were.

You know, Bill, Michelle, and Randy–along with the others of course–but those three are a very special breed of executives. And they really have a pulse on the nation and what fans and families want around the world. They’ve really elevated Hallmark to another level, and outside of that, they’re just wonderful people. When you meet them, it’s just like meeting a friend of yours that you haven’t seen in a month or two.

And another thing that has made me feel wonderful about the whole experience is that I get an opportunity to play such diverse roles. Instead of playing the same thing, which can happen to many actors many times, Hallmark is a network that has been giving me an opportunity to play opposite different leading ladies and to play diverse roles and be versatile. It has been so enjoyable for me, and I am very appreciative.

Do you and your family have plans for Christmas?

with his brother

My wife and I and the kids are going to probably head over to see my parents. My parents haven’t seen the kids in a few years. So I will be the good son and make sure I go see them. And my stepsisters will be there on my dad’s side, and my brother will be there. It will be a really nice time for the family because we haven’t really been together for all these years. The plan was to see my folks from the 15th to the 21st.

Then our cabin in Lake Arrowhead is where we will probably go for Christmas Day. So we can have a festive time of just relaxing and not doing much of anything. I actually have been home for over a month now, and I haven’t really done too much, which is nice. But then you start to get that itch. It’s been nice to take the kids to school and spend time with my wife. Just being Brennan and not the actor or the producer or the roles I’ve been playing. It’s healing in some ways too. But like I said, the next number of years are going to be extremely busy which I’m excited about. But yeah, we’re gonna have a wonderful Christmas.

That’s great, Brennan. I know your career often takes you away from your family, so I am glad you’re getting that time with your family.

with his kids

Specifically this Christmas, I’m really trying to unplug and enjoy it with them and be present with them as opposed to being formulaic or just being another holiday. I really want to spend time with them. I know how busy it’s going to get, and I want to make sure I have time with them whether it’s now, Christmas, whether it’s in May, or whatever. If I’m here for a week or two, I really want to make sure I embrace it. And that’s just having balance for me. It’s something I’m learning and I will continue to learn. Things happen in life and you gain perspective and you realize what’s important. And you try to have balance and put things in their proper order.

I think the past couple years have been busy which is a blessing, and there’s been lots of ups and downs and everything in between. But it’s really been a wonderful two years of me just learning how to keep everything in its proper place. When I do a job, I give it everything I have, whether you have a script for a week or two or a day. You want to do your best for the network and the fans, and that won’t change. It’s when you’re home and you realize you have three or four days off, and that’s okay. You have to take that time to really enjoy the kids and your family. And I have to get myself unplugged so I can reboot.

Brennan, thank you again for taking time from your schedule to chat with me again.

behind-the-scenes
Christmas At Grand Valley

My pleasure. And, Ruth, while there are things right now I can’t disclose about upcoming projects and such, when they do come to fruition and I can say more, you’ll be one of the first to know. And make sure you let me know what your mom thinks about Christmas At Grand Valley.

Thank you, Brennan, I will. She has been loving all your Hallmark stuff, so I’m sure she’ll love this one too.

That’s good to know. I think if I disappoint your mom at any point in my career, I’ll have to call her and ask for forgiveness.

{laughs} You know, I think the only time she didn’t like your character was Warren Saget in Cedar Cove, but by the time we got to the third season, you had won her over.

There were lots of fans that were not fans of Warren’s sneakiness in the beginning, but they came around and became lifelong fans and have become very supportive. I’m glad that though Warren may have not had many, but maybe he had one redeeming quality. {laughs}

Well, I think season three we finally learned more about Warren’s backstory and why he acted the way he did.

That character was a lot of fun, and it’s always sad to see the end to a character, much like every character. But that was a special time. But that’s part of the business. It happens. We just try to continue and develop other projects and content and keep working together and make fans happy. Because that’s what it’s about.

Very true. Looking forward to the Christmas film and 2019. Thank you again for your time, Brennan.

Always a pleasure, Ruth. Looking forward to tweeting with the fans tonight!

In truth, over the past few years, I have begun to consider Brennan as a friend more than merely an actor or a celebrated name. I have watched the evolution of his career with joy, and there is nothing as exhilarating for me as when I see that he is working on a new project or simply savoring his time with his family. His enthusiasm is infectious, and I adore the fact that he and I have such laid-back, fun, and informative conversations. He is as authentic as they come, and the way that we support each other in our respective careers is something I also cherish immensely. I am thrilled to anticipate what the next few years will bring for this beloved man, and I can only hope and pray that God will bring about all of His plans for Brennan as he remains constant in his values, his career, and his priorities. I appreciate the fact that Brennan perseveres in honing his craft but also working on balance within his own personal life. He never acts like a celebrity nor permits his success to go to his head. He is as warm and as genuine as anyone could ever wish, and each time I have the honor to chat with him, my respect and adoration for him increase exponentially.

I do hope that everyone tunes in December 21st to the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Network for the premiere of the highly-anticipated film Christmas At Grand Valley. (And if you’re in Canada, fingers crossed it premieres on City TV on December 25th.) Additionally, be sure to check out all his links below and follow him where applicable (he’s actually becoming fairly prolific on Instagram in addition to Twitter, so follow him both places for all his updates). I cannot think of a more charitable and distinguished actor in the Hallmark universe who deserves the title “Hallmark King,” and I am eternally grateful to the network and its fine executives for making the decision to not only cast him in phenomenal roles in film and series, but also expand his responsibilities to executive producing and beyond. If there is one actor who has my undying support and warmest regard, it is Brennan Elliott, and I know there is a whole slew of fans who feel the exact same way!

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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.

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Connie December 23, 2018 Reply

Brennan Elliot is one of my favorite actors on Hallmark. He seems so nice and down to earth and is such a pleasure to watch.

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