For  a more up-to-date interview with Kavan Smith, check out his most recent interview here!

A phrase that could be used to describe me is “consistently persistent,” and even though I sometimes feel that I make a nuisance of myself when I repeatedly request interviews with actors (I especially feel this way when I’ve asked more than five times and I am quickly approaching ten times), I have come to realize that ninety-nine percent of the time, I eventually get what I’ve requested. And in the case of Kavan Smith, that is entirely true. I have been a fan of Kavan’s since I saw him in season two of When Calls the Heart, but I actually appreciated his depth of talent, his renowned versatility, and his ability to portray credible, true-to-life characters long before that time (I just wasn’t aware of it). Recently, I was granted a magnificent interview with Kavan, and he was quite forthcoming with details concerning how he became an actor, what his experience within the business has been (including Hallmark and more), his outside interests, and even a hint at his future aspirations.

RH: It is so great that it finally worked out to interview you, Kavan.

KS: Well, you sure are persistent.

{laughs} Yeah, people learn that about me very quickly.

I wouldn’t doubt it.

First off, why did you become an actor?

Well, a combination of things. Probably largely a lack of skill at anything else. When I was growing up, I had a best friend from about the age of eight or nine, and we bonded quite tightly. And we both had the same sense of humor. Once we got to middle school, we started skipping school. Not a good role model for kids in that area. We skipped school a lot and worked on comedy skits. We did that for years, and we never really saw a future in that. But we really enjoyed it. When I went to the university, I was studying pre-law. I lasted about a year and a half before the university asked me to withdraw before going under review, in which case I probably would have been kicked out. They told me to reevaluate what I was doing. so I did. And when I got out of there, I thought that the only thing I actually remember doing that I really enjoyed…And I wanted to do something with my life that I really enjoyed, ’cause my father did something for a living that he really didn’t enjoy…he was miserable. So I didn’t want to go down that road. I went back to the university when I was ready, about a year later, and I did performing arts and have never regretted it.

I actually hear many similar stories where people didn’t begin with doing acting. They thought about it, but they tried something else, and they discovered that all they were really good at was acting.

It’s strange when you’re a kid growing up and you are interested in acting or entertaining if you come from a background where the arts weren’t really encouraged or highly praised in your household. There was never really any idea that there was any living to be made from it. I was an athlete. I did a lot of martial arts and football. Going into the performing arts program was not a natural jump for me. I thank my budddy I grew up with, who I’m still pretty close with, as being the main reason I got into this. Without him I don’t think I ever would have discovered that desire to entertain. I probably would have been working as a lawyer somewhere or in some job that I probably would not enjoy.

The only other thing I could have done…I really like to cook. I’m not a foodie. I was raised by my father. We occasionally had nannies when I was growing up. One nanny we hired–the only reason we could afford her was ’cause she was Thai. Her family sent her younger sister to work in Canada as a nanny, and they sent the older sister to Canada as well, and she worked for us. They sent the older sister to be closer to the younger sister–they had no idea Canada was so big. These two sisters were literally two thousand miles apart. The one who came to work for us used to be a teacher at the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. I developed an interest in cooking from her from a very young age. And then I just kept it going my whole life. In fact, just recently, my wife and I made dinner for Erin {Krakow} and her boyfriend and Pascale {Hutton} and her husband at Erin’s place downtown. I think that’s one other thing I maybe could have done and still enjoyed myself, but I’m still glad I went the way I did.

Interesting that you bring this up because there were a lot of fan questions posed to you about cooking. And the one I kept seeing was–what is his favorite dish to cook?

Geez, that’s a tough one. I used to read a lot as a kid. When I was single, I used to lock myself in a room and read books. And this is kind of like asking what my favorite book is. It’s a tough one. I have stand-bys. My kids love every Saturday morning that I make them crepes. Recently for Pascale and Erin, I made Butter-Poached Lobster Risotto, which was really nice. I like to try everything. I like a challenge. My mom gives me a subscription every Christmas to Bon Appetit magazine, so I go through there and try to pick the hardest things to make. Then I go home and I experiment and I try everything. I like the challenge of trying to master new things. So whether it’s Beef Wellington or making my own candies and things like that, I’m always up for the challenge. The kids have a list of favorites that they like. And with Christmas coming up, I have a whole gaggle of things that I try and make for Christmas. Every year, I try and add a few new things and see if they become customs in our household. Really, I’ll make something five to ten times, and then I’ll leave it for a few years and keep trying new things.

I think that answered the question. I do understand. I like to cook, probably not to the degree that you do, but I’m the cook in my household.

Right, yeah, ditto.

From what I can tell, it seems that your career started in sci-fi. 

Absolutely. And that’s really a product of being here in Vancouver. Back in the 1990’s, Vancouver was the sci-fi hub. I lived in Los Angeles for quite a while and went back and forth. When I met my wife, it got harder and harder to be away. When we had kids, it became virtually impossible. We got rid of our last place in Los Angeles back in 2006 or 2007. But the sci-fi thing more or less started because of being here in Vancouver. It wasn’t necessarily by choice. I am not what you would call a sci-fi guy. I’m a Star Wars fan, but then I fade out very quickly after that.

How did you get involved with When Calls the Heart?

They called and asked if I would come in and consider being a part of the show. I remember turning it down first ’cause I was up for something else. Shortly after that, they mentioned that the first episode I would be doing would be directed by Neill Fearnley, someone I had worked with a bunch of times, and I like Neill. So I was far more willing to come in. Then as I was coming in, they told me that they wanted to develop a love interest for Pascale’s character. She had been in the last two episodes of the first season.  It just so happens that she and I had worked together in the past as well. Once I found out that both of those guys were on board, it seemed like something that would be a lot more fun to be a part of.

Kavan Smith (Lee)

I didn’t know anything about it. I had no idea what the show was about. I had never heard of the books, and I was a little apprehensive. But then Neill sold it to me as they wanted it to be a Great Gatsby-like character. You know, the modern kid that comes in with some flash and money and sort of brings the new world to Hope Valley. He drives in an old–well, it was modern then–motorcycle. That sounded very appealing to me. So I signed on ’cause they sold it to me as being fun. And really in the first couple seasons, I tried to keep that sense of fun about Lee. And when you juxtapose him with Pascale as Rosemary, they kind of balance each other. She’s this wacky character that just goes for display all over the place and is theatrical. And Lee just smiles to himself and takes it all in stride, and I’ve really tried to keep that idea going. Anyway, that’s the long-winded response.

I had not heard all that, so it’s fascinating to me. Although I recognized you, I didn’t really think about the fact that I had seen you before when your character showed up in Hope Valley. I remember seeing this character Lee pop up, and later I realized I had seen you in this other Hallmark movie. I had seen you in one of the Garage Sale Mystery movies. 

Oh yeah, that’s another reason I was interested. Lori {Loughlin} was pretty cool with me because we’d already done one of those Garage Sale Mystery movies. And we’d hit it off, and she’s such a cool lady. She’s so much fun to hang out with. I was asked in another interview what I like most about the show, and I just said, “Hands down, I don’t even have to think about it. The people.” From the producers to the network to all the directors they have. The cast has been fantastic. In particular Lori and Erin and Daniel {Lissing}, who have gone out of their way to promote both Pascale and me and our storyline and try to have us more involved. Such an inclusive vibe on that level. The people on this show are just the nicest people.

I have gotten to interview many people connected with the show, and what you are saying is consistent with what everyone else has been saying. 

I don’t think there’s any question that I’m by far the nicest person on set, but they’re all sort of somewhere in the ballpark.

I can say in all seriousness that once your character came on…now at first, I wasn’t that sure about your character. Is he going to be a good guy or a bad guy? But as it went on, I have made it clear that Lee is my favorite character. 

Oh, well, that’s great. Thank you very much.

Yes, I have had people argue with me about that.

Pascale Hutton, Daniel Lissing, Kavan Smith Credit: Copyright 2016 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

Well, I hope you have lots of ammunition to prove your point. I think this season is going to be a fun season for Lee and Rosemary. I was asked at the end of last season, “What do you want to do next year?” I said that I would like to have a little bit more fun and have a bit more comedy, but I want it to be grounded. But I still want a couple of heartfelt moments. And it’s tough because you’re arguing for the opposite thing. You want two things that are at the opposite end of the spectrum. And somehow we’ve managed to do both of those things. There’s a lot more straight-up comedy between Rosemary and Lee, and there’s some really great stuff towards the end of the season especially. But there are also some great, heartfelt moments between the two. She and I both like to think that we are the comic relief, the lighter side of the show, but this year, we do have quite a few poignant moments as well between each other and what’s going on in the town. So I got my wish. I got more comedy and more heartfelt moments. Somehow, they managed to appease me.

That’s great. That will give us something to look forward to.

Yeah, I hope so.

I did have a fan question, and I’m going to read this question the way this fan worded it. “You and Pascale complement each other so well. You’re hysterical together. Have you ever had this kind of relationship with another actress now or in a past or future life?” 

You know, it’s interesting with Pascale and I because walking into this job, we had a little bit of history together because we had worked on The 4400 years ago. But coming into this, you never know how it’s really gonna go. I’ll be the first actor to say that when you “get into bed with an actor” and befriend somebody, you never know for sure what you’re going to get from one day to the next ’cause we’re all crazy. But she and I seem to be the same sort of crazy, and we’re coming from similar backgrounds. We’re both married. We both have two boys. We’re both really into our family lives. I think when you hook up with somebody on set and you have to have a romantic interest on set with somebody, sometimes it’s a bit daunting ’cause you just don’t know where the other person is in their life. It can make your partner in real life insecure sometimes. But because we’re both on the same page, and we actually go out as families a fair bit, her husband is comfortable with me, and my wife is comfortable with her. So that means on set, there’s no weirdness. Really, all we do is try to make each other laugh. That’s really where we are. We want to entertain one another.

Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Lori Loughlin Credit: Copyright 2016 Crown Media United States, LLC/Photographer: Eike Schroter

I like to think that I’m fairly easygoing on set. I try to be very professional. I try to be prepared. And I sort of pride myself on being able to get along with the people I work with. I’ve worked with quite a few leading women, and I think I’ve gotten along well, if not really well, with almost all of them. In Pascale’s case, it’s four years of doing stuff together, so you have a deeper bond. If it’s only a movie or a series–like Thandie Newton and I did Rogue together, and we got along great. But I only did two seasons of the show.

There’s different relationships I’ve had. I’ve done Hallmark movies. Like I really ended up liking Alison Sweeney a lot. We laughed so hard we almost had to change our underwear every day. And obviously that part is great. But again, it’s just a three to four week shoot and you’re off into your own world again. It’s rare that you get to continue that friendship for as long as Pascale and I have been able to do that. It does form a slightly deeper bond. We have each other’s back a lot, which is kinda nice. We kinda look out for one another. That’s kinda cool. It’s nice to have that.

I’ve definitely gotten along with most of the people I’ve worked with–I’d say ninety-nine percent of them. Some of them I’ve gotten along great with. But I would say that because of the time involved that I’ve gotten to work with Pascale, she’s probably by far the closest friend I’ve had on set.

Some of us wonder if we’re going to find out more about Lee’s backstory this season. He seems like this character that suddenly showed up, but we don’t know much about his backstory.

Yeah, I agree. I’ve had to make up a fair bit of that in my own head. We do find out at the end of season four a little bit more about him and some dramatic bits about his past–nothing scary or anything, but definitely some more depth to his character and why he is the way he is.  Like all seasons, the primary relationship seems to be Elizabeth and Jack, and that’s still the case. We’re trying to find more character in Lee and Rosemary and where they’ve come from in the past. But I think Lee is still quasi-mysterious, and I’m still hoping to find little bits, but there are some nice little nuggets at the end of this season.

Several fans asked this question, so I figured I’d go ahead and ask it. Who is the biggest prankster on set?

Kavan Smith (Lee), Pascale Hutton (Rosemary)

It’s funny. Somebody just asked me this the other day. In fact, I’ve been asked that my whole career. I don’t really know why people assume there’s a prankster on set. Everybody thinks we’re like George Clooney and Brad Pitt and we spend all of our time planning these massive pranks. If I did any of those kinds of pranks, I’d get fired in a heartbeat! For a massive prank–I don’t have enough leverage to do anything like that. I’ve done some big shows and worked with some big stars, but I’ve never done a prank. I mean, there’s a lot of joking around on set, but I don’t think there is a prankster on set. Everybody is quite fun. Everybody likes to joke around. I would say Pascale and I are by far the most stand-up comedy related team out there. I don’t think I’ve ever pulled a prank or had someone pull a prank on me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one done. If I ever do a George Clooney or Brad Pitt movie, I’ll tell you ’cause they do it all the time. But they can afford to get away with it.

Honestly, that’s what I thought, but I figured I’d ask because people kept asking, and this may clear things up. 

People are always asking me. And I think people ask because they want to know that we have fun doing what we do. And we do have fun. Sometimes Hearties will come to the show and mix in with us and see that we have a lot of fun. But we’re always flying by the seat of our pants. There’s really not a lot of time to do pranks. Lori insisted recently that we do this Mannequin Challenge on set. She really had her heart set on that. And just to shoot that twenty-five second bit took us about two hours! So I think the idea of planning pranks on our budget is just not gonna happen. I wish I had more funny stories to tell you about things, but it’s really just joking around and nobody taking each other seriously until they say, “Action!” Then it’s time to be serious and work.

And several people asked this question as well. Do you enjoy Lee’s wardrobe?

{laughs} Uh, I know that the wardrobe has taken on a personality of its own. I don’t know if I can live up to the grandeur of that wardrobe. I’m a jean and t-shirt guy myself. But there are bits of his wardrobe that I love. The brighter plaid appeals to the fans because they enjoy the fun of either giving me the gears or letting that persona take on a life of its own. I, of course, have to wear them all. I sometimes feel like a leprechaun in them, you know? So it’s not always my favorite. This year, he’s still got the bright, plaid pants, but there’s a few more that are toned down. There’s a little bit less in the way of the cravats. There’s a few more normal ties. But he’s still kind of the town dandy, I guess you’d call him. He’s got the flashiest clothes. I think that stuff is still there this season, but in my own personal taste, I would hold back just a little bit. But I don’t think they’re listening to me. I think they’re listening to the fans.

I think sometimes the fans get confused and forget that you are playing a role. Some tend to think that’s who you might be in real life. 

Yeah, I think that happens sometimes. His clothing tastes are not my own. I literally live in jeans and t-shirts, and it could easily be all I ever wear.

Again, that doesn’t surprise me. I would have expected that.

Although that being said, interestingly enough, I have asked for several pairs of plaid pants. They do have a few extras, a few doubles. I have a couple pairs of the plaid pants. I haven’t worn them yet. They’re the ones that are a little bit more subdued.

In your career, you’ve gotten to play the good guy, the bad guy, and everything in between. What do you like about portraying the good guy and the bad guy?

It’s not quite as easy a question as you might think. It’s not just one or the other. Really, in between is the most interesting to play. Again, my initial background was sitting in my room with my best friend creating comedy skits like Saturday Night Live. And that’s where I would really love to do most of my work–straight-up comedy. It hasn’t necessarily worked out that way. But my preference is comedy. It can be light or dark comedy; it doesn’t really matter.

The characters I think are the most interesting to play are the ones like when you play a bad guy, and you play him like a good guy. Or you play a good guy, but you play him like a bad guy. Those nuance performances are so much more interesting. I definitely love both. I think it’s interesting to play a good guy who’s got some problems and issues to work out ’cause it’s more real and more substantial and more believable. And the bad guy–I like to try to play them not too vaudevillian and then just show moments of whatever is making him the way he is. I don’t really have a preference ’cause like you said, I have gotten to play lots of both. I don’t feel like I’ve missed out or that I’m desirous of playing more of this or more of that because I’ve had plenty of opportunities with both. I think for me it’s really trying to find the characters that have both of what I want. And that being said, my first choice would still be straight-up comedy.

You answered that question very succinctly. It made a lot of sense.

Well, thank you.

As you were answering that question, I was thinking back on Garage Sale Mystery when you played a really bad guy. But you played him like a good guy, so we didn’t suspect your character. 

Exactly, and that’s sort of the idea. Not really play him like a red herring. You wanna not trick the audience, but you don’t want the audience to catch on too quick. And that’s what makes it drive the story forward, and there’s really a big payoff at the end when you realize he is that character.

A favorite movie of mine and the fans is Hello, It’s Me with Kellie Martin. That is one that I reviewed ahead of time, and after reading the description, I didn’t think I was going to like it because it sounded very strange. 

They first pitched the story to me and said, “Would you like to do something based on a woman who is talking to her dead husband on the cell phone?” And I was like, “Not a chance. That sounds weird.” And the only reason I agreed to do it was because one of my best friends who I learned to do skits with as a kid was out in Toronto which was where this was shooting. So I decided to take a look. I read it and I was like, “You know what? Depending on how they shoot it, it’s not as bad as I thought it could be.” I didn’t know yet who they hired as the lead girl. If they hired someone good, maybe the cell phone part won’t seem as real. It could just be kind of an idea more than anything. And I think that’s ultimately what they ended up doing.

Erin Pitt, Kellie Martin, Jack Fulton, Kavan Smith

I had a great time. Kellie is another of these girls that if I had worked with her for a longer period, she and I would be great friends. We’re great friends as it is. Every once in awhile, I’ll hear from her. When Hallmark throws their parties in LA, I’ll see her. She is wonderful to work with. So professional. So easygoing. I ended up having a great time on that show. And the guy who directed it, Mark Jean, was so much fun. The only drawback to that was that I was in Toronto for five weeks away from my kids, but other than that, it was a wonderful experience.

As far as the lines, they were very open to the idea of us improvising–playing with the dialogue a little bit to make it fit each other individually. And every time you work with young kids, you have to sort of maneuver what you’re saying to get an original line, not something that is too rehearsed. You have to change a few things. And oddly enough, the movie ended up being very heartfelt. I really connected with the guy being the lonely guy that hadn’t found his right connection yet. And Kellie going through what her character was going through. For being so timid in the beginning when taking that job, I actually ended up really, really liking it. And I got lots of emails from the brass at Hallmark about that one. It went over a lot better than I thought it was going to go over.

It’s an outlandish idea, and I remember the lady who wrote the screenplay, Julie Sherman Wolfe, she was telling a good story about her and Elizabeth Yost, who is one of the heads of development at Hallmark. They happen to be neighbors. Elizabeth hired her to do a script, and when she first pitched the idea to Elizabeth, I think Elizabeth was very, “Uh, what? What is this thing about the cell phone?” But again, I think it ended up that there was a lot of heart in it. And I think because Kellie and I hit it off quite well as people, it worked. Then again, she comes from a very similar world as me. Very happily married, kids, the whole deal. We had a good natural fit.

And speaking of Julie Sherman Wolfe, I interviewed her this summer when you were on Wedding Bells.

In my opinion, she is not allowed to do another movie without me in it. All her movies have to be with me. That’s the way it should be.

She essentially said the same thing. She said that she likes the way you deliver the lines that she writes. 

Well, that’s very nice of her to say. I like the lines that she gives me to say.

I actually credit her with helping me to get the interview with you set up because after I did that interview with her this summer, you seemed more receptive to doing an interview with me.

I’m just wily when it comes to interviews. I don’t do a lot of them. It’s more when people are very persistent, finally over time, I give in. Generally, it’s not to do with anything else. I just finally give in and do it.

I completely understand that. I am persistent.

Yes, you are, but I don’t mind at all.

In addition to When Calls the Heart, do you have any other upcoming works that you can mention?

This year, I finished shooting When Calls the Heart season three in January/February. Then I went right into Wedding Bells. Then I went on to do The Irresistible Blueberry Farm. And amazingly, When Calls the Heart  season four shooting started up again. But during the summer, I was able to shoot another series called Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, which is based on the Douglas Adams novel. Now they only shot eight episodes and I was only in the first three. They just got a pick up for their second season. It is very different. It is the opposite of Hallmark. It’s very weird, but I like weird. I like being able to do this family-oriented stuff that my family can watch, and that’s the Hallmark stuff. But I also like the kind of crazy, nutty stuff too. As an actor, that full range of stuff that you do is what you live for. You satisfy the artistic side and the moral side. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to do the full spectrum of stuff. And if I’m lucky, I hope that I will be able to continue to do the full spectrum of stuff. I was tied to shooting for When Calls the Heart until mid-December. So come January, my wife and I are taking a little vacation after Christmas, and we’ll come back and hit the ground running and see what else I can pick up.

While your career has been focused on acting, are you thinking of branching out and doing directing, producing or writing?

It’s so funny that you should ask that. I think I have the typical guy thing where I don’t multitask particularly well. My wife’s an amazing multitasker. I kinda suck at it. If I’m acting in something, I need to focus all my attention on that or I don’t do a good job.

But in the last few years, I have spent a lot more time trying to write. And I have written different genres. In fact, when my last son was born, I wrote a kid’s book. I haven’t really pursued publishing it, but I think it has a catchy little story. One of these days, maybe I’ll try to publish that.

Because I like the cooking aspect of it, I have written a show that I’m actually pitching to Hallmark as a series, and they’ve been fairly open to it. This is the first thing I’ve written and they’ve been willing to read it and give me feedback. It’s really kind of exciting. I don’t know if it will go anywhere, but it’s fun. And then I have written the racier version of another thing where I would get to play a chef, because why not try to marry the two things you love most together? But it’s a very different version of that, and I’m sort of still tweaking that. I have a relationship with the guy who directed Wedding Bells, Gary Yates, and he’s agreed to help me and see if we can develop this project.

Directing… I haven’t looked into that in any real way. I feel like I’d have to see things through a director’s eyes for awhile, and I haven’t done that yet. When I’m on set, I am really focused on trying to be the best actor I can be. When I’m off set, I get a fair bit of time off as actors do, so I’ve been trying to fill my time with writing more and more stuff. As I said before, I locked myself in a room for twenty or twenty-five years reading a lot, but once the kids showed up, I didn’t have the attention span to read with them running around, so I had kinda stopped reading. But I developed a love for the written word whether it be scripts, screenplays, I’ve even tried novels. The one thing I’ve realized in trying to write novels is I’m not nearly as smart as I think I am because they haven’t been that good so far. But I’m gonna keep at it. I’m gonna keep pluggin’ away ’cause I really do love the written word, and I really do love that form of expression. You can get things out that are truly unique. Your words and your thoughts and your ideas. It’s unlike any other medium. When a screenplay is involved, that gets edited very quickly through a network and directors and studio. Novels get edited in their own way, but it takes longer. I don’t know if it’s going to bear any fruit, and to be honest, I really don’t care. It’s a hobby, and I like doing it. That’s one other hobby I have. I would like to marry my writing, my cooking and my acting all together somehow, so we’ll try and see how it goes.

So the burning question is–did my uncanny persistence pay off? Was I as incredibly impressed with Kavan as I thought I would be? Did I glean understanding and respect for this actor who portrays one of my favorite characters of all time? All of the answers to these questions (and more) are in the affirmative without a doubt! Kavan was willing to open up and share his passions, his interests, his experience, and even his heart. I never sensed hesitation on his part; he seemed fully at ease. And after chatting with him, I was ecstatic to note that who I suspected he was is exactly who he genuinely is. While all actors deal with ego from time to time, Kavan has a way of deflecting any of that with humor, so that his humility always seems to come across in just the right way. He knows that he has been endowed with abilities and proffered opportunities that not all have in this world, and thankfully, he has been an exemplary steward of both. He has not squandered his time on fruitless pursuits, and even if he would rather hibernate with his family and not deal with the jarring nature of the public eye, he is honestly an affable, kind, solicitous person who is willing to share his words of wisdom or wit with people who genuinely care about him as a person and are willing to support him in his various endeavors. In this case, there is no question that he is indebted to the Hearties for their unmitigated support, and as season four looms on the horizon, those of us who pay special attention to him and his character of Lee can rest assured that he will be just as entertaining this season (if not more so) than he was in previous seasons. Be sure that you tune in on December 25th to the Hallmark Channel to see When Calls the Heart Christmas (I’ve screened the entire film, and Kavan DOES NOT disappoint). Also, be sure that you follow Kavan at all the links below as he had one amazing 2016, and we can only hope that he will be just as busy and as successful in 2017!

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