Last year, my unswerving persistence landed me an unbelievable interview with the magnificent Kavan Smith, and a couple of months ago, I had the supreme pleasure of meeting both him and Pascale Hutton at the Hearties Family Reunion (HFR3). While there, I mentioned to him how popular last year’s interview still was, and he suggested that we do another interview again soon. As proof that he is as good (or better) as his word, last month, we chatted about the upcoming season of When Calls the Heart as well as some of his other potential plans both professionally and personally.

Kavan Smith Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Brendan Meadows

RH: Kavan, it’s so nice to chat with you again. 

KS: Nice to chat with you too, Ruth. How are things?

Very busy, but things are going well. How about you?

It’s been very busy as of late. We actually had a delay in our production due to some illness in the cast, and we had to postpone shooting for a couple of weeks. That put us behind on finishing the shooting for the season. We were really in a crunch for a while because we had to get everything done before Christmas. So it was a crazy, hectic schedule there towards the end. Added to that is my two kids, a wife and a dog. It’s a normal life, but it all just piles up.

I wasn’t aware of the delay. 

Everything worked out in the end, and as I’m sure you know, season five has officially wrapped. It was just down to the wire.

I will tell you that you are still very popular amongst the Hearties. When I asked for fan questions, I was bombarded with questions for you.

Well, that’s great! It would be tragic if there were no fan questions and I had to make up my own!

I think a lot of the questions revolved around cooking and this idea that you posted about a YouTube cooking show. A lot of people are asking if that’s really going to happen. 

Yes, it is really gonna happen. I’ll give you the backstory on this cooking show idea. As I think I may have told you last time, I came from a broken home, and I was raised by my dad. So my dad hired a nanny when I was about six or seven years old. He got a line on a nanny who had a sister that was working with a friend of my father’s. The family sent the older sister to live and work with us. And this sister was a little upset because at that point, she had been teaching at the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. Her parents told her she had to jump ship and come to Calgary, Alberta in Canada to become a nanny to two little kids. The upside of that was that I was exposed to cooking that I wouldn’t have been otherwise exposed to.

Now that I’m getting older, my wife and my kids always want me to write my recipes down, but I just don’t typically do that. So we thought that maybe a good way to create recipes that I could pass down to my kids would be to film them all. And we thought that nowadays with the rise of YouTube, why not make a YouTube show kind of geared towards giving my recipes to my kids but open it up to everybody.

I had wondered where the idea had come from, and now I know. I just noticed your post one day and thought, “Oh, that’s interesting.” 

Yeah, just a random little thing. “Oh, let’s do a cooking show,” as opposed to a mechanic show or something like that.

I know someone asked about you publishing a cookbook, and others were asking about posting your recipes. But it sounds like this YouTube show would take care of both of those things. 

Being totally honest here, I’m not great at social media. It’s sort of escaped me. I post when I think about it, which isn’t very often. And when I post pictures of my food and dishes, I think, “Oh, this looks tasty.” I don’t even think to add the recipe. I just post the picture, and that’s it. But I think with a YouTube show, I would definitely be doing the whole recipe and showing how to do it.

#hearties #foodies grilled paella with basque almond tart and champagne sabayon sauce for desert pic.twitter.com/mtQk1Kg4fx

— Kavan J Smith (@KavanjSmith) November 20, 2017

I know you don’t post a whole lot on social media, but still, the Hearties say that they appreciate all that you do. Several said to be sure to tell you that they appreciate that you do interact with them and that you make us laugh.

I try. You know, my forty-seven-year-old brain just doesn’t wrap itself around the idea that people want to share what’s going on in my life. That’s always a weird one for me. When I’m on set and Lori Loughlin posts pictures of the cast on set, that’s always great. What I need to do is hire somebody to follow me around and do all the posting for me. Because when somebody else is doing it, it’s great. Most of the people on set are really quite good at it. I am one of the few who are completely inept.

Well, I think we all have our own strengths. Believe it or not, I didn’t like social media back a few years ago. Now I feel like I live on it sometimes. It can be draining.

Well, for me, it’s not even the draining aspect of it. I just don’t think about it. It never occurs to me to post something. If it wasn’t for Pascale and my wife, I would probably never post. Unless, of course, the shows are on. I know when the shows are airing, it’s a great idea. I do enjoy live tweeting because I love to hear what people are saying and what they think. But my regular life? It never dawns on me to post anything.

I think a lot of people would understand that. It is an abnormal idea. I think the younger generation has an easier time. My daughter is fourteen, and she never has any problem posting. She posts on Instagram all the time. Me–I have to remind myself to post. Or I just don’t do it. So I think the younger generation has an easier time.

Absolutely. It’s second nature to them. A fourteen-year-old kid would be able to dance circles around me on social media–that’s for sure. My ten-year-old son can dance around me on social media. He’s always telling me how to do it. He doesn’t even have a phone.

Kavan Smith Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Alan Zenuk

Of course, the next thing you have coming up is the When Calls the Heart Christmas movie. I know there’s not a lot you can say about it, but what can you tell us about it or maybe about what we can expect from your character?

Well, we do get a lot of notes from the network and the producers telling us not to talk about it much and not to give too much away. I think what I can say without fear of retribution is that it is fun. There are some big surprises. It’s one where I get to dress up as something that I’ve never dressed up as before. And I’m not going to go any further down that road. My character has a lot of fun. Of course, Rosie and Lee always have fun in whatever they do. There’s a lot of humor in that. It was very beautifully shot. I saw some of the stuff they shot when I went to do ADR, and it just looks beautiful. Which is really tough to do when you shoot something in August and September and make it look Christmasy. They had to bring in snow from all over the place. But it really did work. I think the story is what you would hope for from a Christmas story. It’s touching, it’s sentimental, there’s some humor.

We did a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff. We did a lot of EPK {Electronic Press Kit} stuff. So you should be able to find a lot of little interviews and behind-the-scenes stuff to see online. What they did was they paired off the couples, and we did some couple interviews as well. Pascale and I did some stuff. Daniel Lissing and Erin {Krakow} did some stuff. Lori and Jack {Wagner} did some stuff. The intent of the interviews was to have fun and joke around together.

I know they did some of that last year, but it sounds like it is even more expanded this year. 

Yeah, the notes that we got from the network was, “Oh, everybody loved this. Let’s take this to the next level.” So we do similar segments. We play some games. It should be lots of fun. {Be sure to check all these behind-the-scenes videos over at http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/christmas)

That all sounds fantastic, and I’m sure the Hearties will be checking all of those special videos out. Now, one of the questions the fans had for you, and I know I asked Pascale a similar question last time I chatted with her towards the end of season four, but what do you think about all these comparisons a lot of the fans make between Lee and Rosemary and Lucy and Ricky?

Okay, now I have an opinion on this. First of all, it’s quite a comparison. They are iconic. They’re a part of the everyday lexicon. But my own personal feeling is that…now I know that Lee is a more straightforward character like Ricky. Desi Arnaz played more the straight man. But behind-the-scenes, it’s much more like Lucy and Lucy. We’re both a little wack. And every day is a competition to see who can make the other person laugh more. The drag of that comparison for me is even though I love Lee and I love playing Lee, he’s the straight guy. But when we’re not rolling, there are no straight guys. It’s a free-for-all. So although I appreciate the comparison, and on-camera, those characters would certainly fall into that comparison. But Kavan and Pascale…not so much. It’s a fight to the death to see who can make each other laugh the most.

Well, I think you answered that pretty well. I can see your perspective. I know I’ve only met you both briefly, which was nice, but yeah, I can see what you’re talking about. And speaking of HFR, it was wonderful to get to meet you both. The story I always think of is how Pascale was instantly giving me a hug, and while she was hugging me, I noticed you out of the corner of my eye, and I saw that suddenly it dawned on you who I was.

Oh, yes, right away I recognized you. It took a moment to focus in because Pascale is a demonstrative girl. If I followed every hug she gave, it would be endless. And so yes, I clued in right away, and we both have been talking fondly about HFR. And you pointed out that last time we did an interview, it was very well-received, and I’m very grateful for that. It was nice to finally meet you face-to-face. Nowadays, that doesn’t happen as much. It used to be that when you did an interview, you went out and met for coffee someplace in Los Angeles or in Vancouver. But now you can do online interviews all the time, and you never meet the people that you’re talking to. So it was nice to put a face to the voice.

I agree is was wonderful, and your interview still ranks in the top ten quite regularly on my site. So yes, that interview we did is still pretty popular. But really, the whole cast is just so amazing. Honestly, it’s like a dream cast in many ways.

You know, I gotta be honest with you. You are bang on. There is nobody who is unpleasant. Lori was hanging out all night with Pascale and me for one of the night shoots, and she was just laughing it up. She’s a sweetheart. And Jack Wagner is so much fun. He has some crazy stories to tell. Daniel and Erin are wonderful people. Oftentimes with the lead guy and lead girl, when you have other people come in, especially another good-looking guy or good-looking girl, they can get very competitive. There can be animosity and jealousy. But I tell you, there is none of that. They are both so embracing and warm and inviting. I’ve been on so many shows that are the opposite of that. You walk in, and the lead guy doesn’t want you anywhere near him. The lead girl doesn’t want to be anywhere near any of the good-looking guest star girls. There’s a very different vibe on this set. And I think that’s why people keep coming back. It’s a family. Oddly enough, it has really become a family. And everybody gets along.

And you know what? That translates well onto the screen. 

It is totally there. That’s what I think Pascale and I really have going for us. We can take so much of our personal friendship and put it on screen. We have a lot of shorthand between us and a lot of things that we do that we just keep doing in front of the camera until somebody tells us to stop. {laughs} So it makes it a lot of fun. I’ve had lots of shows where I got along with the odd person or two. But I’ve never been on a show where I could sit down and have a coffee with any one of the cast members and have a great time.

That is really nice to hear. 

It is. It’s nice to be a part of, I tell ya.

Pascale Hutton Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

I know that last year, we discussed something that both you and Pascale disagreed about. Maybe things have changed; I don’t know. But everyone wants to know if Lee and Rosemary are going to have children. Now, I don’t want any spoilers for the season, but how do you feel about Lee and Rosemary having children?

Well, I know that she and I differed on opinions last year. That has changed. She has come around, and now we’d like for Lee and Rosemary to have kids. Yes, we got her to come around. I got her to change her mind on this. I think she just didn’t want to do a whole season with her being pregnant. But then I discussed it with her, and I said, “Do you not see all the possibilities here for comedy?” She has two kids. I have two kids. We’ve lived that, and we know what it’s like. We know how fun and stressful and crazy it can be. There is just a wealth of stories to tell.

That being said, that idea was floated very early on in the season. Everybody was on board. But in the end, it seems that they didn’t want to rush that idea. As of yet, it doesn’t appear that we are going there. But I don’t want to spoil anything. It could have changed, especially towards the end of the season. What I can also say is that if we come back for more seasons, if Lee and Rosemary do not have kids this season, I think we can look for that to happen in future seasons. I don’t exactly know what shape it will take, whether they will have one, two, three, or a whole horde of children, but I really do think that eventually Lee and Rosemary will have children. Whether this season or in the next ones, as long as the network grants us more seasons. And I think there is just so much to play with there. And because Pascale and I have such a strong friendship and our favorite thing to do is comedy, I think it could be a lot of fun to explore that storyline. But we also realize that we like to mix some of that comedy with some heart. And you can imagine how well that would work if they introduced kids into our storyline.

It’s good to know that you convinced Pascale to change her mind.

I did.  I got her past that and on board with the idea. The ball is now in the producers’ and writers’ court, so we’ll see what happens.

That should be all the more reason for us to want more seasons so we can see that unfold. 

Yes, absolutely, let’s go with that.

I mean, I know the Hearties all want more seasons because of Jack and Elizabeth, and nothing against those characters. I love Jack and Elizabeth. But, of course, my favorite couple always has been you two. Once I was convinced Lee was a good character and not shady, Lee and Rosemary became my favorite. And I’m not the only one who feels that way. In fact, some people have told me they only tune into the show because of Lee and Rosemary. I think a show like this honestly offers something for everyone. There is truly something special about it.

I agree. This show has tapped into something very special. The first season I was on, I wasn’t sure where the market was for this show. I was so shocked when this group of fans called the Hearties were on board and supporting the show. I was absolutely amazed to see how much of a desire there was for a show like this.  It’s something that’s hopeful, friendly, kind, decent…it sort of espouses the best of human nature. Most shows seem to espouse the worst of human nature. Now I see why there is a market for this kind of show.

Are there any more Hallmark movies planned for you in the future? 

Actually, there are two. I have a script in development that I wrote myself. That’s based on a chef script. So that one is in development. I don’t have a lot of details to give away ’cause they’ve been swamped. I know that we’re going ahead with it. The tricky thing is that they haven’t actually said if it’s for me or not. I wrote it, and I think it’s for me ’cause they asked me if there was something I wanted to do in it, and I said I’d like to be in it. So they put that in the notes. But they haven’t specifically confirmed if I’m gonna be in it or not. I’m hoping I get to be in it because I did write it for myself. I think it’s really cool.

The story of how it came about is kinda interesting. One of the executives on the show asked me what I would like to do next, and I balked. I didn’t know what to say. I got home, and I thought more about it, and I sent her an email saying, “You know, if you’re serious, I can come up with an idea. ” And she said, “Absolutely.” So I came up with an idea. I pitched it. She loved it. So I wrote the script and sent it to her. She said she loved it. Now you can only ask so many times. So I hadn’t heard anything for about eight or nine months, and then out of the blue, I got an email. Good things come to those who wait. And she said, “We’re going into development on your show.” It has all those signature things that Hallmark likes. It’s got heart, tenderness, a bit of struggle, and it’s pure. I really wanted to write it that way. So I really hope it’s for me! If it’s not, that’s all right, but I really did write it for me.

Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

Also, Pascale and I have had some interest from the network and some other people we’re involved with regarding the movie we did earlier this year. We want to do The Perfect Bride Part Two. She and I sat down together with the writer and put together a loose idea for a sequel. So we’re hoping that in January when we’re out there for the TCA’s that we can get a meeting with Michelle {Vicary} or Bill {Abbott} and see if we can get them on board for a sequel. I know they said they were interested, but they’ve got so much on their plates sometimes that we don’t want this idea to slip through the cracks. Pascale and I would love to do a sequel for that. We had so much fun with that first one.

Your responses are so interesting, Kavan, because you answered some of the questions that people were asking. I know that we loved the movie that you and Pascale did. That was so well done. We really enjoyed it. In fact, I happened to catch the tail end of it not too long ago, and I found myself watching it again and being reminded of how good it was. 

Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

Oh, that’s so good to hear. It was so much fun. We just literally had a blast filming that one. We laughed all day long, and then someone was paying us to do this. Why wouldn’t we try to do another one? It makes so much sense, and she and I get along so well. It’s a nice partnership to add. We talked to the director, Martin Wood, about it, and I know he’d like to come back and direct another one. So fingers crossed that we can get something accomplished in the early part of January.

Some people also suggested that it would be great to see you in a mystery film. They thought that you, Niall Matter and Colin Ferguson should be in a mystery movie together. 

Oh, gosh, yes! Those are my guys! I love those guys! We did Eureka together.  I know Colin and Niles are very close friends. I get along really well with both of them. I’ve known Niall forever. I would absolutely, totally be on board to be in a show with both of those guys. We would totally hit it off. They are fun, funny, decent guys. There was not an acorn in my mind about this idea, but now that you’ve put that there, I’m wondering how we could make that happen.

Well, that was the suggestion of a couple of fans. 

I don’t know what the storyline would be, but the three of us would have an absolute blast. The trick is–who would get top billing? {laughs}

Eureka TV series starring Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, Joe Morton, Chris Gauthier, Jordan Hinson, Niall Matter, Ed Quinn, Debrah Farentino, Tembi Locke, Christopher Jacot, Kavan Smith and Felicia Day – dvdbash.com

{laughs} That’s true. That would be a hard one. Well, that’s just something to file away, and you never know. It might plant a seed. 

I think I might just have to mention that idea.

I could see that being a fun set and full of a lot of action.

I think so, yes.

So I’m just making sure. Is there anything else upcoming besides what we’ve mentioned?

When Calls the Heart: The Christmas Wishing Tree premieres on Christmas Day in the U.S. on the Hallmark Channel and Boxing Day (December 26th) on the Super Channel in Canada. And then season five premieres on February 18th. And it’s good to know that Canada has finally caught up to the U.S. on When Calls the Heart.

Kavan Smith Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

Last year, I did a show in between When Calls the Heart and The Perfect Bride called Dirk Gently. That was a lot of fun, but what happened was I went from finishing When Calls the Heart and jumped right into that show almost immediately. And then I jumped into the movie The Perfect Bride, and it was too much. I didn’t get to spend any time with my kids.

So this year, following the wrap on season five, I’ll head to Los Angeles and meet with these guys about the sequel I mentioned. We’ve kind of become a family now, so if we could work with these guys, it would be great. I might not go out and pound the pavement and look for something else. So actually, there’s nothing else lined up right now. It will depend greatly on whether When Calls the Heart is picked up for another season or not. If it doesn’t get picked up, I will have to go out and find something else. But I’m sort of hoping that it does get picked up so I have the window of a few months there where I can just play “Mr. Mom.” I do miss that a lot when I have to work so much.

I kind of thought that was your plan. You didn’t seem to have anything else lined up, and I thought you might opt to stay at home and just spend time with the family. 

I’m not a voraciously ambitious kind of guy that way at my age. I have a good job with good people. I make a decent living. If I have to hit the ground and work, work, work, it’s fine, but I get personally way more from staying home with my kids. I’d rather take less work, less artistic satisfaction and have more time at home. If I can do half a year of working and half a year at home–which is more or less what I’m doing–it’s enough. It’s a great little life. I play a very active role in my kids’ lives and yet I still get to work. I hope it gets picked up so we can continue this because this type of lifestyle is usually not achievable in my line of work. Either you have lots of work and everyone has huge demands on your time and your kids and your wife suffer or you don’t get any work and everybody suffers because you’ve got no money. It’s a very interesting world that I’m in right now, and I’m hoping it continues.

I think the fans hope it continues too. And I definitely appreciate what you’re saying about having the time to spend with your family. Now there was an interesting question that came through about Lee and your portrayal of him. The question is, “Where does Kavan end and where does Lee begin?”

Oh, well Lee is a lot more patient than I’ll ever be. I am not a patient man. He is enormously, endlessly, bottomlessly patient. It’s interesting. There’s a lot of me in Lee. A lot of Lee’s little isms and his timing, his cadence, and his looks…a lot of that is Kavan for sure. Fundamentally, he is a better human than I am. He’s somebody that I look up to. If I could be more like Lee, I think that would be a good thing. In my normal life, I suffer from all the normal things that people suffer from. Impatient, reckless, all these little things that I want to accomplish, getting upset at the kids repeatedly, arguing with my wife when something goes wrong. There are things about Lee that I have always really admired. I wanted to play him initially not as a cad, but as a really fun guy. The character has evolved into someone who is tenacious, wise in his own kind of way, very patient. He’s a very different sort of cat, but I think the fans have come to like Lee a lot more than I thought they would.

Patience. I think that’s something a lot of us struggle with. 

Absolutely, yes.

It’s one of those things I still struggle with. A lot of people see me as patient, which is kind of funny because it’s something I’ve worked very hard on but does not come to me naturally. I have to actually work and purpose to be patient. I do not like to wait around.

Me neither. I like things to work on my timetable, not somebody else’s. But I’ve found as I get older, that I can’t always keep up with the schedule of my kids. I can’t rush like I used to. I sometimes have to let life come to me. And I just have to let go sometimes. That’s what Lee does. He lets go. He accepts life for what it is. I have an uncle like that too. He just accepts people for what they are, and it’s an amazing quality. And I think Lee has a little bit of that. Kavan does not have that at all. I admire Lee for that quality, and I do look up to him for that reason.

Maybe that’s why so many people admire Lee because he is so patient. I know some people were asking, “How on earth does Lee put up with Rosemary?”

I know this is in the realm of television, but if you step away from TV for a minute and imagine that you had a spouse that was like Rosemary. Yeah, that would be really exasperating. But if you could manage to accept that and not be annoyed by that, it could be quite funny. Rosemary certainly is not mean-spirited in any way, shape or form. It all just comes from a good place. She’s loud and obnoxious. But I think if you can step back a little bit, it’s kinda fun. I think that’s what Lee does. He just steps back and laughs a little bit and thinks, “What a show I get to watch.”

Kavan, have I missed anything? Anything else you want to add?

No, I think you covered everything. All the shows and all the things I wanted to promote have been mentioned. It was so nice seeing you the other day, and I’m so glad we got to sit down and do another one of these. And hopefully, we can get close to the amount of interest and popularity the other one has had.

Well, I think there’s a good chance. People are definitely interested in you as Lee and they want to see you on Hallmark. And it was great meeting you as well, Kavan.

My pleasure. Keep me posted, and I hope everyone tunes in for the When Calls the Heart Christmas movie.

Kavan Smith, Pascale Hutton Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Alan Zenuk

It would probably come as no surprise to anyone that I personally consider Kavan one of the most resplendent stars in the film community today, and he is unequivocally on my “top ten list” for leading men. So I will concede to being biased when it comes to Kavan, but he has earned my unquestioned support because of who he is professionally and personally. His position within the acting community could be rather enviable amongst his peers, but thankfully, he doesn’t have a big head to accompany his undeniable success and superlative skill. He remains grounded and recognizes the “sweet spot” where he now finds himself within this sometimes fickle business. Indeed, he has labored arduously to attain this coveted position, but he is aware of the fact that it could all be ripped from him in a matter of moments. He has no way of discerning the future, so he has made the decision to appreciate the present. And that is something from which everyone could learn. He is certainly not an overnight sensation by any means, and it has been beneficial to him that he has fostered so many fruitful relationships within the industry. From my minimal experience, I know the categorical value of those relationships and how they are often what can sustain one through the requisite lean times that visit every actor.

Additionally, Kavan has his priorities straight. It would be so natural for him to get caught up in the temporal things that the life of a successful, working actor can afford one, but he has made the decision to invest his time in the things that really matter in this world. He is an integral part of his children’s lives, and he does his utmost to assist his wife and family whenever he is able. He is not an actor who attracts undue attention to himself (though I know he appreciates any and all genuine fan interactions), and he is of the mindset that being in the limelight is not something that requires infinite posts, narcissistic selfies, and the like. He is more interested in excelling at the work at hand, living his life as simply as possible, and also enjoying the ride of his chosen path as much as he can. I was glad to discover that patience is not his virtue, for it makes him seem that much more pragmatic, approachable, and sincere. He is not a perfect man (though he plays one who is pretty doggone close in the person of Lee), and he is definitely not a celebrity. All of these elements are the kinds of assets and attributes that cause me to aspire to support his projects with even more diligence and enthusiasm.

I sincerely hope that everyone in the U.S. will tune into the Hallmark Channel on Christmas Day for what is purported to be one of the most magnificent Christmas specials Hallmark has ever produced, When Calls the Heart: The Christmas Wishing Tree. And then if you are in Canada, your remarkable gift arrives on the Super Channel on December 26th, so don’t miss out! Furthermore, I would invite all of you to follow Kavan at the links below. While he is not a prolific social media aficionado, I can assure you that when he does post, it is entertaining, beneficial, and often quite humorous. In fact, it’s worth joining Twitter just to follow his tweets! As far as Kavan goes, I can honestly affirm that he is one of the kindest, most down-to-earth, charming, and winsome people I’ve ever had the honor to meet, and I feel immeasurably blessed to be able to interact with him as I do. And the fact that he adores the show and Hallmark with such passion and is sincerely overwhelmed and grateful to the Hearties…need I really say anything else about this phenomenal guy???

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