Since I have been one of the Postables from its inception, it stands to reason that actors who have been a part of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series perpetually hold a particularly special place in my heart, and that is where I truly noticed the actor, Lane Edwards. Though I have seen him in a wide variety of network shows and movies, his Hallmark work is extensive, memorable, and quite profound as well as being humorous and poignant at times. Recently, Lane and I had a chance to chat about his career in general with a substantial concentration on his Hallmark works.
RH: So glad we were able to get this interview set up, Lane, and it’s great to chat with you.
LE: Thanks, Ruth, nice to be here.
It seems that we’ve been seeing you a lot lately. We saw you in two Christmas movies this year.
{laughs} Yeah, in the same role.
I know, I thought about that too. Because it seems like your character didn’t get the girl either time.
No, but he wasn’t that bad.
I agree with you on that.
He wasn’t that bad of a guy. I think most girls would have jumped at that chance for the promotion in The Sweetest Christmas.
You know, in that one, my mom and I were all upset with your character because we thought he was doing something really underhanded, and then we realized that he wasn’t as bad as we thought. {pause} I was looking over your credits, and you have done so much. I say this a lot of the actors I interview, but it’s true. I think I have seen you in several things without realizing it. I know some people were asking about your role in The Shack. I have not seen the movie, and so maybe you can remind us of your role.
My role was definitely not as small as some of the other features I’ve done. It was a fairly prominent character in the book. His name is Officer Tommy Dalton. He is the one who takes Mack through the initial stages of trying to find his daughter who’s been taken. In the first third of the movie, it’s the story of Mack losing his child, and Officer Dalton acts as a liaison between Mack and the investigation. He’s less of a character in the movie because they always have to condense things, but he’s a pretty prominent character in the book. It’s a beautiful story.
If you have a chance to see the movie, those are the kinds of stories that I love to tell. It’s really all about how men deal with pain and forgiveness in their past and trauma in our lives and the things that affect how we deal with trauma in our lives. The story uses the idea of a relationship with God as a conduit to take us through that journey. God is played by Octavia Spencer. She has this great line where Mack says, “I really thought you’d be a man.” And she says, “Well, Mack, I really thought you could use a mother.” It’s really that idea of Him meeting us where we are and then being able to go through the journey of dealing with our pain. I loved the experience of being in that movie. In fact, I still have some great relationships from that movie.
How did you get started in acting?
Well, I actually came to it fairly late. My brother and sister are both actors. My brother’s had two pretty successful series of his own, and my sister is an actress and stand-up comedian. My dad’s actually a Southern gospel recording artist. So I come from a family of attention-seeking artists. {laughs} So it was sort of natural for me to make a transition into acting at a bit of an older age. I was a youth worker. I worked in Human Services for most of my twenties. After I left that kind of work, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and I moved to New York City. I lived there for two and a half years and in a roundabout way, I caught the acting bug. I decided to come back here and start studying, and I’ve been working ever since. I started working pretty quickly once I decided to start doing it. And that was ten years ago.
It certainly looks that way. It seems like you have worked very steadily.
Yeah, it comes and goes in spurts. I was fortunate in that my first acting coach who started teaching me when I didn’t really know anything taught us about the idea of packing your lunch box and going to work. It’s a job, and it’s important to treat it as seriously as you would treat any other job and put in as much work as you would put into any other job. There’s a real humility that comes with that, but there’s a sort of a work ethic as well and it kind of takes a little bit of the shininess out of it in a way, if you know what I mean. It makes it into something that becomes more of a working pursuit and I think that really helped me. I think I have a healthy respect for how much work you need to put into what we do, and that helped me to get some roles that I might not have gotten otherwise. So I’ve been lucky. I was lucky to have a really good coach starting out.
I was trying to figure out when the first time was that I saw you in something, and I guess it was Baby Sellers.
I had a beard in that one, so it probably wasn’t as easy to recognize me. That project was with Kirstie Alley. That was a real treat for both my mom and I. She sent my mom a really sweet text, and we had a blast working on that project together. She’s a wonderful woman.
She certainly seems that way. I have been impressed with her. She’s been in the public eye so much, and she still seems so influential and down-to-earth. She seems to want to spread positivity and not get caught up in the garbage that gets thrown around on social media today.
If you think about, she has the unique experience of walking through life as Kirstie Alley. Can you imagine having a weight loss struggle that is that public? She carries herself with an incredible amount of dignity and grace, but there’s also an enormous amount of humility. I remember having conversations with her in which she was so open and honest, and she never seems to get over the fact that she gets to be an actress for a living. She is still in awe of her whole career path, and she realizes that nothing is guaranteed, so she doesn’t take things for granted. She has a really healthy perspective of how blessed we all are to be working whenever we are working. She puts her all into every job she does, so that was good to talk with her and get her perspective. I learned a ton from her, and she was great to work with. She always brings an enormous amount of grace, humility, as well as a strong work ethic to every set she has the opportunity to work on.
Hallmark viewers first got to see you in Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
Yes, that is correct. I think I did a few Lifetime MOV’s, but I think the role of Mike Wheeler was my first Hallmark project.
When I said I was interviewing you, the Postables got very excited and said you were a great guy and they appreciated that you always interact with them. So you’re still well-liked and thought of very highly by that group of fans.
Oh, that’s so sweet.
Of course, you have the unique situation in that you were in one the first ten episodes of Signed, Sealed, Delivered, and then you came back to one of the movies in a completely different role.
That is correct.
Michael Wheeler was in episode eight “Dark Of Night,” and that one is one of my favorites of the first ten episodes. That story was very powerful and emotional. I remember how I got so into the episode when I watched it the first time, and I really wondered what was going to happen. And then you came back for One In a Million as Lester, a much different role. So first of all, how did you get involved with this series?
The way we always get involved with these projects. I auditioned for it. I was fortunate enough to go in and read for Martha {Williamson}. I was the first person that auditioned for her. For whatever reason, I just seemed like a good fit for this series. I’ve told Martha this how maybe it’s because I come from this very Christian sensitive background, but my family has a joke about how we cry at supermarket openings. We’re a family of artists. We come from a very evangelical Christian background, and so we grew up learning a lot about forgiveness and peace, and those are values that are really important to me. And those are values that are always woven through Martha’s writing. Especially “Dark of Night.” I remember Scott Smith, the director, and I were talking about it. He’s one of my favorite directors that I’ve ever worked with. That was an unbelievable experience for me. Hands down, it’s still one of my favorite characters that I’ve ever played and probably one of the experiences that has meant more to me in my career and in my life than any other. I still have some very strong relationships from that.
One of the things we talked about is how the project itself and the episode itself was really about forgiveness and peace in the middle of the human condition. All of the things that can happen between us in relationships, all of the horrible things that we can do for each other, and how in order for us to actually continue to exist and to be able to grow as humans, we have to value peace and forgiveness. And that’s so evident through “Dark of Night.”
So when I auditioned for it the first time, the only time that I auditioned actually, Martha was in the room, and the words just completely resonated with me. I understood Michael Wheeler completely, and he was more than any other character, the kind of character I like to play. He was flawed, but he knew he had to do the best that he could for this person who wasn’t really even his daughter. But she may as well have been as far as he was concerned. Those are the kind of men that I think are heroes. So that really resonated with me, and I think my read of it really resonated with Martha. We both had a good cry in the audition, and so for me, that experience was quite phenomenal. And to be quite honest with you, it’s probably one of three roles that I’m most proud of in my life and that has made the biggest difference in my work.
Exactly what you are saying came across remarkably well on-screen with that role. I remember wondering if they were going to be able to stop that character from standing up and killing this guy.
Which is what he deserves! The reality is that we live in a world where a lot of people would say, “Why wouldn’t you?” That would be perfectly fine with a lot of people. The reality is that a better decision and a better choice is the opposite one. And that was really what that episode was about. And those are the values that speak to me the most.
So how is it that after that time, they brought you back as a completely different character in One In a Million?
Well, again, that really comes back to Martha Williamson and how it tends to resonate with me. The funny thing about that one is…Lester is a completely different guy who I loved as much as Michael Wheeler. There is so much to be redeemed about Lester, and I hope that we get to explore that somehow. One of the things that I do up here–and it’s pretty common for Vancouver actors–I sort of keep busy at times doing what are called cast read-throughs. Before every episode, before every movie, the cast, director, producers, the network will get together and we just sit around the table in a boardroom and we read the script. Often, what will happen is an actor isn’t able to be at that read-through. So what happens is a reader will come in and read those roles that that cast member is not able to be there for. And I happened to be doing that that day.
What happened is that the person who had been cast for Lester ended up at the last minute booking some kind of Broadway or off-Broadway musical. They booked a big role. So this person couldn’t play the role of Lester. Martha and/or the producers were apparently gracious enough to let him explore the opportunity, but the problem was that they didn’t have a Lester. So they asked me to read it at the table, and they loved my read at the table read. I think they asked me to come in and audition, and I came in and auditioned with Kevin Fair, and the rest was history. And we got a lot of laughs in that cast read-through. Lester was really funny to me right away. I could see the kind of guy he was just as soon as I started reading him. For whatever reason, he just made sense to me right away. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing that he made sense to me right away. So they decided I was the right guy for the role very last-minute, and I’m very grateful.
I do know that the Postables are asking for Lester to come back, so maybe he will come back again at some point.
I would love to come back. I think there is a story to be told about redemption and forgiveness and peace with the story of Lester, but I don’t write the stories. But I’m certainly open to the character returning.
I noticed you also had a few appearances on Supernatural.
Yes, I have played two different characters.
So what was your experience like on that show?
Well, my first role on Supernatural was one of my first roles ever. I worked with Jared Padalecki for most of it and a tiny bit with Jensen Ackles. Jared is wonderfully gregarious and kind, and the whole cast and crew is unbelievably kind. They are known in Vancouver for being the best crew and the best set to be on. There’s not a lot of pretense. There’s really no “diva” attitude. The crew all knows each other really well; they’re kind of a big family. They’re really gracious to their guests, the people that they bring on. So that was one hundred percent my experience. Jared’s a blast; he’s a very nice man. We had a lot of fun. It was a fun role. It was sort of a dream sequence role where I play the father of a twelve-year-old girl that he had a crush on when he was twelve years old, so it was fun to play with.
The second three episodes…I couldn’t audition for the show for five years ’cause I’d been on it, but eventually, you gotta come back around because there’s only so many of us in Vancouver. The second time was a fun role. I played a role who was sort of the union boss of the angels, and they were in the midst of a revolt, and that doesn’t work out too well for the angels. But I was fortunate enough to work mostly with Jensen on that one, and again, he was just so kind. He directed me in the first episode, and we worked together in the next one. He was just unbelievably kind and gracious. We shot out in the middle of a marsh outside the city that was beautiful, and yeah, it was a great experience. I loved it.
Well, that kind of matches up with everything I’ve ever heard about Supernatural.
And everything you’ve heard about that show is true. They’re an absolute example of the way a set and crew should work and operate.
I don’t think they would still be around and still as popular if that wasn’t the case because it’s gonna come out some time if there problems. You might be able to cover it up for a short time, but not for thirteen seasons.
And a big part of that is Jared and Jensen are truly close. They are great pals, and they love what they do. They really love the fact that they get to go to work every day and do what they love.
Now I was trying to remember your role in Summer of Dreams.
I played Debbie’s Gibson’s brother-in-law. Pascale {Hutton} played my wife, Debbie’s sister. And we both got really close with Lauren McNamara, who played my daughter. Her family and I have become really good friends. She’s a wonderful little actress. She’s gonna be something great.
Oh, I remember your role now, of course! And that cast–there was so much talent! I thought highly of Pascale from the beginning, but now that I’ve met her and feel like I know her a little bit, I can say that I think she’s a lovely person.
She’s a riot. She’s a hoot. We had so much fun.
I can imagine. And working with Debbie Gibson, that must have been amazing to be on set with her and work with her.
She has such fantastic energy, but the great thing about Debbie is how incredibly gracious she is to her fans. She had a fan on Twitter from Vancouver who is like her number one fan from Vancouver. This person is constantly talking to her on Twitter. She invited him to come hang out on set all day. So he came and hung out, and they ended up putting him in the movie as an extra. He was just beside himself. They sang “Only In My Dreams” together. One of the great things that you forget sometimes is there are definitely a few people in our business that really take for granted their position and what they are able to access and do because of what they do for a living. And then there are people like Debbie Gibson, who have a level of success and notoriety that they shouldn’t have to do anything for anybody if they don’t want to. She could easily live off her success for the rest of her life. But she’s the kind of person who is so dedicated to the people who have dedicated themselves to her that it’s just so refreshing. Thank goodness there are people like that in our business because you really do forget that there are people that aren’t like that. So it was awesome. I loved that project.
If you look on my Instagram, our camera operators Vlad Horodinca and Ron Paul Richard, whenever we work together, we do what’s called a “Lauren” pose where we put one hand behind our head and one hand on our hip, and then we post it on Instagram because of Lauren McNamara. Whenever wardrobe would come by and take a shot of what she was wearing for continuity, just before they’d take the picture, she’d do that pose. She’d go into a “Lauren” pose. And it was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. We would just be killing ourselves laughing! So whenever we end up on set together, we always post a “Lauren” post.
You were also in Who Killed JonBenét?
Oh, yes, I was.
I know it’s a completely different role for you, and I wasn’t planning to watch it, but Kiefer O’Reilly was in it, and I interviewed him right before it premiered, so that’s why I watched it. And I’m so glad I did.
Kiefer is a little gentleman, isn’t he?
Definitely. And so incredibly talented. And the movie was a pleasant surprise for me. I was impressed.
Well, it was based on the book by Steve Thomas, the lead detective on the case. In the movie, that role was played by Eion Bailey. We talked with Jason Lapeyre, the director, about the fact that the main idea that we wanted to do was what Steve Thomas wanted to do which was honor JonBenét with the truth. We really wanted to keep focused on that fact that we’d all grown up with this person who’d been a tabloid fixture and that there was more to the story than just the sensationalism of this little beauty pageant queen. For Steve Thomas, this was the story of a little girl’s murder and holding somebody accountable for that and how he was constantly met with obstacles around trying to do that. And that was the story that we wanted to tell. It was important that it always came back to whether we were honoring the truth of the story and whether we were honoring JonBenét. I think a lot of that came from the directing. Definitely, there were a few lines that we changed up that we wanted to make a little bit more real. And we were all really proud of what we ended up with. We had to figure out a way to not compromise the truth of the story while still keeping the audience and the network in mind. You have to do that on any film or show. Each network has its own brand and depending on what is meant and implied by the brand, it can change the way the story is told. The story itself is not changed, but the way it is told can sometimes change.
I have heard about that happening with writers. Even with Hallmark. Sometimes the writer and the network have to reach a compromise that doesn’t change the story, but it changes the way in which it is told.
That does happen sometimes. There are moments you finally have to say as filmmakers and actors–“Do what you think is right.” I remember Martha and Scott giving me that piece of advice back on Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Yes, you need to make sure that you keep the viewers and network in mind, but ultimately, the truth of the story needs to be told. And that’s what I always try to do in every movie and show in which I am involved.
What I loved about the JonBenét story and “Dark of Night” is that those are about challenging people a little bit more. Lester is a blast to play, and there’s really something to be said for a family sitting down having a good laugh at Lester’s expense. I’m all for that. But I also think there’s something to be said…not to be weird, but Shakespeare talks about holding “the mirror up to nature.” As a part of our craft, we are able to bring the truth of a story into your home, and we need to be able to deal with it in a way that isn’t disrespectful to the truth but also isn’t disrespectful to your family. And that’s the real boundary line that Hallmark has been so great about dealing with. And Lifetime as well.
It’s something that is important to me. I grew up in a family of TV watchers where we sat around and watched shows like Family Ties. I can remember when Tom Hanks as the uncle came home and he was an alcoholic and he hit Alex. You know, as a family, we’d never really experienced anything like that, and here was a sitcom dealing with a really sensitive subject in a way that was really respectful to our family and led to a productive conversation about human relationships. It’s funny when you think about those kinds of things later in your life because those are really the stories that now I love to be able to tell.
I see you also had a small role on one of my favorite shows, Riverdale.
Yes, it was episode ten of season one, and I played Hiram Lodge’s lawyer, Mr. Sowerberry. It was a wonderful experience. It’s such a great show, especially for the demographic that it’s made for. There’s so much dark angst.
Yes, that is true, but interestingly enough, my daughter and I watch it together, and it has sparked a lot of conversation between us. She’s in high school, and she recognizes that even when the characters make wrong choices, she and I have interesting discussions about the things the show is dealing with.
I think that’s a really healthy thing to do. I think that’s so much healthier than censoring. It’s so much healthier than not turning the TV on, not having a TV, or saying, “No, you can’t watch this.” I think it’s much better to allow those natural issues raised in your home so that you can have the conversations that she needs to have. That’s such a great catalyst for those kinds of conversations.
Any possibility that your character may come back?
Oh yeah! He’s Mr. Lodge’s lawyer. Hiram Lodge is going to get in trouble at some point.
Hallmark viewers got to see you twice this season. In The Sweetest Christmas and Maggie’s Christmas Miracle.
Absolutely.
Now, The Sweetest Christmas had to be amazing. I hear nothing but good things about Lacey Chabert.
She’s the nicest person on earth. Like there is nobody nicer than Lacey at all. She’s incredible. We had a great time. And Lea Coco was great as well.
And it was good that your character, Alex, ended up being nicer than we first thought.
That’s kind of my MO {Modus Operandi} lately. I keep playing these guys that really aren’t that bad. They’re actually all right guys. But they just don’t get the girl.
And then with Maggie’s Christmas Miracle…that movie. I had not had a chance to read the book, but I love Karen Kingsbury’s works.
I believe her son adapted the screenplay, and he was there with us on set while we were filming. But Jill Wagner, Luke Macfarlane and I had an absolute blast working together. We had moments where we couldn’t get through takes because we were laughing so hard where all of a sudden, I would look up behind the camera and a producer would sort of be glaring at us. They’d be like, “Let’s go.” And we were like, “We’re really sorry, but we’re not gonna be able to get through this for a minute.” We were laughing to the point of tears. I haven’t laughed as hard as I’ve laughed on that show in a really long time. Jill Wagner is a funny, funny, funny person.
I know she is a definite fan favorite among the leading ladies. And that story was just phenomenal. We loved it for the same reasons we love Signed, Sealed, Delivered. You don’t always get those mentions of God and praying on network TV. It’s nice to have that message. It never preaches at you, but the message is there. I know you didn’t get the girl, but you weren’t a bad guy and it wasn’t your fault.
Nope, it’s just the way it happened. I was being really nice. I was trying to take her to Italy, for goodness’ sake!
I know! It might have been a little bit presumptuous.
Maybe just a little bit.
But your character’s heart was in the right place.
Yes, that’s it. I’m just not destined to get the girl.
In addition to this, do you have other things coming up that you can mention?
Well, we recently wrapped on the sequel to A Dog’s Purpose which is called A Dog’s Way Home. That’ll be out next year. That was with Edward James Olmos and directed by one of my favorite…I don’t know if you remember the movie Never Cry Wolf. It was made way back in the day, and it’s about this scientist who goes up to Alaska and he raises a wolf. It’s one of my favorite movies of life. The star of that movie was the director of this sequel, Charles Martin Smith. That was great to work with him. We got to shoot that up at Hope, B.C., which is up out of town. I’m really excited for that one. I don’t think I can say too much about it right now, but I can tell you that it is definitely the kind of film that Postables and other Hallmark fans will want to see. It’s a really tender story.
Other than that, I am enjoying my time with my family over the holidays and having a bit of a break. It’s been busy this summer and fall.
So are you thinking of ever writing or directing yourself?
I definitely think that will be a progression for me at some point to move towards directing. I’m not sure about writing. Sitting down and putting pen to paper is not something I do. I’m pretty ADHD. It’s not easy for me to focus on something like that in that way for a long time. But writing has never been something that was a strong interest of mine. On the other side of it, I tend to be able to read something and pick up what the writer’s intention is really quickly. I love doing that, and I think that would lend itself to me directing something in the future. But to be really honest with you, I have so much more that I want to accomplish as an actor, and I’m so much more driven to pursue those kinds of things, and there are so many more stories to tell that way. I’m not really thinking about directing at this point. I love the art of acting. I love being able to tell stories about interesting men and being able to bring them to life and move you through the art of acting. I’m super focused on accomplishing more that way.
Well, and as you said, you got a later start than some of your peers. So some of them are ready to go to the next stage of their career, but it makes sense that your focus is acting right now.
There are a lot of guys up here that I really love and respect and who are working in that direction, and definitely those people are my role models, my mentors, and people that I look up to.
Well, now Hallmark needs to put you in a lead role so you do get the girl.
When we started out in the very beginning, my agent and I talked about building a career that has a solid foundation and that there would be different steps in the career, different levels that we would be able to succeed at. And certainly, our goal at some point is for me to be working as a lead on a TV series or on a movie. And when that happens, I’m really confident and comfortable with the work that we’ve done up until now and that at some point, that’s going to lead to success as far as somebody deciding that I’m the right person to play a lead. But I also know that the process for that is so far beyond my control. There are so many decisions made around who should be a lead and who shouldn’t be a lead that I just try not to get caught up in that. I mean, I want that more than anything in life, but at the end of the day, I just try to keep telling the story, and if somebody thinks it’s worth it for me to carry their film, then I would be honored and really happy to be able to do it.
And that is exactly the right attitude for you to have. As a fan, I can get a little overzealous where the actors I believe in are concerned, and I don’t mind asking the networks to feature these actors. I just want actors like you that I have connected with to be successful and reach all their goals and dreams.
That’s so unbelievably kind, and that’s what I stand on. It is the knowledge that the stories that I’m telling and the way I’m telling them are resonating with people. I think that’s what will probably propel us to be able to get those roles. I so appreciate this, Ruth. This means a lot to me to be able to connect with you and your readers and the wonderful fans.
Well, I’m just so glad it worked out, Lane, and I thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.
It was truly a pleasure, Ruth. Thank you once again. I really appreciate the support of you and all the fans.
Sometimes an interview takes a different turn than expected, and in many ways, that is exactly what happened with Lane, and the end result is something that was far beyond my expectations. I was aware of the talent Lane possesses, and his sense of humor on social media genuinely resonated with me (that’s actually why I initially contacted his agent for an interview). But what I didn’t anticipate was to be absolutely overwhelmed by his wealth of expertise, his depth of understanding, his Christian perspective, and his intensive groundedness. His open and honest responses caused me to examine this business in a more distinctive light than I might have typically, and I found myself awed even more by the projects he mentioned. In fact, he convinced me to check out a film that in many ways, I was rather set against (The Shack), and I plan to do so at my earliest convenience. It’s not every actor who can alter my viewpoint on things in the entertainment business, but his kindness, warmth, and authenticity reverberated with me on an exceptional level. He is one of those unique industry professionals whom I would trust implicitly, whether proffering film and show recommendations or discussing some of my innermost opinions that I am sometimes reticent to share. In short, Lane Edwards is of an uncommon breed in this industry and the world as a whole, and I can only state that the networks for which he works and the fans with whom he interacts are the supreme benefactors of his skill and acumen.
Therefore, if you have not had an opportunity to check out his two Christmas films, I would invite you to do so as soon as possible before the chance passes you by this season. I believe Maggie’s Christmas Miracle is having its last showing of the season today (check local listings), and perhaps The Sweetest Christmas has already bid adieu until next year (but it may be available on demand depending on your provider). Additionally, I would encourage you to connect with Lane at the links below so you never miss an update from this spiritually attuned and considerably benevolent as well as unbelievably gifted actor. In the world of entertainment, Lane is one of those men who only comes along every so often, and I can sincerely hope that as others within the business recognize his undeniable prowess, he will be rewarded with some of those roles that will permit him to exhibit his abilities to their utmost and attain every goal, dream, and vision within his heart, soul, and mind.
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