Let’s talk Chesapeake Shores, shall we? If you’ve never heard of this series, I am happy to introduce you to the Hallmark Channel original series that has just entered its fourth season. I have supported this show since its inception, and Oliver Rice–who plays Simon Atwater–is one of my favorite people on the show to interview. Just before the season began last week, Oliver agreed to chat with me all things Chesapeake Shores and more. It is my honor to share this conversation with every one of my readers today!
Photo by Alexander Michaelis
RH: Oliver, it is just wonderful to get to chat with you again.
OR: Thank you, Ruth, it’s always great to chat with you too.
Here in Washington State, our school year is starting very soon. I can’t believe my daughter is sixteen and entering the eleventh grade. She’s a junior in high school.
Wow, that is just hard to imagine. My son is four, and I think he was two the first time you and I spoke. It’s amazing how quickly time passes when kids are involved. So since she’s sixteen, does that means she’s going to a new school? I’m still not up to speed with how schools work in North America. When I was sixteen, I went to a new school. I finished high school and went to a Sixth Form School. Is that the same way it is in North America?
with Carlo Marks
I don’t know how everything works in Canada, but here in the States, typically high school is four years. So she is entering her third year of high school. High school is ages fourteen through eighteen. I’ve been told that high school in Canada starts in grade eight.
I see. Since I still can’t wrap my head around all the differences in the school system, when someone says “grade eight,” I don’t know what age that is.
Oh, grade eight is age thirteen.
Okay, that makes sense.
I know every country, province, state, and district is a little bit different. And when it comes to Quebec, I know that the school system is very different. I have talked with actors from Quebec, and they have tried to explain the system to me, and I still do not understand it.
Oh, yes, I understand that. Every time I have had to fill out forms for visas and permanent residency here in Canada, the forms always say, “does not apply if you live in Quebec.” It actually begs the question, “What does apply if you live in Quebec?”
Oh my goodness, seriously! Well, I do understand the English system a little bit since I had a really good friend who is from there. He is from Lincoln, Lincolnshire as a matter of fact.
Oh, yes, Lincoln is beautiful. I did a strange sort of horror film in Lincoln several years ago, and it’s so beautiful.
It is! I spent six weeks in England many years ago with my parents and my daughter. And we went to Lincoln and toured the cathedral there.
Oh, the cathedral is insane, isn’t it? Just stunning!
Emilie Ullerup, Oliver Rice Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs
But I guess we need to get to discussing Chesapeake Shores since the season has just started up again.
Indeed it has.
I know the season is a bit shorter this year. Only six episodes.
Yes, that is correct, but I think they’ve packed an awful lot into those six episodes. The season is going to be short and sweet and hopefully get people wanting more.
I have read some of the summaries of the episodes, and I think they look really interesting. I know there are a few new cast members, but I’m sure glad Simon is coming back!
Oh yes, definitely! I’m very glad to be back. It’s been one of the highlights of mine for the past few years. It’s always a highlight of every year getting to go to Vancouver Island and hang out with everyone. Being a part of Chesapeake Shores has been amazing.
Yes, thankfully Bree hasn’t gotten rid of Simon quite yet. And hopefully, that won’t happen this season either.
{laughs} Who knows with Bree?
This is true, but we can keep hoping! She’s one of those creative types. You never know. But honestly, I love the fact that there’s so much variety amongst the O’Brien sisters with their romances. Though I do have an affinity for Simon and Bree because they’re both writers. And he’s English. So I think it’s a neat dynamic. I think the story you two have is interesting.
Yeah, I think so too. There seems to be lots of interesting stuff going on between them. They’ve both clearly come from different backgrounds, but they have a shared love of language. They have this cerebral connection. I think that’s nice, and it shouldn’t be downplayed. Especially in movies and TV today, they tend to match up characters that are both good-looking or like the jock and the cheerleader. But it’s nice to have characters that are connecting primarily with their minds. I mean, obviously, there is an attraction, but it’s nice to see the intellectual connection.
Emilie Ullerup Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs
You’re right! That’s a great point that you’re bringing up, Oliver. We all know that appearance is fleeting. Sure, you can be attracted to someone because they look nice, but in ten years or less, they may not be as attractive anymore. They can lose their outward physical beauty for a variety of reasons. They could just age, or they could have surgery or get in an accident. And if you’re only connected because of a physical attraction, then there’s nothing there.
Right. Those kinds of relationships based solely on physical attraction are not destined to last too long.
All too often, a lot of the TV shows still perpetuate the idea that these two people are attracted because of the way they look, and they don’t have real discussions that are deeper and cause them to connect on a deeper level. However, it’s true that Bree and Simon have had some deep discussions, at least as deep as you can get in an hour-long show. So thank you for bringing that up because I don’t think I had considered that angle.
You know, I think all relationships are complicated and interesting and messy and difficult and beautiful. I think it’s good to examine relationships from all different sides and figure things out because we’re all sort of delicate and damaged and vulnerable in different ways. When you’re able to be open with someone else, it’s truly special. And I’m not just talking about romantic relationships, but in all of them. Friends, siblings, parents–all kinds of relationships. I think that’s what Chesapeake Shores does really well is examine those different relationships without putting a gloss on it. The characters get pretty deep in the show.
I agree with you completely. And I also like the diversity of characters. There are the younger people so that the young people can connect with those characters. And then you’ve got Mick and Megan for the older people. And really everything in between. Different personalities, different professions. I’ve always thought that was a strength of the show. And everyone can find a character that is relatable to them. Hopefully, we like all of the characters, but maybe there will be that one or two that you can really connect to and root for them.
I think you’re right. And I do get this sense from social media that people do have these connections with different characters. And that means that everyone is watching the same show from a different perspective. I think that’s how it should be obviously since we’re all such unique humans. So everyone is watching the show subjectively and having a different experience when watching it ’cause they’re relating differently to each of the characters. They find themselves identifying with certain characters more than others.
So is there anything you can tease about Chesapeake Shores season four concerning your character?
Well, I obviously wouldn’t want to give away any major plot points. After all, it’s fun to just watch the show every Sunday night. I had a great time this season. There was more going on between the siblings and their relationships, and I got to be more a part of that. Usually, I just get to work with Emilie {Ullerup} who is phenomenal. And a lot of the things that I’ve done in the past are just with the two of us. But this season, it was really fun to get to play around and have some great scenes with Laci {J. Mailey}, Andrew {Francis}, Carlo {Marks}, and Britt {Irvin}. It was fun to have a little adventure and some subplots going on.
That sounds great, Oliver. And that’s true that we still don’t know a lot about Simon.
Emilie Ullerup, Olive Rice Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs
That’s right. Simon is definitely not a fixture of Chesapeake Shores yet. He’s always got to dash off to give a talk at UCLA or do a book signing in Rome. It all sounds very exciting. And I’m definitely hoping for a spin-off that shows Simon’s travels around the world. I’d like to pitch that to Hallmark for sure.
I bet Emilie would be all for that.
Yes, that would be great. Simon and Bree having their own spin-off.
Yes, Simon could do his thing, and then she could come and join him. And since Simon is from England, I think he needs to bring Bree back to England with him.
That would be fun. And I could imagine that Simon has quite an interesting family.
Oh, I think you’re exactly right. After all, Simon is still this mysterious person. We get little tidbits here and there, but we don’t know a whole lot about him.
He’s often said his family is as complicated as the O’Briens.
Well, you never know about whether this could happen or not. After all, Hallmark has been doing a lot of filming all around the world, and I think it would be great for them to film something in England.
True. I think I know what this spin-off should be. Around the World in 80 Caroline Novels. And we can have a different Caroline novel for each stop on the journey! And I will definitely clear my diary and do a year’s worth of travel for this show!
I bet a lot of the fans would love that idea, Oliver. Even though Simon may not be a fixture in the show, whenever he comes back, the fans always notice. It’s like, “Simon’s back, and we love him! He’s from England, and we love his accent.” That’s always the thing. Americans tend to love the English accent.
That’s definitely something that I’ve noticed in North America.
It’s very much a thing. I mean, even I’m affected. I’ve always loved English accents. I grew up watching a lot of old movies, and I loved some of the old great British actors. One of my favorite movies growing up was My Fair Lady. I had it practically memorized! I loved to imitate Eliza’s Cockney accent.
(laughs) That would be something in Tacoma, Washington. Ruth walking around saying, “Come on, move yer bleedin’ arse!”
(laughs) Well, yes, I knew the lines and I would say them right along with her. It was one of my favorite musicals. And that led to me watching Rex Harrison movies and more. I tended to learn the names of these actors and look up the movies they were in. And it was really cool when I finally got to visit England.
But back to Chesapeake Shores, we are definitely looking forward to seeing Simon and Bree and everyone else back at the Shore. And we really hope this is not the last season. We certainly aren’t ready to say goodbye to these characters.
I am right with you there. We all hope it does really well. There’s so much more potential for stories with these characters and their relationships. So we all hope the fans watch and tell their friends to watch and that everyone really enjoys this season.
Now, I notice that you have been doing some other filming, Oliver. It seems like you’ve been pretty busy.
Yes, I have been blessed. I am a part of season two of Altered Carbon for Netflix. I had an absolute blast shooting that this year. I’m not exactly sure when it will come out. I’m thinking the end of this year or maybe the beginning of next year.
I remember that season one did incredibly well. I could not escape the buzz about this show. And after the season came out, I heard rumors that there might be more, and sure enough, season two is on the way.
Did you watch season one?
I did watch some, but I’ll be honest, I really struggled to get into it. I do like some sci-fi, but I just couldn’t get into it. I would be willing to try it again because I really wanted to like it.
I totally get that. I’ll be honest with you too. Around the time that the first season came out on Netflix, I was doing an episode of The Flash. Some of the people I was working with worked as stunt guys on season one of Altered Carbon. They were really excited about it. They knew it was going to be huge. The budget was massive. So I watched the first episode, and no, I’m not a big sci-fi person. I struggled a bit, and I kind of gave up on it. Then when I booked season two, I knew I needed to watch season one. It took a couple of episodes, but around episode three or four, I was so committed, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s definitely not something I would have watched before, but the world that they created is incredibly rich. They have great source material from Richard K. Morgan’s novels. It just looked spectacular. The performances were great. I was completely invested in the characters. And it got me so excited about starting work on season two. Every couple of weeks, I would get another script, and I couldn’t put them down. I was flying through them. It was a very interesting project to be a part of. I got to do things I have never done before and really stretched myself. It’s a far cry from a lot of the work I’ve done up to now. So I’m very grateful to get that opportunity. I totally recommend the show. But, of course, it is a far cry from Chesapeake Shores.
That I do know. I watch a lot of things besides Hallmark movies and shows, so I understand that. But from what you’ve said, I think it sounds like I should give season one another chance. I will certainly try to take that recommendation.
The Flash
What I will say about Altered Carbon is that is doesn’t presume that the audience needs to have everything explained to them up front. You sort of get dropped into this world hundreds of years into the future. And it’s left to the audience to get a feel for that world themselves instead of dictating what you should know and think about this world that you’re seeing. It’s up to the audience to get its own feel for what’s going on and pick up on cues themselves. The characters are sort of ambiguous and you almost don’t know who to root for. You have to prepare yourself to actually accept the unacceptable. And with the way our world today is changing so fast, we are constantly being challenged to determine whether this or that is acceptable or not. We have to choose whether we are just going to be quiet or whether we will stand up and say something about what is quickly becoming our new normal. And because of this climate in which we live in history, I believe Altered Carbon speaks perfectly to these times in which we’re living today.
So does season two presume that you have watched season one or it is completely different?
It is a continuation of season one. It takes place a little way into the future after season one ended–about thirty years into the future, I think.
Are there people from season one who came back for season two?
All I can say about that is that there some returning characters, and we’ll leave it at that. Also, I know that with a lot of shows, they love to leave you at the end of the season on a sort of cliffhanger so that you don’t really know what’s going on. But what’s great about this show is that everything is relatively tied up at the end of season two. You are not left on a huge cliffhanger. You get a proper story arc that has a conclusion. But they do leave you with enough openendedness for them to continue with a further season if that works out.
At this point, they have you listed as being a part of four episodes, which I think is great. That doesn’t always happen with shows like this, so I’m glad you’re a recurring character.
You’re exactly right. Up here in Vancouver, they are shooting plenty of shows, and we often get a guest star role where we’re on one episode and that’s it. But it’s a lovely thing when you get to be a returning character. So that was a blessing.
I notice you are also a part of a Netflix movie.
Yes, Always Be My Maybe.
I know there are several Vancouver actors in that film, but I haven’t had the opportunity to see it yet.
Always Be My Maybe
I think you’ll like it. It’s a classic romantic comedy. Randall Park and Ali Wong are hilarious in it. And they were really lovely to work with. I did one day on that movie. My character is a very, very small role. But funnily, out of all the things that I’ve done in my life, that’s the one that everyone seems to notice. People I haven’t heard from since school are suddenly messaging me and saying, “I just saw you on Always Be My Maybe!” For the first few weeks after that movie came out, I was getting messages every day without fail from people all over the world. And I guess that’s the power of Netflix. It comes out around the world, and everyone has access to it.
Just wait till Altered Carbon comes out. I bet you’ll be getting loads of messages about that one too. I know there are all sorts of changes with Netflix, but they’re still pretty big.
Well, I figure they are the first service of their kind, and they are still the biggest. They’ve invested massively in their content, and my experience working on both Always Be My Maybe and Altered Carbon have been really positive. I know there are so many more streaming services now, and it’s really changing the way that we consume content. And hopefully, it’s good in terms of the content they produce and the money they invest in new content. I never watch cable TV anymore. I grew up watching the BBC and ITV. They have a very broad span of genres. It’s national broadcasting, and they have to produce a certain amount of documentaries and educational TV. And I know that content is still being produced for those networks. And you know something? I was thinking about this just the other day. I was quite tired and had been out all day, and I just wanted to watch something. And all I ever watch now is seasons of dramas and crime documentaries. I wanted to watch something different, so I put on the Discovery Channel, which I haven’t watched in years. It was really great for a change. I had forgotten that they made TV shows like this.
So is there anything else coming up that you can mention?
Yes, there is a film called Brahms: The Boy II. It’s a sequel to The Boy. It’s a pretty frightening horror film about a doll. It’s not like a Chucky doll. It’s disconcerting rather than gory. I really enjoyed the first movie, and I’m very excited to be a part of this one. It’s scheduled to come out the 6th of December. It stars Katie Holmes and Owain Yeoman. My role is rather small, but it was lots of fun.
Horror films are not my thing, but I have had lots of interactions with the horror film community, and those fans are definitely some of the best. But I probably will not be seeing this one.
I understand. And to be honest, I had to do some things in the film that freaked me out. But I think it’s gonna be really fun. And then just the other week, I shot an episode of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. And again, I got to play a character unlike any I’ve ever played before. I had so much fun with that one.
Oh my goodness, Oliver, you have been getting on some great shows! I’m very happy for you. That’s a big show. I’m thrilled for all that is happening for you. You are very talented, and you’ve been working hard for all of this. It sounds like people are finally discovering what I already knew. Oliver Rice is a very talented, hard-working guy!
Britt Irvin Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs
Thank you, Ruth. I do feel very fortunate to have booked some really great stuff this year. And let me mention one more thing I’m really excited about. Britt Irvin, from Chesapeake Shores, she and I are in the very early stages of developing and writing a script that would interest people who like Chesapeake Shores and Hallmark. It’s in that sort of realm. So I’ve been spending a lot of time and energy on that lately. It’s a new endeavor, and I really enjoy sinking my teeth into it.
Oliver, that is great! You both are amazing, and I think the two of you working on a project together sounds incredible.
We are in the early stages, but I’ll keep you posted about our progress. It certainly would be a Hallmark type project. While it could go to another network, it seems that Hallmark is leading the way in this genre.
That is just the best news, Oliver. Wow, you have so much coming up. And of course, we’re all going to watch and tweet Chesapeake Shores as much as we can.
And live tweeting is something I am making a point to get better at. All this tech stuff doesn’t come naturally to me. I’m not sure why. But I’m going to try to do better with it.
That’s admirable, Oliver. I do understand. Everyone has their own way of dealing with social media, but here’s hoping we see more of you on Twitter. I had noticed you were posting more. Thank you again for your time, and we are so excited for the return of Simon and Chesapeake Shores.
Thank you, Ruth, for always reaching out and all your support. I hope to see everyone at the Shore!
I was absolutely thunderstruck by all the marvelous things Oliver has been booking this year! Not only that, but we spent a preponderance of time chatting about such a wide variety of topics that this interview is unmistakably one of my current favorites. He is infinitely engaging and genuinely willing to share about who he is as a person and as an artist, and it thrills me to no end to witness the success he is now experiencing…success that I am convinced is wholly deserved on his part. Without a doubt, he has invested a copious amount of blood, sweat, and tears into every one of his works, and to behold his categorical accomplishments causes me to cheer for him in abundance. Indeed, Oliver is finally coming into his own in this sometimes capricious world of entertainment, and it is my unqualified opinion that as long as he doesn’t veer from his present course, he is on the precipice of phenomenal success both personally and professionally. Furthermore, he has done it all with his signature humility and dynamic charm, and I greatly anticipate all of his current and future works in this business.
If you are not watching Chesapeake Shores, I would invite you to tune into the Hallmark Channel or Super Channel Heart & Home tonight (September 1st) for the second episode of what will be a brief season four of this popular, heartwarming series. The show airs on Sunday nights, and we Chessies (fans of the show) are adamant about rooting for the O’Briens to ultimately succeed, and I believe Simon may find himself more closely attached to the clan this season than ever before. In addition to this, I hope that everyone visits all of Oliver’s links below and considers following him where applicable. If 2019 is indicative of Oliver’s “new normal” in his acting career, it boggles the mind to even conceive of what is in store for him in the new year and beyond. And I, for one, am, grateful to have developed such a warm, endearing friendship with one of the most affable, gracious, philosophical, underrated individuals who exists in the Vancouver film and TV community today, and I hope that all of my readers will join in unconditional support of this gifted human being!
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