As far as I’m concerned, Preston Vanderslice and I are like old friends. I first interviewed him after noticing his small but significant character in a Hallmark movie a year or so ago, and since then, I have begun to see his name in various projects on the Hallmark network and elsewhere. When I discovered he was filming the new Hallmark movie Destination Wedding, I knew the time had come to chat with him yet again. And in spite of his busy schedule, that is exactly what we did!
RH: Since we last spoke about Love By Chance, you’ve popped up in a few Hallmark things. We saw you in The Wedding March, Operation Christmas and When Calls the Heart (we’ll talk about that in a moment). Any behind-the-scenes stories from either of these Hallmark films or things you expressly enjoyed about them or your roles?
PV: Yes, I’ve had the opportunity to show up in a few other ones and like Love By Chance, they’ve been great experiences. Despite only being in it briefly, Operation Christmas was strangely one of the most challenging and awkward things I think I’ve ever filmed. The set-up that I’m in takes place in an army barracks overseas where I am Skyping with my wife and being introduced to my newborn baby boy. I was moved by it from the moment I read it, but when it came time to shoot it as a “Skype chat,” I found myself staring directly back at my own reflection in the lens of the camera. I became so self-conscious! Luckily our pro of a director, David Weaver, gave me some smart direction to help me overcome it.
How did you get involved with When Calls the Heart? What did you enjoy most about the role and being on set? What has your interaction been like with the Hearties?
I had an incredible experience working on WCTH. I’d heard from several other actor friends who had been on the show that they were one of the most genuine and efficient cast/crews around and they definitely lived up to it. I’d read for a few other roles on the show in previous seasons and then when the Constable Michael Gleason character came my way, it just sort of clicked. Mounties are a bit like Texas Rangers and growing up in Texas, I was always drawn to the mythology of the Rangers. And The Hearties are the best! What a lovely group of supportive and engaged fans. I hope I’m back around in the upcoming season so I can interact with them more.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you film a music video with Hayley Sales? How did that come about?
Yes, I did do a music video with Hayley Sales many moons ago now. I was living down in LA when a friend of mine called me up and said his production company was shooting a music video for an up and coming Canadian artist and would I be interested in being in it. I listened to some of her music and it quickly became a no-brainer. It was a blast. I’d never shot something in stop motion before. It’s a fascinating and somewhat arduous process (you’re taking thousands of still photos with just a slight amount of movement in between) so it was a good thing Hayley and I hit it off so well!
Destination Wedding
Please tell us about how you landed the role in Destination Wedding. Was that the first time you had been to Mexico? What was memorable about filming down in Mexico?
Destination Wedding was literally a dream job. The entire cast just kept saying that we had won the “movie of the week lottery” the whole time we were down there. I got the script a few days before I met with James Head, our fantastic director, and the writing immediately sank in for me. Nina Weinman wrote it (as well as Operation Christmas and dozens of others) and she has such a good knack for character and dialogue.
Mexico was an incredible place to shoot. I had actually just been for my first time about three months before we shot, but to a different part, so it was cool to get to see beautiful Acapulco for the first time. Most of the crew came from Mexico City and they were top notch. I honestly felt like one of the luckiest guys in the world to get to work with such a truly enjoyable cast and crew. I think we all agreed that there was a touch of magic to that shoot and I can’t wait to see it.
Destination Wedding
What can you tell us about your role and the story without giving away too much? Any behind-the-scenes moments?
The movie is, obviously, a wedding-themed story, but with a clever twist to it. I’m hesitant to share too much about the plot because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But I will say that the location was GORGEOUS! Visually, everyone is in for a serious treat. We shot in and around this massive resort called Princess Mundo Imperial in Acapulco that was built to look a bit like an ancient Aztec temple. The design and scale of the buildings continually blew my mind while we were there, not to mention the lush green mountains and pristine beaches we were surrounded by. I lucked out a bit with my shooting schedule and had a handful of off days with Andrew Dunbar, Jeremy Guilbaut, and Andrea Brooks. We found ourselves taking pool plunges in between tennis matches played on far and away the nicest courts I’ve ever been on. Also, I became quickly aware of the fact that I need to work on my tennis game if I want to hang with that crew 😉 Ha!
Any other recent/upcoming works you can mention?
I have a few projects cooking for this summer. Possibly a Christmas movie and then a thriller that I’m shooting down in Atlanta. They’re wildly different characters, so I’m looking forward to getting to make those turns in terms of the worlds I get to live in.
A fan asked if you ever miss playing football. Any similarities between the two disciplines?
I do miss playing football sometimes! I get out and play flag football with some buddies now and then. It’s not the same as when I was playing the real thing, but it helps itch the scratch. I actually think they’re tons of similarities between the disciplines; in fact, I kind of nerd out over metaphors and parallels between the act of acting and athletics. When I was a younger and an immature actor (not to say that I’ve reached any great heights of maturity… but hopefully I’ve grown!), I used to keep my love of athletics hidden, buying into the false dichotomy that athletics and art don’t mix. But I’ve come to see that both are very much about commitment, about attention to the moments unfolding before you and about fighting. And not fighting in some sort of violent, over-the-top competitive way, but fighting to make a play work (in sports) or fighting to be understood, fighting for love, or a conviction (in acting and story). Action/reaction stuff. That’s a great question; I hope my answer makes sense. {Yes, Preston, it does!}
If you could be a lead in a Hallmark film, with whom would you like to work?
That’s a very tough question. Honestly, I’ve played the “other guy” several times on Hallmark and there hasn’t been one leading lady that I haven’t thought, “We could have a blast starring in something together.” I mean it. They know how to hire very solid, enjoyable people.
What would you say are the top five films that every aspiring actor should watch?
Only five!? I know I’ll regret leaving something off the moment I answer this, but here goes, in chronological order of when they came out:
- Roman Holiday: Gregory Peck!! Audrey Hepburn!! Falling in love in the most fantastical of circumstances all while zooming around Rome on a scooter!?! Like all great films, this one transplants you directly to the heart of this classic.
- The Last Picture Show: Larry McMurty is a Texas hero and this film based on his book is wonderfully heartbreaking and beautiful. Director Peter Bogdanovich did something special with his story; it’s a true masterpiece in my opinion. It’s slow burn of devastation in a lot of ways, but poetic at the same time.
- The Godfather: I’ve seen it countless times and it never gets old. The acting, writing, directing… I don’t believe in a “perfect film,” but this one gets very close to it.
- Before Sunrise/Before Sunset/Before Midnight: OK, this is a major cheat because it’s a trilogy that I’m counting as one. They aren’t for everyone, but they’ve meant a lot to me. I think director/writer Richard Linklater has a unique sensibility and I’m always intrigued by what stories he chooses to tell.
- Midnight in Paris: This movie sort of felt like an instant classic from the first time I saw it. I bet I’ve seen it five times since and it continually fascinates me. I love the questions and longings that the story explorers (not to mention the setting is incredible). I think most of us some time or another feel like maybe we were born in the wrong era or we’d rather have lived in a different time in history. But, present day is where we’re at and whatever genuine human experience we think we would have liked to have back when is available to us now… and it’s real. No time is better than the present and the present is no better than any time in history.
If you could go anywhere in the world to make a dream film, where would you like to go and why?
This is another tough one. Right now I think I’d have to go with Italy. I’ve never been, but from Roman Holiday to A Room With A View, some of my favorite stories take place there. Oh, and I love pasta and pizza!
Clearly, Preston has matured since the last time we connected in spite of any claims to the contrary. His insight into the various aspects of the film business and even the movies he chose–complete with concise, expository treatises–certainly impressed me as both a interviewer and as a film aficionado. While he essentially gave up one passion of his in favor of another one that has proved immensely rewarding to him, it is increasingly clear that his skill is deepening to such a degree that I tend to think he is on the cusp of a defining moment in his career. He has put in his time and paid his dues, and while I know he derives immense pleasure from being a steady working actor, I think his time for more substantial roles and potentially a lead is soon coming. There are few in the business who are as deserving as Preston because, at the heart of it all, he is not only gifted, but he is a team player with a benevolent, humble heart that only seeks to perform his role to the utmost of his abilities and contribute to ensuring a warm and welcoming workplace for the entire cast and crew of whatever set in which he finds himself. So please tune into the Hallmark Channel Saturday night, June 3rd, where you will have the supreme delight of witnessing the varied capabilities of Preston in the premiere of Destination Wedding alongside the likes of Alexa PenaVega, Jeremy Guilbaut, Andrew Dunbar, and Andrea Brooks. Furthermore, if you don’t follow him at the links below, I would suggest rectifying that immediately because he is one who merits all the support we can offer!
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