Interview With Actress Brittany Bristow, “Holiday Date”

By Ruth on January 24, 2020 in Interview, movie, television

This 2019 Countdown To Christmas season on the Hallmark Channel showcased many new faces, and there were some incredible performances and amazing stories that were thoroughly savored by the viewers. However, this past season was also the year when a Hallmark favorite, Brittany Bristow, had the privilege of leading a Hallmark movie for the first time. We Hallmark fans are well aware of this phenomenal young lady because not only have we enjoyed her in a myriad of supporting roles over the past few years, but we have made repeated requests to the network for her to have a principal role. While there are numerous opinions on fan support and the impact of social media in the film/TV world today, I don’t believe we can refute the claim that the fans are at least partially responsible for this pinnacle of success for Brittany. As we luxuriated in the joy of the Christmas movie Holiday Date, led by the incomparable Brittany and network newcomer Matt Cohen, I sensed a “full-circle” moment for all of us as we shared this consequential occasion with one of our all-time favorites. This past holiday season, Brittany had a chance to chat with me about this defining role for her, and it is my honor to finally highlight her on my site today!

RH: Brittany, it is so great to chat with you again! I know it’s been pretty busy for both of us this past year.

BB: Ruth, it is always so wonderful to chat with you. Thanks for having me back. And yes, it has been busy.

I am so pleased that you recently had your first lead role with Hallmark, and I can’t tell you how many people I have told about you! Very often, I will tell new Hallmark actors about your journey with the network and how you started out being a supporting cast member, and this Christmas, you got your first lead! And I also tell them about how you live-tweeted a couple Christmases ago when you were filming overseas.

Oh, I remember that one. {laughs} I’m thinking my eyes were going to fall out I was tired.

I can imagine. But I like to share that story because you’ve been so good about engaging with the fans. Even with the premiere of your Christmas movie this past season.

I think it’s so important. I’m only where I am because of them. I think it’s so important to maintain that relationship. I really am so genuinely grateful to everyone that supports me. Without the support, where would I be?

Brittany, I just love that attitude. I know there’s a lot of things that go into someone getting their first lead role and doing well in this business. I know it’s a lot more than just live-tweeting or engaging with the fans. But the cool thing is that we fans kept asking Hallmark to put you in a lead role, and this past Christmas, it actually happened!

I know! It’s so crazy!

And when we tuned in and watched you, we felt like we helped you get there.

For me, it really feels that in so many ways, we’ve done it together. I’ve done everything I can on my end, and everyone’s been so vocal and so supportive about wanting to see me more, and I know that’s why this role happened. For me, it feels that as a team, we’ve accomplished this thing together. And my biggest hope going into the premiere and beyond is that everyone loves the movie. I think it turned out so cute.

This past fall, I met Kraig Wenman, the one who originally came up with the idea for this story, and I told him all about you. Since he didn’t write the script, he wasn’t aware of who had been cast and what exactly had happened with the film. He said that the story idea had been out there for a while. But this past Christmas was when it finally came to fruition. I told him I knew it was going to be a really great movie because it was your first lead role with Hallmark. He wasn’t aware of that, so he was excited to learn that too.

That’s so fun! I’m so glad, and I hope he liked the job that I did.

I know he did, Brittany. I think everybody did. Now going back to a bit earlier in 2019, we saw you in another movie with Lacey {Chabert}, which was wonderful.

Yeah, that one–Love, Romance & Chocolate–was so much fun.

I have traditionally thought of you as the supporting cast member who does mostly location films.

There’s so much truth to that!

You’ve been all over the place.

I really lucked out. I got to go to some pretty incredible places. Africa, Belgium, Romania…what a blessing!

I think it was great to see you with Lacey again. And you, honestly, do such a great job with accents. I’ve heard that can be difficult. I have heard from other actors, not necessarily on Hallmark, who try to do accents, and it doesn’t always work.

That’s true. I put a lot of work into accents because I think they’re so much fun. I love working on them, so I really enjoy when I get to use them.

So with Holiday Date, that was truly one of my favorite movies from this past season, and I’m not saying that just because you were in it and we’re talking right now. I went in expecting to love it. And your co-star…it was his first Hallmark movie, right?

Yes, Matt Cohen was my co-star. It was his first Hallmark movie, and my first lead role. So it was fun because we were both diving in together.

I realize many saw the movie, but just to refresh our memories, could you tell us a little about your role and how she fits into the overall story?

Absolutely. So I play Brooke Miller. She is a want-to-be designer. She’s been sketching her whole life. She always knew she wanted to be a designer. She’s working at a design house, but she’s not where she wants to be in terms of her career. She has all these big plans for her life. She’s dating a young man who is very focused on his career. Just before Christmas, she has her heart broken. She goes to her friend’s house, and she goes to a party, which is where she meets Joel, played by Matt Cohen. Her friends basically convince the two of them that it would be a great idea if Joel, who is an actor, pretends to be Brooke’s boyfriend, so that she doesn’t have to tell her family that she’s coming home for Christmas alone again. I think she is somebody who has spent so much of her life wanting to be the picture-perfect girl, and she wants so badly to have a life that reflects what everyone else wants for her. She has huge expectations of herself.

So she agrees to this ridiculous idea, and Joel pretends to be her boyfriend. And hilarity ensues. He meets her entire family. We had some incredible people playing my family. Bruce Boxleitner played my dad. Teryl Rothery played my mom. Anna Van Hooft played my sister, and Peter Benson played my brother-in-law. Ava Grace Cooper, who is also in When Calls the Heart, played my niece. So I have the most incredible family. I am the kind of person who doesn’t fit in in the sense that I’ve moved to the big city. I’ve moved to New York. Everyone else is closer. All I want to do is to come home for Christmas and show my family that I’ve kind of got myself together in a way. But this movie is VERY funny. We worked very hard to make sure that the comedy stuck. It’s a huge ensemble.

In the story, Brooke learns a lot through going home for Christmas. And she learns a lot from Joel. She learns a lot about the importance of being true to who you are, and it reminds her that it’s okay to just be yourself.

Well, you know I loved it. One of the funniest Hallmark Christmas movies I’ve ever seen. But going into it with that cast, I couldn’t imagine it not being good. I spoke to the director, Jeff Beesley, and he spoke very highly of you. He said you were so prepared, and he was so impressed with you.

Aw, that’s so sweet. I love Jeff so much. Working with him was a dream. I would love, love, love to work with him again. He would just walk on set with such energy and excitement every single day. He was having so much fun with us and finding jokes with us. There were so many times…especially Peter, who is such a physical actor…he was so funny! Him and Bruce together! There were so many moments where Jeff would be laughing so hard that he’d have to yell “Cut” because he couldn’t stop laughing himself. But we had such a blast together. I absolutely loved working with Jeff.

And Joey Plager, our producer, was incredible. I loved working with him as well. He is so caring and so thoughtful and so in tune to what was going on on set. He really wanted to play a part in making sure that the project was as good as it could be, which was really, really special as well.

I know Jeff was really excited about this project too. He decided that 2019 was the year he was going to really pursue directing, and he ended up directing a total of four Christmas movies for different networks.

I know, it’s crazy! I really think he deserved that because he’s such a hard worker and so good.

Well, with this movie–the cast, the crew, the story–I knew it was going to be really great, and it didn’t disappoint. I know the whole idea of the fake boyfriend is a type of story that Hallmark used to do more of, and then they stopped doing it as much, for whatever reason. I have friends who have been asking for a fake boyfriend storyline, and it was fun to see it back on Hallmark this past season.

It’s such a fun scene. I think the thing about it is that it is such a true romantic comedy. When you do something like that, and it’s going to be a comedy of errors. You can’t hide in a lie like this. It’s so funny because you’re watching people scramble to try to keep up the act. I do remember there was a number of movies a few years ago–maybe even ten years ago–and it was so much fun to watch because you just watched these people scramble. It allows for so much natural comedy. So I’m really excited that they brought this idea back and that I was the person that got to be a part of it. I remember reading the script and laughing out loud.

That’s just great, Brittany. Now as far as Matt goes, did you know each other before working on this movie?

No, we never met before this movie. He was so lovely to work with and so professional. It was so sweet talking with him about everything because he was so excited to be a part of this movie. He joked that it was his first time getting to play a really good guy. He has a son, and he was so excited to have a movie now that his son could watch. He even said, “Now I wanna celebrate both holidays!” {laughs} He was getting so excited about it. And I could tell that he really cared about making sure he did the best he could to make sure that this movie was the best it could be. It was very special for him to be a part of it, and I know he was very excited to get to do it.

I love the fact that there are so many people who want to be a part of Hallmark. It’s very exciting to see these new people that keep popping up that have never done Hallmark before and they really want to make a Hallmark movie. And a lot of them do have families and now their kids are able to see them in a movie. I mean, most of the time, their kids can’t watch the shows or movies they make because they may not age-appropriate. Or another thing I hear is that their mom is a huge Hallmark fan, and now their mom is excited about watching their movie.

I know that being a part of something family-friendly was a big part of this for him. He was working on something that he and his family would be able to watch together.

Well, you know I watched it, and I loved it. And you live-tweeted! I am so happy you did.

Oh yeah, I always live tweet. I live-tweet for the premieres in the U.S. and Canada. I make that a priority. I know a lot of Canadians were looking forward to seeing this movie too, so it was important to connect with all the fans as much as I could. But in this case, I think the movie premiered on the same evening in both Canada and the U.S. So that makes it lots of fun for me as well as the fans.

When the movie did premiere, one of my best friends, Tara Joshi…she was in Nostalgic Christmas which premiered earlier in the 2019 Christmas season. We have been very close friends for like ten years now. So we planned a screening party for the movie so we could live tweet and watch it together.

with Tara

You know, Tara was awesome. She live-tweeted during her own premiere this past season. She jumped in and said how it was all new to her. I was very impressed with her.

That’s great! She’s such a wonderful human being and so funny. I am so lucky to call her one of my best friends. She’s so exceptional, and I’m excited for her that she’s become a part of the Hallmark family now too. I really hope that she continues to be a part of the Hallmark family because she’s so awesome. And she works so hard.

I actually interviewed her, and that’s when I figured out that you two were connected. I was looking through pictures online and recognized you in her pictures.

That’s great that you interviewed her, Ruth.

We all loved Holiday Date this past season, but the big question is…do you have anything else coming up that you can mention?

I have a film that is in its final stages of being completed called Shadowtown. I know I spoke to you about it last time.

Oh yeah, last time you were leaving for Iceland to go film it, right?

Yes, I filmed that movie in Iceland over a year ago, and I’m now waiting for it to come out, hopefully this year. 2019 wasn’t as crazy busy as 2018, which I’m completely fine with because it gave me time to focus on some personal stuff. I know Shadowtown is going to be doing a festival circuit.

with John Rhys-Davies of Shadowtown

And I have another film I worked on with a director who’s actually worked with the Hallmark family as well–Craig Pryce. He’s one of the people that worked on Good Witch. He had a true story film that he wanted to do called The Marijuana Conspiracy. It’s a true story about a group of women who were held in a drug trial in 1972 in Toronto and the mistreatment of them and the way in which they were dealt with. So it’s a really interesting true story film, and it had its world premiere at the Whistler International Film back on December 7th. And that was really exciting because it was a Saturday night at the 9 PM slot, and that is a pretty exciting premiere time slot. Morgan Kohan is in it with me. You might know her from When Hope Calls. Her and I were in this movie together, and it was a really interesting film to be a part of. So that’s coming out as well.

I am looking forward to this new year–2020–and working on another project with my parents. There’s a movie my parents are making that is actually based on a novel that my mom wrote, Dancing Through the Shadow. It’s an incredible story. My mom wrote this book about a ballet teacher I had when I was at the National Ballet School. Her name was Tia Zhang, and it’s a true story about Tia leaving China during the Communist revolution. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt story, and there’s a small role in it for me. So I’m gonna get to travel with my parents over to Asia to do that, which I’m really excited about.

And I have a series that is hopefully going to be airing in February. It’s a mini-series called Rising Sun. So I’m really looking forward to that.

And now that I’m saying all these things, I realize that 2019 was pretty busy! {laughs}

{laughs} I think when you said that 2019 hadn’t been as busy, you meant that maybe not as many things got released as previous years. I mean, of course, I knew you were busy! You’re always doing something.

Yes, I do keep busy.

Holiday Date Cast & Crew

I’m sure Hallmark will put you in something else this year. I have no doubt.

Oh, I absolutely hope so. I just adore working with Hallmark. It’s so funny. People will ask me, “What else do you want to do?” Honestly, what I tell people is that if I could work with Hallmark for the rest of my career, I would do it. No questions asked. It’s just such a joy working with the network. I’m not sure what it’s like working at other networks or working with other networks, but the executives from the Hallmark network care so deeply. They are incredibly supportive, and everyone shows that they believe in you and they want you to succeed. They stand behind you. It’s really special when you see people who don’t need to give that kind of support to people doing it anyway. They could just hire you, and that would be it. But at Hallmark, it’s different. They really make an effort to make sure you know that you matter to them. And it’s very special.

I agree completely. And I love the fact that both of your parents are involved so much with the network as well. I am noticing your mom and dad’s names popping up so much with the network, which I think is cool.

Brittany and her parents

Oh, yes, my mom and dad both work as a team. My mom does a lot of the creative work and works with the writers, and she’s on set every day making sure that everything is running smoothly. She oversees the producers on every project my dad works on. It’s incredible for me to watch them work as a team. In my opinion, they’re an incredible force to be reckoned with. They work so hard, and they care so much about the product that they put out. It’s not just making another movie to them. They want to get the job done and get the job done right. It’s so special to watch them work together because they work so tirelessly to make sure they can present the best product possible. And they love it so much.

That’s another thing I love about Hallmark too. There are so many families involved every step of the way. It’s like an extension of the Hallmark values.

I agree with you there.

I’m so glad that you had such a successful Christmas movie, Brittany, and I can hardly wait to see what’s next for you.

Thank you, Ruth, for all your support. And for all the support of the Hallmark fans. It means so much to me, and I look forward to bringing you even more this year!

Brittany is one of the radiant lights in Hallmark who blazes brilliantly, no matter the size or scope of her role. Whether she portrays the best friend, the other woman, or the leading lady, she never dials it back nor phones it in. Consistently at the forefront of her mind is the motivation and stamina to commit every fiber of her being to create a role and a product that is of extraordinary quality and buoyant energy, while ensuring that the content and the characters resonate with the fans on a profound level. Her intrepid, artistic spirit is infectious and endearing, and her smile illuminates the entire screen whenever she appears in a film or a show.

If you didn’t get to watch Holiday Date this past holiday season, you missed a delectable treat that kept the fans tethered to the screen for the duration of the story. I invite you to keep an eye on the Hallmark Channel schedule this year since the network is reairing a Christmas movie every Friday night, and it wouldn’t surprise me for Holiday Date to eventually appear in the queue. In case this does not happen, we also know that Christmas in July is another time when we can count on the rebroadcasting of this delightful film. Additionally, while we await the excitement that is coming up for Brittany this year (it looks like many non-Hallmark things are on the horizon for her), be sure that you visit her links below and consider following her via social media so that you are not only able to interact with her (she is a veritable expert at social media communication), but you also can be sure that you don’t miss any of her upcoming performances. I cannot think of a more deserving Hallmark actress than Brittany, and she unquestionably rose to the occasion this past holiday season in such an assortment of ways. Here’s hoping that even more fabulous opportunities come her way in this year and beyond!

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CHECK OUT MY OTHER INTERVIEWS WITH BRITTANY

Interview With Actress Brittany Bristow, “Love On Safari”

Interview With Actress Brittany Bristow, “Love, Romance, and Chocolate”

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RuthView all posts by Ruth

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” — Franz Kafka Ruth is an inspirational entertainment journalist who instinctively sees the best in all and seeks to share universal beauty, love and positivity. She is an artist who leads with her heart and gives readers a glimpse of the best of this world through the masterful use of the written word. Ruth was born in Tacoma, Washington but now calls Yelm, Washington her home. She lives on five acres with her parents, a dog, two miniature goats, cats and a teenage daughter who is a dynamic visual artist herself. Ruth interviews fellow artists both inside and outside of the film/television industry. At the core of all she does is the strength of her faith.

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denise January 24, 2020 Reply

Enjoyed this interview. Loved the movie–one of my favorites in the 2019 Countdown to Christmas season.

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