I absolutely adore Hallmark’s new series When Hope Calls, and I can hardly believe that the season has already passed the halfway mark! For Hallmark Movies Now and Super Channel Heart & Home subscribers, we have decidedly fallen in love with the kids of the New Hope Orphanage, and Kate Moyer is the young actress who portrays one of those orphans–Sophia. Recently, I reached out to her for an interview, and in anticipation of the special showing tonight (September 21st) of When Hope Calls episodes one and two on the Hallmark Channel, I am thrilled to share her interview today!
Photo by Denise Grant
RH: Please tell us about how you got started in performing with dance and how that ultimately led to you becoming an actress.
Photo by John Bregar Photography
KM: For as long as I can remember, I was always making up little dances, singing songs and performing little “plays” for my parents. My mom put me into dance when I was four years old because she felt dance was natural for me. When I was in class, I was obsessed with learning each move and routine, and I quickly joined the competition team. Being in competitive dance, I learned that it is important to focus on the judges and keep performing, even when you or someone else makes a mistake. I always had to give my very best at competition, no matter what.
Photo by Denise Grant
When I was six, I followed my older brother into acting. My parents were looking for ways to build his confidence and when I saw him, I knew I wanted to act also. A lot of the things I learned through dance really helped me in acting. Being focused, determined and knowing when to push yourself was natural to me from competitive dance and it helps me every day.
Please tell us about your first official film credit, Our House, and what you remember about that experience.
Our House Photo by Elevation Pictures
Our House was an amazing experience for me. It was the first role that I landed, and I was so lucky to have had the chance to work with Anthony Scott Burns in his first directed feature film. Everybody on set–cast and crew–all made me feel so special and so welcome; I was able to feel comfortable right from my first scene.
Our House Photo by Elevation Pictures 2
The movie was about a family who lose their parents and are raised by their eldest brother, played by Thomas Mann. I remember that Thomas, myself and Percy Hynes White (the middle brother) and I spent time together without any other actors for the first week, which helped us create a real bond. I think that is what made our connections on screen feel so real. We were always joking around off camera and laughing all the time. I feel so lucky to have met such amazing people while I was on Our House and I still keep in touch with many of them today.
Your first Christmas movie was A Christmas in Tennessee that was shown in the U.S. on Lifetime. What was that experience like working on that film and working with your co-stars?
A Christmas In Tennessee
A Christmas in Tennessee was another amazing and fun experience, but different in many other ways. For this movie, my mom and I had to be away from home for a month because it was filmed in Winnipeg in March. I was a little homesick at times, and it was colder than I had ever experienced too! After a few days on set, I started to feel more comfortable because the cast and crew worked really hard to make everyone feel welcomed.
A Christmas In Tennessee
Working with Rachel Boston, Patricia Richardson, Andrew Walker and Caroline Rea was like spending time with close friends and family. They made every cold day feel warm and amazing and I learned so much about acting from them. The best part about A Christmas in Tennessee was all of the baked goods…it was set in a bakery and the cast were always stealing cooking and other things from the scene. It was so much fun!
You also have made an appearance in The Handmaid’s Tale. What did you enjoy most about your experience with that show?
The Handmaid’s Tale
Being a part of The Handmaid’s Tale was one of the greatest experiences of my life! Which was surprising because I thought it would be a different set experience, just based on the mood of the show. I had never watched it before because my parents wouldn’t let me, but they explained a little bit and it sounded dark.
A Christmas In Tennesse
To my surprise, every single person on that set was smiling and laughing and making the feeling off-camera so enjoyable. On my second day, it happened to be my birthday, May 2nd, and the whole crew started singing “happy birthday” to me and brought out a huge cake! They even filled my trailer with balloons and banners! They had only known me for one day and for them to do that for me was so special, and really tells you what these people are really like. I learned so many great things from everybody on this production, like Amanda Brugel, Madeline Brewer and Joanne Boland, but I really connected with Elisabeth Moss too. I worked so closely with her and she is such an amazing actress. But she was an even more amazing person off-camera!
You are also a part of the show Hollie Hobbie. Please tell us about your audition process for this show, a little about your character, and why you believe the show is so popular. Any special behind-the-scenes moments you can share?
As Heather Hobbie in Holly Hobbie
Holly Hobbie was my first TV show that I have ever been part of. When I was auditioning, I was actually still in Winnipeg filming A Christmas In Tennessee. So, I had already done the first audition at home, but we had to fly back for a chemistry read. About a week later I heard back, and I had landed the part and I was so excited!
My character, Heather, is a kid who doesn’t take no for an answer. She will stand up for what she believes in and she won’t stop trying until she gets what she wants, whether it’s for other people or herself. Sometimes she can get herself into trouble with her family or friends, but usually, it all works out in the end. I’d say Heather is spunky, tomboy-ish, sporty and very, very sarcastic! I think I’m like Heather in ways because I like to be sarcastic and I think Heather is pretty funny and I LOVE to be funny!
Holly Hobbie family
I think the show is so popular because all of the characters are so relatable. Like Holly, who has drama and issues with her friends that I think maybe all of us have gone through. I also think it is popular because the writing is so well done. Plus, the cast are very good, so it’s like the story just came to life right off the paper.
As Heather Hobbie © Brooke Palmer
Behind the scenes, everyone is really close. Ruby {Jay}, Charles {Vandervaart} and I are always playing around. One day we were doing a photoshoot and I noticed a pin on Ruby’s jacket, so I said, “That’s a cute pin, it looks like a packet of Rockets!”. Ruby was like, “No, these are Smarties. What the heck are Rockets!?” So, then Charles joined the conversation, and things got crazy! And we were still talking about it in season two until I bought Ruby some Rockets and she was like “Oh okay! Yeah, these are literally the same thing.”
Hallmark fans are now watching you on the first streaming show for Hallmark called When Hope Calls. First of all, what did you know about When Calls the Heart before filming this show? Why do you believe the fans are connecting with this spinoff show?
When Hope Calls kids
Actually, I really didn’t know much about the show before auditioning. I normally will spend some time learning as much as I can about the story before I go in to read for a role, so I did get to watch some episodes of When Calls the Heart. I really liked the stories and the costumes. I could tell that there were real stories in this fictional world that they were telling, even though it was a different time. So, I had an idea of what When Calls the Heart was trying to show.
When Hope Calls kids with Mountie Gabe
I think the fans of WCTH are connecting with WHC because of the link between the two stories, the crossover of some of the characters and the similar overall theme. I am really enjoying watching the shows as a fan now myself. The Hearties community has been so supportive of WHC and all the cast.
How are you like Sophia and how are you different? What do you enjoy most about filming When Hope Calls?
As Sophia
Sophia is a shy, sensitive character. She loves to read, and she loves her friends very much. She can be a bit quiet at times, but when she has the chance to make a new friend, she’ll always try. Sophia and I are alike because we both love our friends and wouldn’t want anything to happen to them and we both love to read. We’re different in that I am fairly confident and energetic and definitely not shy… and obviously I don’t live in the 1900’s!
Riley O’Donnell, Ava Weiss, Elizabeth Saunders, Kate Moyer, Morgan Kohan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Shane Mahood
I love to cook and bake, and she likes to be alone sometimes and have some peace and quiet, while I love to be around my friends and family and talk with them and try to be as loud as I can! I really enjoyed filming scenes with my orphan brothers and sisters! My castmates are really fun to hang around with on and off of set. Jocelyn {Hudon} and Morgan {Kohan} were also really awesome. They spent a lot of time hanging with the “kids” and playing around too!
I notice Buffaloed also listed in your credits, but I am not familiar with this movie. What can you tell us about your role in that movie?
Orphan sisters
Buffaloed is a film directed by Tanya Wexler and stars Zoey Deutch. Zoey plays Peg Dahl, who grows up poor in Buffalo and is determined to break out of that life. She comes up with many different ways to make money, some of them are questionable. As she gets older, she gets into the world of collections and things take off. I played the young version of Peggy Dahl growing up in Buffalo. Young Peg shows at a very young age her awareness of money and the impact it has all around her and her family. Her mother is played by Judy Greer, who was soooo much fun to work with!
Any other upcoming works you can mention?
Photo by Denise Grant
Right now, I don’t have anything I am working on, but I am always auditioning. Having been out of school since last April and working on three different shows, it is good to get back to a normal life for a little while.
How does school work for you when you are filming?
School can be challenging when on set and trying to fit it in between scenes, but I have been very lucky with all of the things I have worked on to have amazing tutors. They connect with my teacher at home and make sure I stay at the same pace with my classmates, so when I do drop back into school I am not behind. Sometimes though, depending on where we are, we may have problems getting WIFI!
What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not acting or doing school work?
When I am not on set, I really love to ride my bike, go swimming in my pool, watch movies with my family, make videos, draw, sing, play drums and see my friends and family! I love acting, it is my passion and I really hope I can do it for as long as I can.
2019 Canadian Screen Awards Red Carpet
Indeed, Kate has been involved with such a variety of productions in her blossoming career, and no matter the role, nor what is requested of her, she continues to be lauded for her impeccable skills and remarkable zeal to be a team player. To witness such maturity as well as the manifestation of such essential qualities from one who is relatively young is something that thrills and impresses me to no end. She has had a very busy 2019, and I tend to think this trend will continue for her as When Hope Calls earns a season two (I am trusting that this will happen) and Holly Hobbie sustains its excellent run for yet another season. She is beautiful, engaging, and gifted beyond words, and I am quite honored to be able to feature her here today.
I hope that everyone will get caught up on the series When Hope Calls and/or tune in for a special showing of the first two episodes tonight (9/21) on the Hallmark Channel (followed by an enthusiastic subscription to Hallmark Movies Now so you can watch the rest of the season). If you are in Canada, I would consider a subscription to Super Channel Heart & Home as this series is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorites, and I doubt anyone wants to miss out! While you are enjoying Kate and the others in When Hope Calls, I recommend that everyone visit Kate’s links below and consider following her on social media. While she has yet to make an official Hallmark movie, I am inclined to think that the obvious talent and sweet persona that she has consistently shown throughout the filming and airing of When Hope Calls makes her the ideal candidate for even more Hallmark (and other studios, of course) projects in the near and distant future. Regardless, I am honored to feature and support this starlet as her career continues its well-deserved upward surge!
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