I love connecting with resilient, inspirational, accomplished women from many walks of life, and Rebecca Staab is one that I have been honored to feature two times previously on my site. As she has become a Hallmark favorite over the past couple of years, I am honored to highlight her and her three Hallmark Christmas movies (Wow!) this year. Recently, she and I chatted everything Hallmark and more, and in anticipation of her upcoming Christmas film, Road To Christmas, which premieres tonight (November 4th) on the Hallmark Channel, it is my pleasure to share our recent chat with all my readers!

RH: Rebecca, it’s so nice to chat with you again! 

RS: Lovely to chat with you again too, Ruth. So sorry I was too busy filming while you were in Vancouver to meet up.

I know what you mean! I was busy, but wow, Rebecca, you’ve had an incredible year of filming.

I know what you mean. I just finished wrapping on my third Christmas movie for Hallmark, and now I’m working on the third movie in The Chronicle Mysteries series with Ali Sweeney.

Oh wow! So cool that you’re in that series. So which Christmas movie did you recently wrap?

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

It is called Christmas Bells Are Ringing, and we shot it on Vancouver Island. Now, I love all the Christmas movies I did this year of course. But in this one, Mark Humphrey is playing my husband. And I tell you, oh my gosh! We had so much fun together! He is so funny, and I’m an easy audience for him because I just stand around waiting for him to say something funny. And then I completely crack up. He was like the entertainment director.

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

And what was nice in this movie is that we got to have a love story too. We are the parents who kind of stand around in the background, but we also are the whole secondary storyline. Emilie’s {Ullerup} character comes back for our wedding. And that’s how she runs into Josh Kelly. Those two went to high school together, and the story takes off from there. But it’s nice to have had a real story about us and becoming a part of their family and the relationship between Emilie and I. I had probably known Emilie for about nine years. When I first got the script and read the part, I asked who was playing the lead. They told me it was her, and oh, I just love her!

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

And Josh also is just hilarious! When it was the four of us, it felt so real because we were shooting in a house. We had one of the bedrooms as our green room, and it was a huge bedroom. And with hair and makeup, everyone was all in the same room with us. We were just playing games, and it was just like it should be when you’re working with friends. I wish that one lasted a lot longer. We really all had such a wonderful chemistry that felt so real. And we loved our director. It’s a really nice story. I’m so excited for all of these because last year, I just did the one Coming Home For Christmas. And this year, they just kept rolling in! And that was great! It’s so nice to be a part of the Hallmark movies and even more of a treat to be a part of the Hallmark Christmas movies. And all of my roles are all so different. That makes it so interesting because I’m not just the same person over and over, but there are three completely different characters.

With Road To Christmas–that one always throws me off because it used to be called something different.

Right, it was called My Three Wise Men.

That’s right! I interviewed Teryl {Rothery} about it when she was on Chesapeake Shores, and so I’ve been looking forward to that film for a while. 

Road To Christmas

Road To Christmas is an interesting one because you know how there are typically the quintessential things that Hallmark tries to squeeze into their movies. This one was the perfect premise to get everything in. It’s a road trip. So they’ve got various locations and various families so they can squeeze in the snowman scene and the gazebo scene and the puppy scene. It is the perfect vehicle to put in all these things Hallmark likes to put in their films. When I went in for ADR on this film, when I saw Jessy {Schram} and I on camera together, I was like, “Oh my gosh!” We really do look like mother and daughter! In fact, the two ADR technicians even commented and said that we really could be mother and daughter. I thanked them for that. She’s such a doll.

So here’s the funny thing about this film. I play her mom, and in the show, her family is from Nebraska. So I’m playing the mom who is from Nebraska, which is where I’m really from! When I got the script, I was like, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten to play anybody from Nebraska.

Road To Christmas

How fun! I’m looking forward to this movie even more than I was because the cast is amazing. And Hallmark has shown a clip or two, and it looks like a load of fun and something a little bit different. In fact, I think Hallmark has really raised the bar on their films this year. They have been knocking their movies out of the park all year long.

I agree with you, Ruth. And the fact that Hallmark continues to produce so many new films, especially at this time of the year, is really amazing. Everybody has their old favorites and then there are all these new ones to watch too so you can have new favorites.

So what can you tell us about Mingle All the Way? I’ve heard some really great stuff from that one as well.

Mingle All The Way

Oh, that one was another fun one. It was so nice to meet Jen Lilley. She is one of those names that I’ve heard a lot, and I feel like I’ve always known who she is. But I had never met her until this film. I shot all of my stuff in one day for that film. They talk about my character throughout the whole movie because I set up the obstacle in the beginning and the provide the situation about whether there’s going to be a resolution. But I love Jen. When I was working, it was mainly working with her and Brant {Daugherty} and some of the other supporting cast members. I just wish I had been there longer because my character in that film is so interesting. But Jen is amazing. She had so many things going on in addition to her acting. Between her album and these foster agencies she works to promote…she is unbelievable! We had a lot of friends in common. And I tell you, these girls that are the leads on these films work so hard. Jessie and Jen and Emilie. They are in practically everything every single solitary day. They just keep going and going and going no matter how hard it might be. It’s really inspiring to work with them.

The Chronicle Mysteries

And now you’re working on The Chronicle Mysteries.

Yes, I am doing the third one. I did the first one earlier this year, but my character wasn’t in the second one.

So your character is a recurring character in this series of movies?

Yes, I am a part of the staple group which includes Alison and Ben{jamin} Ayres. They are the two leads. Then David Collette is in it too. We all work at the newspaper, and we all help her with these mysteries. In the first episode, you have so much to set up. You have to tell the story of the mystery, but you’re also setting up the newspaper and the characters. Even though we work together, it’s a little bit at arm’s length as it would be in real life. She’s kind of the new girl in town. So this third episode is gonna be so much fun! It all takes place at a vineyard. So all four of us are kind of on location there and not in the newsroom at all. It’s so much fun because we’re all trying to help her solve the mystery with whatever our personal skills are. So it will be great for the four of us to be there working together every day because we didn’t really get to do that in the first one. It will be like getting the investigative team together. And I love Alison! You talk about a powerhouse.

That’s just great, Rebecca. So is there anything else upcoming you can mention?

Breakthrough

Yes, I have a movie coming out on April 12th of next year. It’s called Breakthrough. It is based on a book called Impossible by Joyce Smith. This is the film version. It’s a faith-based movie based on a true story. It stars Chrissy Metz and Topher Grace. It’s about these three fourteen-year-old boys who fall through the ice. It takes place in St. Louis, Missouri. It only happened a couple of years ago. The rescuers got two of the boys out, but the third boy is trapped underwater. By the time they find him and get him out and to the hospital, he was clinically dead for an hour. So they let the mother in the room to say goodbye. And every time I tell this story, I cry and get goosebumps. His mom started praying over him and asks the Holy Spirit to give her son back to her, and he comes back to life. And the story goes on from there. It’s one of the stories where the doctors said what happened was not possible, but in this case, the impossible happened. The executive producer, DeVon Franklin, has done other faith-based movies. They’ve been doing a lot of groundwork because we shot that back in April.

I actually remember when it was being shot because some of my friends are in that movie as well. Lisa Durupt, Ali Skobvye, Victor Zinck, Jr. 

Oh my goodness, I love Victor!

His interview was one of the most entertaining I’ve ever had on my site.

Oh, I believe that.

Rebecca, I am so glad we’re getting to chat! I love your enthusiasm and just the fact that you truly love what you’re doing.

Ruth, I am so blessed to be where I am. And really, I love the fact that in today’s society, any of us can get to a certain age and really start a new chapter in our lives. There are so many people that I know with different passions and careers that they’re able to pursue today. Decades ago, as they got older, people tended to do less. And now I find that people get older and do more. It’s empowering and exhilarating. Right when you think things might be just status quo, you go, “Wow, so much has happened in two years .”

I agree with you. There’s so much more opportunity out there for people to do things than there ever was before. My mom is in her seventies, and she just amazes me. She is still very active and busy. And it is an inspiration for me to see women as they get older still doing amazing things and keeping active and pursuing their passions. It gives me hope for the future because I’m not planning on slowing down. I plan to keep going as long as I can.

I don’t plan to slow down either. There’s never enough hours in a day. I feel like I have to live to be a hundred and twenty to start to squeeze everything in. I don’t feel older in any capacity, and in a lot of ways, I feel a lot better and more equipped. You’re not losing anything; you’re gaining everything.

And the benefits of the internet are fantastic. I wouldn’t be doing what I am now without the internet. I have so many more opportunities because of the advancement of technology. 

The Chronicle Mysteries

That’s so true. I have connected with people I lost touch with and have new friends now too because of the internet. It used to be that when you talked on the phone, it was long-distance and would cost a fortune. Now there’s no such thing as a long-distance phone call. Even with our apps, we can call our friends in Australia. And so many people can work from home. They can be at home with their kids and with their dogs in an environment they create for themselves.

And I want to say that I love all the posts you do about the animals that need to be adopted and how you are raising money for these animals that need help. I know a lot of actors promote their causes on social media, but it’s just nice to see that you take it so seriously. 

Christmas Bells Are Ringing

You know, it is the love I have for these animals that drives me to do this. And again, it’s a relatively new-ish action that grew out of time and the accessibility of the internet. When I think back to my first jobs that I had as an adult in LA, I realize how little I knew compared to now. And that inspires me to circulate the information because you realize that a lot of people still have limited knowledge, often by no fault of their own.

And the more I get involved, the more I get involved. Other than children, there’s no one else as helpless as these animals. And the only sad part of that is that it never ends. This one rescue I have worked with the most, this woman literally goes out morning, noon, and night to rescue these dogs that people just abandon. And it never stops. You can raise all the money in the world and save a thousand dogs today, and there’s still gonna be a thousand dogs tomorrow and a thousand dogs the next day that are in need. And that’s where education really comes in. You really need to get to the core of it all and teach people what they can do to help control the population of dogs. But the wonderful thing is that everyone can get involved with helping these animals. Everybody can do what is comfortable for them or stretch a little and do a little bit more. So many just sit back and do nothing. But there is something that everybody can do. A lot of help comes from a lot of people just doing a little bit.

The Chronicle Mysteries

I agree with that completely. I am discriminating about the causes I donate to, but there are times I know I can just give ten or fifteen dollars, and I don’t think I’ve done that much. But if everyone would do just a little bit, it would make a big difference. In fact, I’ll be honest. I don’t even notice that little bit of money missing when I give it. I sometimes forget and have to be reminded about what I gave.

Everyone can work together and accomplish so much. If a hundred people or a thousand people gave that little bit, we could accomplish so much more. You don’t have to go and drive to see this dog on the side of the road and pick it up and comfort it and take it to the hospital. And pay for the hospital and visit it at the hospital. And then take it home and nurse it and feed it and train it and then get someone to adopt it. But you can give fifteen dollars. Everyone can do something. And if you can’t physically help the animals, you can give some money so others can.

Now, to show you the beauty of the internet, let me share this story. There was a little Chihuahua with a broken leg that some people found in Arizona when they were whitewater rafting. So these people were able to get the dog in the kayak and brought them back to their friends who worked with rescue animals in California. Some people think that if they adopt a dog, they shouldn’t have to pay anything. But what they don’t realize is these rescuers often pay out-of-pocket. All these dogs need medical attention of some kind and to be checked out by a vet. And if you take a dog to the vet, you know it’s a three hundred dollar minimum. If surgery is involved, you’re jumping to two and three thousand. Some people think that because they are saving the dog, they shouldn’t have to pay for it. But somebody is paying these three and four thousand dollar surgical fees. When adopting a dog, it is going to cost you money to maintain the dog’s health and to deal with complications that arise.

The Chronicle Mysteries

One of the saddest pictures that I ever saw and the most heinous abuse is at these puppy mills. I saw a  picture I couldn’t share on social media because the condition of this dog was like you wouldn’t even think it was a living being.  And to think that they still just breed it and breed it. So when people say they want a purebred puppy, I’m like, “Do you know where those animals are coming from?”

I look at it this way. Do what you can to help. If you can’t adopt, then foster. If you can’t foster, then volunteer. If you can’t volunteer, then donate. And then just share on social media. Here’s an example of the power of social media. One morning, I wasn’t even out of bed yet. My neighbor found a dog down in Orange County. They asked if I knew anybody who wanted a dog. So I found out that someone had dumped this dog at the bathroom in one of the parks. This little dog was hiding behind the toilet. So they took the dog and put up posters everywhere in case the dog was missing. Well, it wasn’t a missing dog, so they were looking for someone who wanted a dog. And I only knew one person in Orange County. I texted her, and she was heading out of town for a wedding so she couldn’t help. But she knew one person she could contact who could help. And through a series of contacting one person who contacted one person–this game of telephone tag–we found a woman who could take the dog in.

The Miracle Season

All that is amazing, Rebecca! So we have Breakthrough coming up, and if people haven’t seen The Miracle Season, it should be available to watch on Netflix now. 

That is correct. And speaking of The Miracle Season, there has been such a ripple effect since it came out. Every day, it seems like that movie touches someone. Recently, I texted Ernie Found, the father of Caroline Found, the girl who died in the movie. I have stayed really good friends with him. In fact, the real Coach still gets mail and email from people, even though the movie was early this year. The story is still affecting so many people positively.

When I talked to Ernie…they were hesitant at first when all this happened about putting it out there and letting it become a movie. They were giving away the most precious thing, and they didn’t know what it would do. But he said that for him, the greatest reward has been knowing that putting Caroline’s story out there has had such a positive, worldwide effect.

And now it’s even becoming more far-reaching as it’s put on Netflix and on demand and on DVD. It’s more than just something that makes you go, “Oh, that was interesting.” It leaves you with an action, and that’s what “Live Like Line” means. You come away from this movie with a feeling that you want to do something in response to the movie instead of just, “That was a nice movie.” You want to become the kind of person that makes the world a better place and that makes somebody’s day better. You begin to realize how many opportunities each day you have to make somebody’s day better. And with Breakthrough coming out next year, I think there’s going to be a similar reaction to this film.

I am so glad you’re getting to these kinds of movies that really impact people, Rebecca, in addition to these fun Christmas movies. Thanks for the very informative and inspirational chat. I am looking forward to seeing everything you’re in.

Thank you, Ruth, for your support of me and my work, and I hope everyone tunes in for all three Christmas movies and truly enjoys them.

Christmas 2015

When it comes to effervescent women in the film industry, I tend to think Rebecca is near the top of the list due to her infectious enthusiasm, her overwhelmingly optimistic outlook, and her intensely compassionate attitude. Rebecca is a beacon of light and hope whose desire in life is to profoundly touch others through the stories she tells and hopefully effect genuine change in the process. She firmly believes in the power of people working together to make this world a better place, and she consistently utilizes her platform to promote awareness about issues most near and dear to her heart. Her passion for pet rescue and adoption is steadfast, endearing, and motivating, and after chatting with her about these poor, defenseless creatures, even an animal lover like me is ready to do more to help her cause. (Did I mention just how persuasive she is??) The fact that in addition to all these aforementioned qualities Rebecca is beautiful, vivacious and a dynamic actress only causes my admiration for her to grow by leaps and bounds. Indeed, Rebecca embodies such a bundle of charismatic buoyancy that I find myself drawn to her even more strongly as I become further acquainted with her undeniable talent and her sweet personality.

So please plan on tuning in tonight (November 4th) in the U.S. to the Hallmark Channel for the premiere of Road To Christmas (or November 17th on the W Network if you’re in Canada), and keep a sharp eye out for her other premieres (Mingle All the Way November 18th on the Hallmark Channel and December 8th on the W Network; Christmas Bells Are Ringing December 23rd on the Hallmark Channel), and be sure that you are following her via the appropriate links listed below. What a thrill for us viewers that we have the privilege of luxuriating in Rebecca’s expertise by watching three of her Christmas films this season. Moreover, the fact that she has become such an advocate for pet rescue as well as stimulating others to create a better world, I have no doubt that Hallmark viewers will be enjoying the giftedness of this phenomenal woman and activist for many years to come on this network. Indeed, there is no doubt in my mind that it will continue to be an honor to support her incredible career by savoring her multitude of talents in the delightful movies and shows in which she is cast!

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Rebecca Staab, Cardi Wong Credit: ©2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

Jessy Schram, Rebecca Staab, Cardi Wong Credit: ©2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ryan Plummer

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