I consistently maintain that the Hallmark Network finds and highlights the absolute cutest child actors for their movies, and those young professionals are invariably top-notch actors who become instant favorites and often steal the show. It just so happens that the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie that will premiere in the U.S. and Canada this Saturday (April 27th) features Skylar Olivia Flanagan, a newbie to Hallmark though certainly not to the acting world. I discovered her due to her post on Instagram in which she mentioned that Barbara Niven plays her Nana in Love Takes Flight. Immediately, I reached out to Skylar’s mom for an interview with this sweet youngster, and I am delighted to share Skylar with all of my readers today in anticipation of Saturday’s premiere!
Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Michael Larsen
RH: How old were you when you started acting and why did you decide to become an actress? Also, how old are you now?
SOF: My first commercial was in November 2016. I had just turned five. My birthday is October 21, 2011…I’m seven now. The commercial was for Pigeon Forge Tourism! I got to work with an older girl named Avary, (who was playing a grown-up me). We had the best time!!! We got to go to a lot of tourist locations and even ride the big Ferris Wheel. My mom started me and both my brothers Colby, who is fourteen, and Carson, who is eleven, in acting. She is also an actress, and it is really fun when we all get to work together! Being on set is really fun. You get cool costumes and get to travel and meet all kinds of fun people. You get to be all kinds of characters who are all different and in different situations!
I think your first film was this past Christmas was Every Other Holiday. What was that experience like? What did you enjoy about your character?
It was exciting because it was longer than commercials! I got a sister in the film (Abby James, who played Harper), which was fun because I only have brothers. The movie was about a country singer and his family, so it actually filmed in Nashville! The locations were very close to our house in Brentwood, TN. It was cool that when the movie was done, we got to see the locations all around our area! My favorite location was the farm because of the horses and the popsicles in the freezer! My character was cheeky and funny! Her name was Ava Pruitt. She was a little younger than me. She got to be silly and messy. She even put lipstick all over her face in one scene. And filming a Christmas movie makes you feel happy because it’s such a great time of year to celebrate. I made lots of friends and got to work with a great cast and crew! Schuyler Fisk played my mom, Tracie (Momma Schuyler). She is so kind and sweet! And we both have the same name even thought we spell it different. Blair Hayes was the director and he was so cool! He even let me call him Director Dude!
Skylar Olivia Flanagan, Nikki DeLoach Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
Your first Hallmark movie is coming up this weekend–Love Takes Flight. Please tell us about your character and how she fits into the overall story.
Quinn is five years old. She wants to help her mom find a friend because she thinks her mom is lonely. So, Quinn sets out to find one for her. Eventually, she finds an older gentleman (Walter) at the grocery store who turns out to be perfect in Quinn’s mind.
Skylar Olivia Flanagan, Tom Thon Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
Quinn also plays piano and later, Walter helps Quinn at her recital. As it turns out, Walter has a son, Charley, who her mom starts to really like. So, Quinn really finds her mom two friends. Quinn also has an insulin disorder and has an insulin pump. At first, when I got the part, I was worried about that. But I have a friend, named Paige, who really has diabetes and she showed me her pump and tubes. And when I knew they weren’t really going to stick me with a needle, I knew I’d be OK.
What are some of your special memories about filming this movie? What was it like working with the cast and crew?
Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
One of the coolest things was getting my own trailer! We did school in it and I got to hang out in it when I was on breaks. My set teachers, Mary Ann, Lori and Anna were really funny! They worked with me each day and taught me even though some days I didn’t much feel like doing schoolwork. We made slime, which was my favorite thing to do, and we went on field trips around Savannah, where we were shooting and learned about the history of the area.
Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
Santa Barbara was my child labor coordinator and always brought me lots of snacks and made sure I was safe! My two friends, Brittany and Tabitha in costumes were my favorites because they were really fun to goof around with and helped me all the time with my missing shoes! Danger was really crazy and did gymnastics with me (very badly–lol).
Nikki DeLoach, Skylar Olivia Flanagan, Barbara Niven, Caroline Arapoglou Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
One of the crew members found an abandoned puppy while shooting and adopted it. It was great playing with her each day. She was so cute! Her name was Lucy. I also got to visit a place on my day off called Purrvanah Cat Cafe and Lounge, where you can have Lattes and sit with lots of cats which are available for adoption. And on one of our locations, which was Walter’s house, there was a swing that I loooved to play on!
Tom Thon, Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
The director, Steven Monroe and TK were really nice to work with and helped me whenever I needed it. They also let me do the clapper before a lot of the scenes! I loved getting my hair and make-up done (most days, unless it was early and I was grumpy)! Q and Kari and the girls took good care of me, even when I messed it up or when I came in with crimped hair! (Oops!)
Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
My favorite scenes that we did were the tea party, when the duck plane landed on the water, and the recital, because I got to play the piano! Most importantly, I was so fortunate to get to work with Hallmark Movies, Momma Nikki (Nikki DeLoach), who played Lizzie, my mom and all of the other amazing actors in this movie crew who worked really hard to make it!
Any other upcoming works you can mention?
I recently auditioned for a role in a TV pilot shooting in May….so fingers crossed.
How does school work for you when you are on set?
Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
On set, I have a teacher each day and I do three hours of school time. We are allowed to “bank” hours if we are done early with movie work, in case the next shoot day is too busy to fit it all in. I am in first grade at Montessori Academy and my teachers sent my work like daily math, spelling and reading.
My mom brought crafts for art and science, and my set teachers brought special things like Osmo, a learning game, slime, books I like and learning worksheets about March and Dr. Suess. We also went to the park and did hopscotch for P.E. And I was doing a lot of piano practice for the movie, which worked out great for school music class! Oh, and Mary Ann even let me do her hair with lots of rubber bands, which was really funny!
What activities are you involved in when not acting?
I am in competitive gymnastics. I am on the Bronze XL team at Let It Shine Gymnastics in Franklin, TN. We travel around to different cities in Tennessee to compete on bars, floor routine, vault, and beam. I have been doing gymnastics since I was four. My favorite event is Bars because it is really fun flying around and off!
During the movie, I had the weekends off, so I was able to compete in Chattanooga and Clarksville for the State meet. I was able to practice in between at a gym in Savannah and in Chattanooga. We wrapped the movie on Thursday, had a 5:30 A.M. flight to Nashville Friday, and I competed at 8:00 A.M. and won gold all around!
Skylar Olivia Flanagan, Nikki DeLoach Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
If you could work with any actor, who would you pick and why?
I would love to work with Schulyer Fisk (Every Other Holiday) and Nikki DeLoach (Love Takes Flight) again sometime! They were both amazing set moms! But if I could work with someone I have never worked with before, I’d have to say Zac Effron and Zendaya. They were both amazing in The Greatest Showman and it would be really cool to get to sing with them!
Do you have special plans for the summer?
I’m sure I will make A LOT of slime! I will hang out with friends, swim, go to a really fun Church Camp called Deer Run, cheer camp at Brentwood Academy and we stay at our house in Florida where we get to ride jet skis and go to this really great ice cream shop called Two Scoops!
Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
Did I not declare that Skylar is the most darling girl on earth? I mean, how can you not melt when you gaze upon these pictures of this little angel? Moreover, perusing her responses is a veritable treat that merely whets my appetite not only for this movie, but for a multitude of works featuring Skylar’s stylings. It makes perfect sense that she is from a family of actors, and I cannot praise her mom highly enough for rearing such a responsible child and encouraging her every step of the way in her artistic pursuits. While Skylar is merely at the inception of her acting endeavors, her experiences have already catapulted her into the spotlight, and I have no doubt that her career will continue to soar into the record books as she discovers and pursues her true calling.
I hope that everyone in the U.S. and Canada will make a concerted effort to tune in Saturday, April 27th to the Hallmark Channel or the W Network for the most recent Hallmark Hall of Fame offering entitled Love Takes Flight. Additionally, if you are so inclined, please visit Skylar’s links below and consider following her on Instagram in order to keep up with all of her latest news. A more accomplished, unspoiled, talented actress you could not ask for, and as Skylar continues to grace our screens in the months and years to come, it boggles the mind to attempt to imagine just what wonderful roles and blessed moments lay in store for this blossoming starlet!
FOLLOW SKYLAR
Barbara Niven, Skylar Olivia Flanagan Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Michael Larsen
Skylar Olivia Flanagan, Nikki DeLoach Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Josh Stringer
Skylar Olivia Flanagan, Jeff Hephner Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Seth F. Johnson
Nikki DeLoach, Skylar Olivia Flanagan, Jeff Hephner Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Michael Larsen
