Paul Campbell – A Godwink Christmas

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) We have seen you take on these diverse roles that showcase your range so well and balance vulnerability, complexity and compelling. What connects you with these characters?

A) Thank you, that’s incredibly flattering you would say that, and it means a lot. I think the uniting thread for me is always just the humanity. Like you said, those are the things that draws me most to my roles so that most of the characters that I play are real, organic types of characters. Occasionally, I’ll get a little darker and a little bit dramatic, but I always really try to find a way to ground the characters in something that is kind of real to me. So much of the fun, especially with the Hallmark movies, when I’m able to be humorous and fun – for me it’s always more rewarding when I can offset that with the genuine, tender moments. That’s what makes those characters so real to me because I make them dynamic and human. I’ve always just tried to bring a human quality to any of the roles that I have taken on, no matter how broad, vague or larger than life those characters seem to be. Usually when something speaks to me it’s because I can potentially see them as a real person. With A Godwink Christmas, I think it’s loosely based on Gery Conover and Paula Conover and their love story. So, those are two real people, which means you have to handle it even more carefully because when you are honoring their story you have to honor them as real people.

Q) Did you get to spend much time with the Conovers in order to emulate them?

A) You know, I didn’t. I actually didn’t dig too much into who Gery was. SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt have written the Godwink stories and are executive producers on the film are also very good friends with Gery and Paula. He gave me sort of the broad strokes of who Gery was and how he came to be running the Charlotte Inn. They gave me sort of a few of his qualities as a person. For me, there is no way that I could ever…I wasn’t trying to be Gery Conover in this movie. I was trying to tell Gery’s story in the most natural, compelling way possible without trying to be Gery on screen. Obviously, when you’re making a movie based on a true story, there is going to be a little bit of artistic license just in terms of how things unfold from a storytelling perspective. You have an eight-act structure so you kind of have to fit that story into that. You’re not telling the exact story. You’re sort of taking the broad strokes of the story – the essence of – and trying to tell that story. I thought, “Let me just take the broad strokes of who this guy is and how he approached things and kind of tell it in my own way a little bit and bring my own unique characteristics to it.”

Q) Hallmark movies have this balance of heart and humanity with love and lessons. How does this particular film stay consistent with that?

A) Well, I’ll say all Hallmark movies are very consistent with that and they’ve built a brand on being consistent. Their entire brand is consistent and very, very focused on making sure that everything that they produce is consistent in that way. That’s why they’ve been so successful. When people tune in to watch a Hallmark movie or Hallmark series, they kind of know what they are going to get. We always kind of know what the ending is going to be. That’s why we tune in just because we love to see those endings. With this movie it was no different, certainly. Again, we didn’t really treat the actual making of the movie or the approach to the movie any differently. Myself and Kimberley Sustad (who plays Paula in the movie), we just tried to bring as human a quality to this movie as possible. I think to the credit of David Golden, who wrote the script. He wrote really, really lovely flawed characters. It allows you, as an actor, to really to sort of connect with the character that it wouldn’t otherwise do. If characters are one dimensional, it’s tougher to really bring any sort of life or any sort of humanity to them. These people in their story is kind of unique, I think. As an actor, you’re kind of able to feast on who they are, and it makes it easy when they are real people because I know how to real person so I know how to play a real person on camera. Largely aside from the “pretty woman scenario” where the woman discovers she’s pretty, a lot of the Hallmark stories telling (or started telling within the last few years) relatable every-man tales where you could sort of see yourself in that situation. It’s a little bit of “fish out of water,” but it’s often two people that when they meet initially are at odds and they find love in one another, yet they are not extraordinary characters. They are not superheroes. They are just people living their lives and trying to overcome whatever adversity is thrown at them in a sort of gentle Hallmark way. But they are pretty relatable, and I think that’s what draws me to these roles as well. I like just these sorts of normal everyday people stories that ultimately have a happy ending. You never end a Hallmark program feeling let down or feeling disenfranchised. You always turn off the program with a nice little light inside. You always feel good. I think that’s why Hallmark is growing in popularity so much – people just need that these days. It’s nice to be able to take a break from politics and what is happening in the world and on the news and just watch a Hallmark program. You know that at the end of two hours you are going to feel good. You’re going to be hopeful and you’re going to feel optimistic.

Q) With Hallmark holiday movies though it seems like there is a little extra magic within them. What do we see of that magic through Godwink?

A) Well, you’re right. The holiday movies, Christmas in particular, always have that extra element of excitement and magic. Christmas just inherently is magical, and it generates a certain amount of energy any time. I definitely am a huge Christmas person so as the holidays start to get near enough that you can feel them the air changes a little bit and there is a little bit more magic in everything you do – the sort of twinkle in the eye that isn’t there the rest of the year is so much fun to play. It’s so much fun to be in these movies. I think this film is different and special for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is based on a true story and these “Godwinks” that they talk about – these extraordinary circumstances that are just too unusual to ignore and speak to you too loudly to turn that voice off – happen multiple times throughout the movie and they happen in real life. That was kind of wonderful, all these divine coincidences that we talk about. The universe conspires to push these two people together to continue this love story. They kind of hit them over the head and say, “Hey, dummy! You guys are supposed to be together.” It’s the universe that is pushing and pushing them. There is something magical about that. It seems like extraordinary coincidences and every discovery that we make as characters in that movie, every time we are reunited or see each other again in a completely unexpected way, there is just something magical about that. Then, you add Christmas on top of that you’ve got a magic sandwich there. I think that’s what they call it – “a magic sandwich.” Take a bite everybody! [laughs] It’s kind of the perfect combination of Christmas and the Godwinks together. They make magical magic. I think that’s the tagline of the movie – “come have a bite of our magic sandwich and taste the magical magic.”

Q) The holidays tend to bring people together and mend old wounds. What do you think it is about the holidays or Hallmark that really brings people together, be it family or friends?

A) I think you realize…I have from personal experience…I always realize that you are sort of forced to consider what is important, especially around the holidays because the holidays are specifically about spending time with family and sharing time with loved ones. When the holidays approach and the work obligations go away, what you’re left with is this sense that you should be around the people that you love and the people that you’ve probably been neglecting. You’re forced to really take a hard look at what is important to you and if people are absent around the holidays you notice so much more than if they are not around for the rest of the year because that is specifically the time that you should be spending with them. I think that’s it. Also, Hallmark movies are almost always about self-discovery and really discovering what is important in your life. There is often these tough decisions that people have to make and compromises and stuff like that. I think that’s what is so great about Hallmark – they do inspire people to look inward a little bit and access their own personal situation. Even if subconsciously people aren’t turning off a Hallmark movie and calling their therapist and saying [pretending to cry], “I think we need to talk.” It sort of creates that awareness and in a subtle way it sends those messages about what is really important. It’s never about the money and it’s never about the job and it’s never about the promotion or whatever it is. It’s always about heart and making amends with people and just being surrounded by the people you love and that love you. The holidays always remind us, and you go, “Oh yeah! I should probably call that person.” Then, generally the holidays come and go, and another holiday comes and reminds us.

Q) What would you like about the movie A Godwink Christmas to resonate with viewers?

A) I think, for me, the biggest takeaway from this is just to pay attention to the messages that the universe is sending you. Listen to your gut. Listen to your heart. Only in retrospect and looking back have there been times in my life when I’ve literally just been beaten over the head with these messages. Someone is trying to tell me something and I’ve been too blind to notice them. But if we’re aware that these messages are out there and that there are things conspiring to enrich our lives, then try and pay attention to those things and not hesitate to pursue them. Maybe take a little bit of a risk. Just follow your gut and follow your heart because those things can often be scary, but they yield the greatest outcome. Listen to your heart, man.