Paul Greene – Anything For Love

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) There was not too far back the “Girlfriends Guide to Divorce.” I reoccurred on there. I had a fun little arc on that show. It was very different than the Hallmark movies, for sure. [laughs] This year has been really busy with Hallmark. There have been three films in the last three months that has kept me really busy: Perfect Match, Christmas Detour and Anything For Love. There as a really beautiful Mercedes Maybach thing that I did. It was to sell their car. Not a commercial, but a mini short. It was really fun to work with Jeff Cronenweth. I’m putting together an ALS fundraiser that I’m putting together with a team for early April. There will be items for auction and purchase to support ALS research. My father passed away from ALS a few years ago and I’m committed to finding a cure. Here is a link to the event:

https://www.classy.org/events/artists-lend-support-la-art-opening-to-benefit-alsnet/e66818

Q) Please tell us the premise for Anything For Love and about your character.

A) It is out on Valentine’s Day at 9/8C! The premise is that two very unlikely people end up living a complete lie. We both find each other through online dating, but our profiles say something different than what we are for our profession. I’m a male nurse, but my friend switches it to be a doctor. She is a corporate executive and she and her assistant change it to say executive assistant. She can’t find love because she is a high powered executive who is on the cover of Forbes and is a Type-A intimidating woman. My character is a male nurse and most women want doctors, not nurses (is the way it is portrayed). They are two very different people that find each other under a lie and have to struggle for most of the film to tell the truth in fear of it causing them not wanting to be with them. It’s a romantic comedy and Hallmark gave us license to actually play more comedy than usual. It should be really funny and it was super fun to make.

Q) Was there anything you added to role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) Not really. We shoot these movies in fifteen days so there is not too much room. I always bring as much as myself into these roles as I can. My mom is a nurse so I asked her questions. It’s funny because my mom said, “They’re lazy.” At least when she was nursing, but my mom works hard so I think anyone would be kind of lazy next to her. She said, “They are not all lazy, Paul. But some of the ones I worked with were lazy.” I did a little research into what male nurses are like because all we know it from is Meet The Parents where Ben Stiller’s character is really awkward and uncomfortable being a male nurse. I brought my own swagger to it. I was proud of being a nurse because I help people and I chose it.

Q) You work a lot with Hallmark. What makes you enjoy working with them so much?

A) They keep offering me work! [laughs] They have good scripts and they are stories that my mom and son can watch. They can’t watch “Bitten” and they can’t watch “The News Room.” Hallmark is great and it takes me back to Vancouver and Canada where I am from. So, I get to be in my home country for a bit. They are fun and funny. I love doing romantic comedies. They keep putting me as a romantic lead and I really enjoy working with them as a network.

Q) What was it like working with your costar Erika Christensen?

A) She is really, really smart, witty and intellectual. I love talking to those kinds of people so we really hit it off. We hit it off talking about health, nutrition and working out. She is fun and brilliant. We had great chemistry. She’s such a good actor that it is so easy working with her. There wasn’t much transition from being on set and off set with her.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming Anything For Love?

A) My stuff with Patrick Gilmore was so funny. He plays my best friend in the film, Reggie. He is an orderly and all of the scenes I got to do with him were amazing and funny. I really loved working with him. There is also a really funny moment when we fall into the lake and it was December in Canada. We obviously had doubles do that for us! [laughs] There was a moment when I thought we were both going to do it and Erika was down to do it, but I think for health reasons they didn’t want us to go into water that was like forty degrees. I guess they wanted us to be healthy…If we both came down with pneumonia probably it wouldn’t go over well. My makeup artist was the same one who I had the luxury of working with on the last several movies. To be there with family like that…The highlight is being able to work with people you love and having the opportunity to work as much as it is…We cranked those days so they just flew by. Another highlight is my mom always comes to visit and she spends a week with me. Everyone treats her so well on the set. So, that part is really cool, too. I get time with mom!

Q) What do you think it is about Hallmark that makes the film such a good fit?

A) Well, it’s classic Hallmark that it is a very feel good movie and will tug at your heart in many places. It makes you laugh as it is very lighthearted, but it touches also into the real issue of “will someone love me for who I really am.” There are some real issues being dealt with. Hallmark does about seventy-eight movies there each year so they have it down to a science. There is a type of story that Hallmark tells and the film Anything For Love was exactly what they were looking for. I have really enjoyed the scripts for the movies that I have done. Their viewership is staggering and it’s a really great network to be a part of.

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching the movie?

A) Tell the truth, even when it hurts. Tell the truth early because you just keep digging yourself deep. There is no such thing as an inconsequential lie. That’s for sure!

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the fan feedback you will be receiving during the premiere?

A) Yeah! I’ll be live tweeting during this. I’m very engaged with my fans on my Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram. I am @PaulGreenMedia on Twitter and IAmPaulGreen on Instagram. My Facebook page is under my name. I love the feedback, totally! There are some people that live for them and watch them so many times over and over again. They can also search my name on IMDB as well.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) To my fans, thank you so much for watching and rewatching. Thank you for just being there and supporting me. I have really engaged fans and it’s only bene this last year that I’ve started to really participate and engage. I’ve really only been active on social media this year. It’s really rewarding to hear that people get touched by your work. Just a great big thank you for watching!