Sam Page – A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love

By starrymag | November 22, 2020

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) Hallmark movies usually begin with these meet-cute moments.  How does that follow or not with A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Loveand these former high school sweethearts?

 

A) Yeah, this isn’t really a meet-cute. It’s a re-meet-cute because it has been so long and Pat has not been home since he left a long time ago.  His family always came to visit him because why would you come back to Boise when you can have everybody in Hawaii?!  It’s through this sequence of shots that lead us to meeting up for the first time in forever, fifteen/twenty years or something like that, and there is a series of Godwinks that kind of happens and the audience doesn’t really know what they are until they are explained later that it is fate bringing them back together.

 

Q) The hallmark of Hallmark channel films is this balance of humor and heart that’s always balanced so beautifully. How does A Godwink Christmas adhere that?

 

A) It definitely does.  The little boys who are in the movie bring a lot of humor to it because they are kind of funny in the way that they are exploring this new world that they are living in.  Having come from Hawaii and now they are in Boise in the snow with their grandma, they are really learning new kind of Christmas traditions and continuing some of the old ones to make them feel more at home in their new surroundings, but also learning some new ones which they are really kind of excited about. They are a little apprehensive and that kind of melts away as they get to do more Christmas stuff.  Also, I think Brooke [D’Orsay] is a very natural, gifted comedian and so I think that the light humor comes out really well.  The characters in the world of the movie kind of a very instant reconnection and meeting of personality meshing.  We really wanted to bring that across.  From what I am told (I have not seen everything)…I have seen some scenes that we did ADR on and from what I am told it comes across.  I think we achieved that Hallmark aspect.

 

Q) We see this really charming natural chemistry develop between your character Pat and Brooke’s character Margie, was that similar off screen as well?  You talked about Brooke being a natural comedian and I have loved her in so many series like “Royal Pains” and “Two and a Half Men.” 

 

A) You don’t end up on “Two and a Half Men” if you can’t hold your own without some serious comedy chops.  With the new protocols for protecting everyone from COVID, you don’t really have interaction with anybody off screen.  You kind of have to immediately put your PPE back on and run away to your little hiding hole until they need you again. Almost all of my interactions with Brooke were on set, whether it was rehearsing or in between takes. As soon as they say, “Cut! We got it, moving on,” you put all of your PPE back on and you disappear until they need you again.

 

Q) We talked a little about the setting of the film being in Boise.  We see many Hallmark films set in Colorado, Hawaii or Canada, but not many in Idaho.   The setting does often end up being a character in itself and I wanted to ask how 

 

A) Boise was a new one for me as far as the location, but it’s a great Christmas-y place.  Without too many landmarks that would be otherwise giveaway or need to be filmed, it’s kind of the perfect place for a Hallmark Christmas movie that is shot in Langley, British Columbia.

 

Q) I also love the aspect as well as to how the holiday itself ends up being a character just as much too.  Because it’s really what sets the spirit and the tone for the films as well.  I am not from the Midwest, and having never been to the Midwest, I am looking forward to being transported there and seeing how that region celebrates differently than from where I am from.

 

A) Yeah, sure.  There are a lot of things that happen in Boise that we talk about in the movie and traditions.  I think anywhere where it is really cold and really snowy so people can really go all out for Christmas in every aspect and have to spray their windows with fake snow and ice can be a lot of fun. I am from Milwaukee, so that’s what my Christmas is more like.

 

Q) Certainly, the holidays are going to look a lot different for a lot of us this season, what are some of your favorite holiday traditions and favorite things that you are looking forward to and maybe have to modify this year?

 

A) Modifying that we won’t be seeing my family because they are all on the East Coast or in the Midwest.  That is a drag because we didn’t get to see any of them last Christmas.  But there are extra efforts put in other areas of keeping communication and connection like FaceTime and family Zoom calls and things like that. We are doing that a lot and my kids are getting old enough to appreciate and communicate through that medium.  I think there is some comfort in talking together and knowing that everybody is being safe and making safe choices for now to get through this.  I would like to think that other people are doing it and hope that they are.

Traditions are like advent calendars and making cookies and decorating the house.  Definitely decorating the Christmas tree.  My wife is an expert level Christmas tree decorator.  She gets it from her mom.  Her parents live out here near us so we are at their house a lot anyway, so we get to have two absolutely brilliant Christmas trees.

 

Q) Is there anything else about the film that you would like to mention or are there any other upcoming projects to look forward to seeing you in?

 

A) No other projects.  There are some things in the works and some things that are going to be done in early 2021, but I can’t really talk about just yet.  Then, just hanging with the family.  Taking advantage of the time where you can’t be moving around a lot and be with family.  I am fortunate to be a very busy guy, but that also means I am away from home a lot.  It’s a difficult balance.  I think that with this industry there is going to be a lot more work for everybody soon. Once this next wave of current cases dies down again, everybody will be busy.