Kimberley Sustad Talks Recreation of Love, Writing Smash Hallmark Hits with Paul Campbell, and Extra!

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Loveuary could also be over, however Hallmark reminds you that it is at all times time for love with Recreation of Love.

Kimberley Sustad and Brooks Darnell star on this cute Hallmark unique a few recreation designer named Audrey and a challenge supervisor named Matthew who need to get previous their variations to ship a brand new recreation in document time.

We touched base with Kimberley to get the inside track on the film, step again in time to debate a bit Christmas magic, and speak about her love of writing and appearing.

Please benefit from the interview, which has been edited for content material and readability.

So earlier than we speak about Recreation of Love, now we have to revisit Christmas to speak about Three Clever Males and a Child. I had no thought that you simply and Paul Campbell have been writing companions.

Yeah, we’re. That was a variety of enjoyable. They’re like The Beatles now, these three boys.

Proper. I imply, you have to be over the moon about that film’s success.

Yeah, it had a variety of issues going for it, and I knew that it will hit Hallmark audiences the way in which it did. I wasn’t anticipating it to form of break the glass ceiling and go right into a wider viewers house the way in which that it did.

It is greater than you may hope for if you’re writing these items or making these films in order that much more folks can see them, take pleasure in them, and have a good time the vacations over them. In order that was actually nice.

How did you get enthusiastic about script writing within the first place?

Paul and I did a film, our very first film collectively, which was Godwink Christmas, and it was extra of a sentimental film. And Paul and I are each humorous, as I found once we have been doing this film.

The film was actually sentimental, and we saved saying, oh, I want we had the prospect to do a romcom or one thing like that to actually take a look at this power that we had. As a result of when the cameras began rolling, it was joke after joke, and we have been laughing hysterically, despite the fact that that was not the film we have been filming.

And I feel in the future he was like, “Have you ever ever thought of writing one?” And I used to be like, “Oh, no, no, no, no. However I do have this concept.” And I smooth pitched him Christmas by Starlight, and he stated, “Oh, that is an amazing thought. Let’s write it.” I used to be like, “Are you insane?”

And Paul’s a kind of guys that, when he says one thing, he follows by way of. I feel it was 5 months after we completed wrapping that film, came visiting with cue playing cards, and he was like, “Let’s do that factor.”

We form of bumped our method alongside, and we wrote this script on spec, and we walked into Hallmark once we had another occasion to go to. We requested, “Hey, can we are available for a fast assembly earlier than the TCAs?” And we handed them the script and pitched them the film.

Nicely, we pitched them the film, after which we handed them the script, they usually have been like, “What? You wrote it?” And we have been like, “Yeah, yeah. So have a learn.” And so they did and beloved it. And that is sort of how we started.

It was extra all people’s shock. I feel lots of people in all probability say, “Oh, I am penning this factor, or I am engaged on this factor.” We sort of simply did it quietly.

I feel it took us in all probability 9 months or one thing like that, a very very long time — I suppose not for lots of flicks. I feel it was a 12 months later we have been capturing it, and that was Christmas by Starlight, and we have sort of simply saved going ever since then.

Wow. That is good to have anyone you take pleasure in performing with who also can join with you on the writing stage.

Yeah, now we have very totally different expertise that work surprisingly properly collectively when making a film, which I did not know on the time. I actually did not know a ton about writing, however I did know a ton about story. After which, once we began placing these items collectively, it simply form of was the proper match.

Okay. I’ve to imagine you’ve got received much more on the again burner now.

Sure, we do.

I am unable to wait. I am unable to wait to see what you provide you with subsequent. I feel your expertise in making these films goes a protracted option to making the content material exactly what works for the viewers.

That is proper. And what you discover is a variety of the issues that I do as an actor once I’m in a job or prepping one or filming one has a variety of parts wanted to make a script as properly.

Since you’ll see gaps or by way of traces, or I used to get in there, and simply sort of negotiate my method round with the director and the producers and are available out with a product that I felt was a bit clearer, a bit extra streamlined, or a bit funnier or no matter it’s that the script could also be needing.

I had no thought I might switch a few of that to writing. I’ve discovered quite a bit over the past couple of years doing it. Starlight was sort of like a quick Masterclass as a result of what occurred was I do not assume anybody anticipated to make that film as quick as they did. As a result of as soon as COVID hit, I feel materials and all these films received sidelined.

And right here we had our little Starlight. Randy Pope at Hallmark was nonetheless creatively working that finish of issues, and he stated, “We’ll do Starlight.” And we’re like, “What?”

Three months away from even having the second draft. And Randy is like, “We’ll make it occur. So what can we received to do?” And we simply wrote madly. Even whereas we have been there filming it, ending issues in order that there was the reward of COVID that gave us an opportunity and the beautiful folks at Hallmark that gave us an opportunity.

After which Paul and I lastly received to do a humorous film collectively as a result of we wrote it. After which it was all these three issues aligned very well. And I feel audiences actually appreciated that one quite a bit.

And who is aware of your strengths higher than the 2 of you? So you could possibly write what you knew would match the invoice.

Nicely, I am an encyclopedia of ’90s romcoms, second to second. I like them a lot. I grew up watching these again and again. These are extra my Disney than Disney was. So I can pull again each element, each scene of all of them. I am a giant fan, and so I feel you are profitable on the issues that you are a fan of.

I used to be watching a grasp class on-line. I feel it’d’ve even been Spielberg. He was saying, and I am not placing myself on his stage in anyway, however I believed that is a very good level. He stated, “Once you go in to jot down one thing, beginning someplace that you realize nothing about is not often the place. I write issues that I am a fan of.”

And ever since he was eight years previous, he was a fan of warfare. He simply had all these little plastic toy troopers. He would arrange these epic landscapes stuffed with them and dramatize the entire thing endlessly for 20 years doing one thing to the extent of that.

And I used to be like, “Yeah, that is so true.” As a result of I have been watching these films for thus lengthy and am such a fan of them, having the ability to write them and convey them to life now’s so enjoyable and pleasurable and quite a bit simpler as a result of I am a fan of it.

And is not that why you watch a Masterclass? Since you need to get these nuggets of knowledge that sort of bolster your ideas.

Sure. How do you do it? How does it work for different folks? And you discover like, wow, no marvel you are a fan. With the flicks he comes up with, I feel he is greater than only a fan of one thing.

Nicely, by now, sure. However it needed to begin someplace.

Yeah, you are going to begin someplace. And that, I suppose, is the place I began and the way I began.

You are additionally a prolific actress. You are still appearing in different folks’s work. How do you see writing and appearing working collectively as your profession continues?

I actually do not discover it bizarre to jot down the issues that I am in. I feel Paul and I are taking a look at a film for us to be a pair on display collectively. That is a variety of enjoyable being concerned with that. And creatively and behind the scenes, it is actually satisfying.

I haven’t got an issue handing it off and letting different folks do their jobs with it. I like the collaborative course of, and in order that’s the way it actually works once I’m engaged on issues that I’ve written. I additionally love watching different folks carry these characters to life, as properly.

That’s terribly satisfying and a lot enjoyable, particularly if a variety of the time you may have these voices in your head, after which an actor will do it, and you will go, “Wow, that is method higher than it was in my head. That is wonderful.”

I suppose once I’m not writing them, I attempt to do the identical justice to these scripts or folks’s onerous work when it comes to writing and dig into greater than what’s on the web page and make a completely rounded character or a completely rounded particular person, actually not a personality. And that is sort of how I am going at it as properly.

So I need to dump this on you since you’re a fan of 90s Romcoms. I hope that as Hallmark has been altering up their content material fairly a bit, you sort of go into the straight Romcom and never simply do vacation themes or seasonally-themed films.

So I feel that you simply and Paul ought to write one. It is like a standard rom-com for Hallmark in order that we are able to get that ball rolling. I think about you.

Do not you are concerned. Do not you are concerned. I feel so too.

Good. I like speaking to individuals who can get issues accomplished. [laughs]

Three Clever Males rode a high-quality line. They did a ton of Christmasy issues, nevertheless it did not need to do with Christmas. The story itself.

I agree.

It came about at Christmas. And so we’re step by step getting there. And there was a variety of dialog and a little bit of fear on the chief facet as a result of the departure from that may be a scary one, particularly if you’re coping with their Christmas, which is their large time of 12 months.

I will have handy it to them like, “Okay, Christmas is not ruling this factor, however the story is, and we’re high-quality with it. We’ll let it go.” And I feel they noticed the facility of that.

Proper. And now that different networks like Netflix are pulling out these sorts of flicks, theirs are far much less Christmas pushed, but additionally round Christmas. I feel Hallmark can transfer in that route and get again a few of that viewers.

Yeah, just a few of them. Once you do a story-driven script, it is received to be absolutely rounded. It is not simply the sentimentality of Christmas anymore.

It is no matter’s taking place in these folks’s lives and that story that is entrance and heart. And so it takes a bit bit longer and digging into a variety of, “what is that this film about? And what’s the story we’re attempting to inform?” Tough.

At first, Recreation of Love looks like a Valentine’s kind film, however I do not assume that it is nearly love any greater than Three Clever Males and a Child was about Christmas.

That is proper.

What about that position appealed to you?

What I beloved about Audrey was that she’s extremely aggressive to a fault. However we come to search out on the market’s simply this have to show her value. And I feel it is one thing that we are able to all relate to.

I feel we get a bit misplaced in issues, generally attempting to determine or be recognized by one thing which may give us worth, and discovering that you simply could be sufficient simply as you’re, isn’t solely scary but additionally relieving.

And so I feel folks will bumble alongside along with her, battle for that, and see it immediately, but additionally fully relate when that each one involves a head. So she’s a really relatable character for all of us.

Nicely, you realize what I associated to? Her sporting a hoodie. I used to be like, I’ve by no means seen anyone in a Hallmark film put on my garments. I am at all times in a t-shirt and a hoodie.

Yeah. Converse. I do not actually look nice within the hoodie as a result of I am tall. And once I noticed that, I used to be like, oh. [laughs]

You appeared so cute.

The petite women get away with the hoodies. However then I used to be like, nah, tall women can put on them too. So right here we go.

Yeah. I am tall. That is my staple if I am not doing one thing, simply one thing comfy I can dart round in and have a pocket.

Once I initially learn this, that they had her sort of amp up her wardrobe towards the top. The stylist ended up serving to her. And I did not need to battle that arduous, however I stated, “Hey guys, it is 2023. Can we not change the lady to look higher so she will be able to get the man?” Thanks.

Thanks for that as a result of I seen.

And so they had it in there. And I used to be like, “Guys, that is not the story.” That is not her journey for her to undergo this entire factor after which present up having modified the factor she fought for.

Proper. Like Sandy from Grease.

She’s okay, simply as she is. And possibly the extra she will be able to settle for that, the extra she will be able to let go. Proper?

Proper. And she or he did. She wore one thing apart from a hoodie, which was nonetheless comfy and properly inside her model vary. It made sense. So you could possibly change on the within.

Precisely. They have been like, “Nicely, we will not have a hoodie all through.” I used to be like, “We’ll discover it. We’ll discover it.”

Proper. And you’ll change on the within. She grew and accepted a distinct facet of herself, and that is much more vital than altering her garments.

I had a enjoyable interview with Brooks this vacation season. What was it like working with him?

Oh, he is pretty. Once I first met him, I used to be like, oh, that is going to work as a result of he is so cool, and I am not. Instantly, he simply has this actually chill, cool demeanor in life too.

I’m one hundred percent extra like Audrey. I’ve no cool issue. So I believed, oh, that will likely be an attention-grabbing power on display. And we’ll see how that works. I feel it really works fairly properly.

It does. It really works out very well.

Nice. He did not need to play cool. He’s cool.

I feel it is his voice.

He simply received this actually robust, grounded presence, and he does not need to assume too lengthy about his phrases, or he does not strive too onerous. He is not attempting to win folks on a regular basis. He is very current and grounded. And that may be unnerving generally if you’re like, “Like me, like me!” Extra of my power.

I feel you are past that now. I feel folks know you adequate to love you simply by your films.

I do not know if that ever adjustments, although. That is the bizarre factor. I’d like to be extra, “yeah, I am so assured.” However it’s one of many causes I’ve by no means even gone out to do a kind of Christmas conferences as a result of I am terrified.

Oh my gosh. Of all folks.

I do know. Is not that loopy?

They’re one of the best folks, Hallmark followers. They’d embrace you so warmly. I have not been to 1, however I am like in a Tyler Hines Fb group, and oh my gosh, they’re simply over the moon with him and his work. Simply so many sort phrases to say and such caring folks. And so they all care about one another.

It is not simply films. It’s received a little bit of a motion in direction of group that persons are discovering. I feel that’s actually particular. I am actually for that — folks from everywhere in the world.

It is like players. They join with folks all over the place and get collectively on the web to play these video games. After which they get to know one another, take journeys collectively as a bunch, and all have this one factor.

Otherwise you go to Comedian-Con. And these folks have been constructing costumes of their favourite recreation characters for a 12 months. Then they get collectively. They’ve this unbelievable time in San Diego and have one of the best time of their lives. They’re a part of one thing, a part of a group.

I feel that Hallmark hat is providing that. And that is turning into extra, and extra of what is transpiring are these folks. The followers are connecting and discovering a group. And I feel that’s so lovely.

What else do you have got in your plate in the mean time?

Paul and I are writing a script referred to as My Week in Wyoming, which goes to be a tremendous story. It is virtually like a Metropolis Slickers. And it isn’t Christmas, nevertheless it’s actually humorous.

We’re additionally engaged on a Christmas film that we’re writing, and I am not allowed to say something about that one, nevertheless it’s additionally going to, I hope, blow the doorways off as properly. So we’re having a variety of enjoyable doing that concurrently, really.