Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas begins this weekend, and Kristoffer Polaha answered the decision.
He’ll be starring in We Want You a Married Christmas with Marisol Nichols, and we caught up with him to talk about it.
Since he is greater than a one-trick pony, we additionally talked about his newest e book launch, and stick round till the tip to see the way you would possibly have the ability to see him for those who occur to be within the Nevada space this weekend.
We Want You a Married Christmas follows a pair getting ready to divorce. It isn’t very jolly from an out of doors perspective, however their marriage counselor has a shock for them.
When Becca and Robby arrive at a comfortable inn in Vermont to spend the vacations, Christmas magic intervenes, displaying the couple they may not be as far gone as they thought.
Hallmark films typically begin with long-lost loves reconnecting and discovering a contemporary begin, however hardly ever does a film start with a pair considering separation.
Kris mentioned, “Marisol and I learn the script, we’re like, ‘How are you going to take a pair that is actually getting ready to divorce…’ I imply, the opening scene is them making the choice to separate.
“How do you place that couple within the Hallmark bubble, and the way do you get the viewers to root for that couple with out them being unlikable as a result of they’re falling out of affection? And the trick was, how can we get them again on monitor, and the way can we get folks to root for that and wish to see that? And so it was a problem.”
Kris mentioned that he and Marisol determined to go massive with their characters. “We got the free vary to make massive decisions and to indicate anger and to indicate frustration and to indicate numerous feelings that you simply usually reserve for different tasks.”
At one level, they engaged in a pratfall, and through an entirely distinctive Christmas parade, Kris bought to indicate the viewers simply how a lot Robby cherished the annual custom.
“I imply, I really like the truth that my man simply loves parades as a lot as he does and actually simply goes for it. And I keep in mind Marisol, on the evening, she was taking a look at me like, ‘What are you doing?’ [laughs]
“A few of that stuff is simply her and I reacting off of one another’s precise appearing and her being like, ‘What are you doing proper now?’ I mentioned, ‘You have to belief. You have to belief it.'”
The couple takes their household canine on trip, and he will get to take part within the parade, including one other stage of pleasure for an already excited Robby. The canine, although, reveals admirable restraint within the face of a lot commotion.
“Yeah, that was one thing. That was positively one thing. Anytime you’re employed with an animal, you are not working with simply the animal, you are working with the animal’s coach, and also you’re working with the coach’s assistant, and it is a staff of individuals,” Kris mentioned.
“It could actually do one among two issues, it will probably gradual the day down since you’re having to attend for the canine to hit its mark or to do its factor. However Nippy was cute; Nippy was an excellent little canine, and we had fun working with one another.”
Hallmark Christmas films provide views of many alternative vacation traditions, however the Polaha household is totally entrenched in their very own traditions, with little room for enlargement.
“Our Christmas is locked in. So we’re not likely out there for brand new traditions due to what we have now, and we like what we do. But it surely’s at all times enjoyable so as to add.
“It is enjoyable to leap into these different lives and to see these different traditions and to do the gingerbread competitors or to do the little Christmas flea market factor, the entire stuff. It is form of a deal with for me as an actor to go and be part of that.”
Kris mentioned, “So, Carissa, I do not know if you realize this or not, however for those who catch Santa Claus delivering Christmas presents, he — as a result of you realize the gig is up, and you have seen him, and you realize he’s actual — he simply hand delivers Christmas presents to you after which to your kids, after which to your kids’s kids and on and on and on.
“So a protracted, very long time in the past, my spouse’s grandfather — he grew up on this little home in Florida — wakened one Christmas evening, Christmas Eve evening, and noticed Santa Claus placing presents beneath the tree.
“His identify was Difficult Lamere; I can not even make this up. That is actually his identify. His identify was Difficult Lamere. And since outdated Difficult noticed Santa Claus, Santa Claus made a take care of Difficult, after which his daughter and her daughter, my spouse, after which our children. And I am certain that our children’ youngsters will then get to have precise visits from Santa Claus.
“So on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus involves the home, he hand delivers the presents to us, after which he bails.
“However this is the factor about Santa Claus. What you see on tv is completely unsuitable about him. He is not boisterous. He is not loud. He isn’t this like, ‘Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas.’
“He does not speak. He is very shy. He is very elf-like. He is massive. He is a grown man dimension. And the reindeer parked in a spot the place you’ll be able to’t see them on the roof, and he’ll simply seem. He’ll simply be in your entrance yard, and he’ll form of come out of the darkness and hand you a present, after which he’ll disappear for a minute.
“So it is truly form of scary a bit bit. Like there’s a bit little bit of depth to the evening. And it is fast. It is like a 10-minute go to. And he simply does his factor. He’ll allow you to take a few photos with him, after which he is off as a result of he is bought, clearly, an enormous job that evening. And so that is what we do.”
It is laborious to think about the Polaha household’s Christmas Eve getting any higher than that, however after Santa goes on his elfish means, they’ve a feast and watch Christmas Trip.
Naturally, I pressed Kris additional about his visits with Santa Claus, assuming that he, in truth, was Santa. I used to be useless unsuitable.
“No, I am telling you that it’s Santa Claus. It isn’t me. It isn’t a buddy. I am telling you, Santa Claus. That is the purpose. So that you see him. He reveals up. I imply, it is form of an incredible factor.”
This man is an impeccable storyteller. His story continued once I requested how the children loved their first encounter with some of the essential figures of Christmas.
“Oh, they freak out. They freak out. They disguise, they usually cry. As a result of I am telling you, it is a bit scary. After which the subsequent yr, they’re excited on the anticipation of Santa Claus displaying up; you will hear the bells at first, after which actually, you will simply see this determine emerge out of the darkness, and he’ll be jolly outdated St. Nick.
“After which his presents come wrapped, however particular person. I do not know the place he will get them from. He’ll like stroll, after which swiftly, he’ll give you a present. He’ll go to a special a part of the yard, after which he’ll deliver a present from it. So the presents is likely to be like…
“I do not know in the event that they’re manifested. I do not know if elves are doing it. I do not know what goes on, however he brings every child a couple of presents, they usually’re wrapped for the kid. I suppose he is aware of which works to what. I do not know. It is magical.”
I instructed Krist that I did not assume Santa had ever come to my home as a result of we by no means caught him.
“See, that is the factor, you have to catch him. Anyone has to catch him, and then you definately truly get to see. Yeah, it is a particular factor.”
It sounds great.
“I married into it,” Kris mentioned. “After I was a child, I didn’t have Santa Claus. I didn’t have that have. And so we might open up our household presents on Christmas Eve, after which on Christmas morning, there have been a couple of extra presents that Santa introduced.
“And we’d get up early, and people could be beneath the tree. We might open these on Christmas morning. We might do midnight mass. We might do the entire thing, however I by no means had Santa Claus like I did till I met my spouse. After which the deal, she instructed me in regards to the deal, and I used to be blown away by it.”
And if all of you might be like me, you, too, are actually blown away by it. It is essentially the most magical factor I’ve ever heard described about an already magical evening.
Our dialog pivoted to a different great factor in Kris’s life — his writing partnership with Anna Gomez, which has now produced two novels within the From Kona with Love sequence.
Their first e book, Moments Like This, featured characters Andie and Warren, they usually’re current within the follow-up, The place the Solar Rises. Kris mentioned arising with the story for The place the Solar Rises was straightforward.
“I imply, as soon as we hacked our means by means of — and by that, I imply with machetes by means of a jungle, we needed to clear a path for Moments Like This out of nowhere — we noticed the characters that we wished to jot down about.
“And as we have been writing Moments Like This, this different story began to spring forth. It was form of eager to be instructed. And so we knew precisely what we have been going to get into as quickly as Moments Like This was completed.”
They usually did not waste any time. Moments Like This was printed in March of 2021, they usually began writing The place the Solar Rises in Might of the identical yr.
“We had a draft completed a yr later, so February, after which we had editors, editor notes. In March, April, we had a revision completed, and we had our ultimate e book turned in in June of 2022, which is form of wonderful. So from June to October, we did the entire thing of getting it printed and all of that stuff. So it is wonderful. The e book world is fairly spectacular to me.”
There are one other three books coming within the universe they’ve created. “We have already began e book three, we all know what e book 4’s about, and we all know what e book 5’s about,” Kris mentioned.
For those who learn Moments Like This, you will be launched to who will likely be featured within the later books. The sequence will observe the identical sample till e book 5, which will likely be a standalone e book and the conclusion of the universe.
Kris and Anna have structured the entire books in an effort to choose them up at any level within the sequence with out being misplaced. Whereas the characters’ tales proceed because the books progress, you’ll be able to nonetheless get pleasure from them with out studying what got here earlier than.
“What we’re doing is making a universe. We wished to create this surroundings that you simply enter into. Every e book takes place on a separate island. So the primary e book takes place on Oahu. The second e book takes place on Kauai. The third e book is going down on Molokai. The fourth e book will likely be on Maui. And the fifth e book will likely be on the large island itself.
“And we wished every e book to even be a standalone in order that if readers enter the sequence, it would not be a must-read to must [read the others]. For those who leap in on e book two, you can choose up a e book and browse it from cowl to cowl and have a full story with out it being depending on Moments Like This.
“However for those who have been to then go and browse Moments Like This, a floodgate of knowledge will speak in confidence to you the place you would be like, ‘Oh, I perceive the place these folks come from and who they’re.’ So it is virtually such as you’re taking a look at these characters from a three-dimensional perspective, e book to e book to e book to e book.”
Kris described his writing partnership with Anna as numerous choreography, making a blueprint for what was and what’s to return to make sure a flawless timeline.
For the primary two books, they labored backwards and forwards, with every of them writing and giving it off to the opposite for the subsequent and so forth. It takes coordination and open strains of communication. “We’re interdependent on each other, so we have now to know the place we’re going so the blueprint is sound.”
“This time, we took {that a} step additional, and as a substitute of breaking the story up into components — it is Warren’s POV after which again to Andie’s, after which all my writing is, in fact, infused in Moments Like This all through — with The place the Solar Rises, we determined, ‘Why do not we do one chapter for Maele, one chapter for Adam, one chapter Maele, one chapter Adam. And we’ll simply ping backwards and forwards.’ Bing, bing, bing, bing, bing.
“And someone wrote this actually stunning evaluation that it creates an ebb and circulate virtually just like the tides themselves. This vitality that washes in with Maele, after which it washes again out. After which Adam rushes in together with his personal vitality, after which it rushes out.
“So, as you learn, you actually are form of pinging between these two folks’s lives. And I am pleased with it. I believe we did a extremely great job. And in contrast to different books that I’ve learn, I’ve by no means learn a e book prefer it. And it is nonetheless gentle studying, nevertheless it nonetheless drops you into, I do not know, some emotional territory that is a bit deeper than what you would possibly anticipate.”
Kris explains, “I simply love the truth that we have these two damaged folks. She bodily broke her neck six years earlier than the e book begins, and Adam, he bought entangled with medicine and alcohol and form of broke his soul six years earlier than the e book begins.
“And I really like how love is that this therapeutic like a balm between the 2 of them. And swiftly, energy and braveness and fearlessness and the need for sobriety and self-control. All this stuff form of kick in after they meet one another. They activate all these stunning qualities in one another. And I really like that as a result of I believe that is what love can do.”
Kris mentioned, “It is a completely surprising reward in my life to have met Anna and to have turn into a writing accomplice together with her and to turn into an creator. It was out of the blue. Only a reward, actually a present, as a result of it wasn’t part of the plan.”
Kris has lots occurring with the vacations and writing with Anna, however that is not all he has on his plate.
Kris will likely be starring in an upcoming Amazon present in partnership with MGM known as Harlan Coben’s Shelter. He is working with Harlan Coben, Allen MacDonald, and Charlotte Coben, who created the present.
“Harlan already did what we’re making an attempt to do with Moments Like This; he created a literary universe. He has this sports activities agent named Myron Bolitar, who solves crimes and has over 30 books which have been New York Instances bestselling books.
“He is written a ton of thrillers and mysteries and created this actually stunning universe. After which Myron has a brother named Brad, who’s bought a son named Mickey. And I play Brad, and this present, Shelter, is about Mickey, and kind of the place is dad in season one.
“And so, being dad, I get to have a bit enjoyable on this universe. And it has been a deal with. We shoot in New Jersey, and we began in August, and I am going again in every week or two to complete up the primary season.”
Kris and Anna are additionally actively turning Moments Like This right into a characteristic movie. “We employed our screenwriter; her identify is Erin Brown Thomas, and he or she’s great. And she or he’s simply bought a knack for construction so far as screenplays go and has additionally bought a present for dialogue. And so we form of hit the jackpot together with her so far as writing goes.
“We employed her and introduced her on. So she’s already adapting. She’s 80 pages into the script at this level as of this interview. And we have now Michael Goldstein, Basset Hound Productions. Your readers would know him from Pearl in Paradise. I’ve labored with Michael on a couple of events now, however he has this manufacturing firm, and they’re additionally reaching out in each path.
“So that they’re pitching tv reveals to Peacock and NBC and making films for Hallmark. However they’re additionally doing a complete lot of stuff. And when he learn Moments Like This, he was like, ‘I believe we will do what you wish to do with this, which is a theatrical launch so far as a film goes, and I believe we will make a extremely nice film collectively.’
“And so we have a producer lined up who will co-produce with me. We have got our screenwriter, and so we’re off to the races. It is only a matter of as soon as that script is completed, we have to safe some money, after which we’ll make a film.”
With as a lot as he has occurring, Kris is at all times thrilled when he can lend a serving to hand to his followers and to individuals who share comparable viewpoints. For those who’re a fan of his, you have doubtless seen his Polaha Chautauqua movies on Instagram or different interviews the place he invitations pals and colleagues to share their experiences.
It was on one among his movies that I discovered in regards to the work Marisol Nichols does with regulation enforcement to cease trafficking, which can be one thing near Kris’s coronary heart, and I can’t advocate sufficient listening to their dialog collectively. You are able to do it right here.
This weekend, he’ll be sharing his time with one other excellent trigger. Katie and Christina of the Down Syndrome Community of Northern Nevada reached out to him to ask if they may assist unfold the phrase about their work.
They weren’t fairly certain how he may assist, however Kris began arising with concepts, in the end touchdown on doing one thing in Reno, the place Kris grew up. He mentioned Reno has every kind of thrilling issues occurring throughout the summer season, however come mid-September, every thing shuts down as a result of the climate will get chilly.
“I mentioned, ‘However what if we put collectively a household day on a farm someplace, or in San Rafael Park or someplace the place folks can come, and we’ll simply do an enormous fundraiser to your group.’ They usually have been like, ‘Nicely, what does this seem like? And so we simply began hashing it out, and we simply began placing collectively what today would seem like.
“So Friday evening, there’s going to be a film, and we will display The place Hope Grows. And my co-star David DeSanctis, who has Down Syndrome, goes to fly out together with his household, and he’ll be there for the film and all day for the autumn pageant.”
For the worth of a ticket, you get lunch, a hay journey, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch, and also you get to hang around with Kris and David, all within the identify of the Down Syndrome Community of Northern Nevada.
They’re going to be joined by Western Nevada Provide, Rick Reviglio, and his household, who made a large donation to kick issues off, so the occasion is within the black proper off the bat.
For those who’re within the Reno space and wish to be part of Kris and David and have an excellent household time for a beautiful trigger, go to DSNNN.Org for tickets.
Later that evening, Kris will spend time together with his household watching We Want You a Married Christmas, which comes extremely really useful by Kris, who starred in it, and by me, who watched it.
You possibly can choose up the primary two books in his From Kona with Love sequence at your favourite booksellers, and make sure to control his social media websites for extra wonderful interviews, considerate discussions, and information of what he’ll be doing subsequent.
We Want You a Married Christmas on Hallmark Channel premieres Saturday, October 22 at 8/7c.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a employees author and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Selection Affiliation, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of tv and movie with anybody who will pay attention. Observe her on Twitter and electronic mail her right here at TV Fanatic.
