Yahoo Lifestyle Erin Cahill and Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez Gush Over Their New Hallmark Christmas Series
Drama mixed with moments of comic relief are common ingredients in many holiday gatherings, and following that familiar recipe is Hallmark’s first Christmas series, Holidazed, which premiered on Nov. 14.
The fictional series, set during the holiday season, follows six families from different backgrounds, cultures and generations who all live in the same cul-de-sac. During a time when emotions are amplified, each family comes together to celebrate their unique, rich traditions and navigate family eccentricities that ultimately help them discover what they have in common: Love in all its different forms.
Holidazed boasts an all-star cast, including Erin Cahill, Ian Harding, Dennis Haysbert, John C. McGinley, Lindy Booth, Rachelle Lefevre and Virginia Madsen, to name just a few. There are a record 37 principal cast members in the eight-episode series.
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Longtime Hallmark leading lady, Cahill (Autumn at Apple Hill and Christmas on Cherry Lane) plays Nora Jacobs, the town sheriff and a single, widowed mom of a young boy. In the second episode, “The Hill Family,” Nora's path crosses with Josh Hill (Harding), her old high school lab partner and now an architect. We learn both harbor secret crushes on one another.
When Josh ends up doing required community service under Nora’s supervision, he takes a shine to her son, Theo (Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, 11).
Photo Credit: Hallmark Media. Photographer Courtesy: Hallmark Media
Cahill and Billingsley-Rodriguez recently talked with Parade in an exclusive interview, sharing their thoughts on their characters, the show and their enduring relationship since they filmed the series two years ago.
Debra Wallace: Erin, what did you learn from this series?
Erin Cahill: Honestly, I just would learn every time I would watch Sebastian. I was so impressed with him. He would have these monologues and then he would get these notes, take them and run with it. He was like an actor who’d been doing it for 40 years. I was so impressed.
I think I learned from that, too. I learned just by watching him throw himself in it with reckless abandon. I was like OK, I guess I just re-learned how to be open and play with the dialogue. It was a wonderful reminder of how much I love what I do.
Sebastian, why did you want to make this series?
Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez: Well, I wanted to make it because I’ve never seen a Christmas series before. ... I love Christmas movies and I just love Christmas altogether. It was so fun to work with Erin, Ian and everyone else.
What did Erin teach you that you’ll never forget?
Sebastian: Sometimes you’re not the closest to people who you’re related to...
Do you see a message there? [Like] "Life is messy and family is messy and love is messy, but they all get through it and kind of come out the other side stronger."
Erin: That’s one of the things that drew me to the series. That’s so funny, one of the words that the creators kept using was "messy." Life is messy; humans are messy; the holidays are messy. It feels really rooted in reality in that way. There are moments of great levity and also moments of profound connection and truth. That’s what we are as people; we’re a full spectrum. That’s what’s really represented in this show. It’s a step away from the traditional Hallmark. It’s still got the core values, but it’s new and it’s great storytelling.
Did you have a personal back story to inform your character in this series?
Erin: My parents were divorced when I was in middle school. My dad was in the picture, and he would come over once a week. We are very close, so it’s all good. But it was like my mom was a single mom. I had a lot to draw from for Nora, being a single mom. I have a police officer in my family so it was easy to create her background. I have a couple of family members in law enforcement, so for me, it was really fun getting to put on a uniform and getting to play the town sheriff, especially wearing that hat. In fittings, they said they might lose the hat, but I thought it completed the look, so I fought for it.
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Do you have a favorite Christmas tradition you look forward to every year?
Erin: In my family, Christmas Eve is kind of the big one. We play games until the wee hours of the morning and we drink spiked cider and we laugh. We’ll play all different kinds of games, it doesn’t even matter what it is. It’s not anything traditional per se. Then we wake up late the next morning and stay in our PJs all day and watch movies and eat. We kind of have breakfast food all day because Christmas Eve is the one where we do the big traditional meal. That’s our tradition.
Sebastian: It’s how in the morning on Christmas morning we open stockings while my dad is making his special pancakes. And then we eat breakfast and then [open] gifts. It's such an amazing Christmas every year.
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What is it like to interact with your fans?
Erin: Well, I started meeting fans at events and I have cried multiple times with people who have said, “You got me through my cancer treatments,” or “You got me through my spouse passing," or other tough times. To be able to tell stories that people get buoyed by in dark times is truly the greatest gift.
Can each of you tell me about a favorite holiday gift?
Erin: Yes, gosh, this is probably at least five years ago now, instead of giving each other gifts, we get little stocking stuffers. But we went and had a spa day as a family. I think two days before Christmas or something. That was one of my favorite Christmas memories because the older I get the more I want experiences and time with the people I love. That was one of my favorite Christmas memories I’ve ever had with my family. What about you, Sebastian? What’s a gift you got that you really love?
Sebastian: Well, No. 1 I think was my Xbox that I got because everyone uses it. We use it for games, TV, whatever. And, also a six-lane speedway Hot Wheels track I got when I was 8 or 9. You can take it apart for travel with it. It’s one of my favorite tracks.
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Photo Credit: Hallmark Media. Photographer Courtesy: Hallmark Media
Do you and Sebastian keep in touch?
Erin: We text and keep in touch regularly. I plan to always know Sebastian. I got to see him recently because he was in LA for the premiere of his movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, in which he plays Judy Greer’s son, Charlie. It was released on Nov. 8. So, we had a little Hallmark mom-son reunion. I love you, always, Sebastian. Always, always.
Sebastian: Same here.
Where did you film Holidazed?
Erin: It was Victoria, on Vancouver Island. We filmed in October, November and into December. So, it was winter, and there were authentic Christmas decorations. We filmed it two years ago. ... We knew it was always going to be at least a year from when we filmed it until coming out. So now it’s two years later, which is crazy. But wasn’t it so special, Sebastian, filming in the wintertime and actually feeling like it was Christmas for three months?
Sebastian: Yes, I love filming Christmas movies at Christmas because, one, it feels natural. And, two, you don’t have to be in this heavy jacket in the summer.
Why do you want people to watch the series?
Sebastian: I think it’ll be a great family series to watch. Even though it’s a Christmas series, it’ll be good to watch any time of year. It’s funny, full of dry humor and there’s a little love story. It’s so inclusive. And there’s a bunch of different stories because there’s a bunch of different families, so there’s a bunch of things. Everyone should see it; it’s such a good show.
Erin: It’s a really unique show. I’ve never seen a holiday series like this. I hope everyone loves it because it’s so heart-driven and funny and, like Sebastian said, inclusive. It is also real, representative of how we are at the holidays, which is connected and messy and fun and spirited.
Episodes 1 and 2 of Holidazed premiered on Nov. 14 and continue with episodes every Thursday on Hallmark +.
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