When we watch a Hallmark movie, there's often a warm familiarity to the endearing stories they tell, as well as the actors who portray the characters we come to know and love!
Today I am excited to share with all of you my interview with actress Matreya Fedor, who is starring alongside Hallmark movie regulars - Catherine Bell ("Christmas in the Air"), Victor Webster ("Magic Stocking"), and Anthony Konechny ("Perfect Match") in Hallmark Movies & Mysteries *Christmas in July* Movie Premiere of "Home for Christmas Day!"
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| “Home for Christmas Day” Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States |
Even though this is Matreya Fedor's first Hallmark movie, she is absolutely no stranger to Hallmark or Christmas movies! You'll see all of these details and more in my interview with Matreya below, plus her on-the-set scoop of this upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie!
Hope you all enjoy our *chat* below...
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INTERVIEW
MATREYA FEDOR
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| Matreya Fedor Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen |
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Welcome Matreya to “It’s a Wonderful Movie,” where we chat about family friendly movies on TV! Congratulations on your role in the Hallmark Christmas Movie “Home for Christmas Day.” Please tell us a little about yourself and how you became involved in acting.
Matreya Fedor: For as long as I can remember I always wanted to act. My parents were against it at first; there’s a lot of rejection in the industry and that can be hard on anyone’s self-esteem, let alone a little girl. But my parents decided to let me give it a chance when I was six. They told me I could audition for three months, but if I didn’t end up booking anything then I would stop trying. I ended up booking the first audition I went on, which was a Strawberry Shortcake commercial, and I’ve been acting ever since!
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: How did you find out that you were chosen for the Hallmark movie, “Home for Christmas Day?”
Matreya Fedor: My agent sent me a text mentioning that I was one of production’s top picks for Betsy and that they were just waiting for the network’s approval. Later in the day I got the offer from casting that they had picked me to be their Betsy.
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| Anthony Konechny, Matreya Fedor Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen |
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Please tell us about your character Betsy McKendrick.
Matreya Fedor: Betsy is a high school senior planning her path after graduation. She is very passionate about learning and caring for animals. In her spare time she volunteers at a local animal shelter. Thus, her dream is to go to a university with an outstanding veterinary program. The problem is her dream schools are all very far from home and her mom wants her to stay close by and go to a state school. In the midst of this conflict, Betsy meets a young soldier in town. There is a lot of chemistry between the two, which makes Betsy’s mom very nervous. Betsy’s dad was a soldier and was killed in action when she was very young, so her mom knows all about the heartbreak that’s possible when falling for a member of the armed forces.
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| Matreya Fedor on Hallmark Channel's Cedar Cove |
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: How different is it working on a Hallmark movie, instead of a weekly Hallmark series?
(readers: Matreya Fedor’s first role on Hallmark was playing a teenager who was battling bullying issues on the weekly drama series “Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove.”)
Matreya Fedor: Both Hallmark movies and series are wonderful to be a part of and I am very fortunate to have had the experience of being a part of both. In series, you watch your character grow and develop over a much longer period of time. You also don’t know what’s going to happen next week, so everything is kind of a mystery. It’s just as exciting for actors to find out what happens as it is for viewers to find out! On movies, you get the whole picture before you go to camera. You know exactly what is going to happen, so you can decide exactly how and why your character is going to behave in a given scene. Are you trying to throw the audience off, make them guess what’s going to happen next? Are you going to throw in a bit of foreshadowing in this scene? Either way, you really are living the dream!
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Hallmark viewers certainly love Christmas movies! Since you have two on your resume, (“My One Christmas Wish” for UP and now “Home for Christmas Day” for Hallmark) do you… perhaps, have any all-time favorite Christmas Movies, you must watch every year?
Matreya Fedor: I am crazy about Christmas. November 1st, I am in full Christmas mode. I watch “Elf” at least three times every Christmas season. Another of my favourites is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” original and Jim Carrey version. I’m also a sucker for “Love Actually,” regardless of the season.
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| Matreya Fedor and co-star Anthony Konechny Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen |
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: How long was the shoot for “Home for Christmas Day?” Since it wasn’t filmed in the winter, was there any movie magic to make it look like Christmastime?
Matreya Fedor: We shot for three weeks. Luckily we were having a bout of cold weather where we filmed in Vancouver, so we weren’t dying of heat in all those sweaters and layers. In most scenes we have fake snow: ice chips, cotton blankets, and some weird magic snow dust. In a few scenes we were actually filming on top of Grouse Mountain, so we had real snow and REAL cold. It was gorgeous, but it was really, really cold.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: What was it like to work with your co-stars: Catherine Bell, Victor Webster, and Anthony Konechny, who have all made several Hallmark movies?
Matreya Fedor: All of my co-stars were incredible! Catherine is so lovely. She’s a real mama-bear, and you can see it shining through in her work. You can easily see why she’s had so much success over the years. Victor is like the class clown. He was always trying to jump out and scare me on set! But it’s the best of both worlds with him. He’s very conscientious of when someone has an emotional scene, and will make sure that the cast and crew is quiet so the actor can prepare. Anthony was so difficult to work with. I’m totally kidding. You see how beautiful he is on the outside? He is just as beautiful on the inside, I promise. He is so kind and thoughtful. It was a real treat to work with him, and he made my job very easy.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Do you have a favorite scene in “Home for Christmas Day” or memorable filming moment?
Matreya Fedor: I really love the scenes when we’re filming on Grouse Mountain. It’s just so beautiful! There’s one scene in particular when Betsy and Tyler are on a date. They are walking through the snow and walk through a light tunnel. It’s stunning.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Do you have any future projects you are able to share with us?
Matreya Fedor: I am currently going to university! So over the past two years I haven’t been able to film that much. I am majoring in economics and it really takes up a lot of my time. I try to make as much time for acting as possible, but sometimes that can be tough to do.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: I am happy to hear this new Hallmark movie also honors our military! What do you hope viewers will take away from watching “Home for Christmas Day?”
Matreya Fedor: I hope that viewers can see how much our soldiers and their families give up to serve and protect. I’m also going to steal a quote from my costar Anthony here: “Follow your heart in anything that you do. No matter what, love will always find a way.”
I hope that everybody enjoys the movie!!
Best, Matreya
(see my response to Matreya - below...)
(see my response to Matreya - below...)
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| Matreya Fedor - “Home for Christmas Day” Credit: Copyright 2017 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen |
Thank you so much, Matreya, for doing this interview on "It's a Wonderful Movie!” “Home for Christmas Day” is such an inspiring Christmas story that will certainly be a wonderful addition to the Hallmark Christmas movie library! Your role as Betsy McKendrick, the girlfriend of a soldier, will carry on… season after season, and continue to touch many lives who see this film- giving each of them, I pray, strength, hope, and courage along the way.
It's nice that “Home for Christmas Day” offers the view from military family and friends who remain here at home, praying for and missing their loved ones, who have left either for training or on a mission… hoping for that special reunion day.
Viewers, prepare your hearts for a moving film, that is bound to bring tears to your eyes, and unbridled joy to the "Christmas in July" season!
Blessings to you all, Net
You can follow Matreya Fedor on social media - via Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
See the Premiere of
“Home for Christmas Day”
“Home for Christmas Day”
on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
During Gold Crown Christmas Week
Sunday July 16, 2017 at 9pm/8c.
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